Write about "Sonny's blues" by James Baldwin.
Choose one of the stories assigned for class which appealed to or affected you. Read the short story several times to analyze and interpret the work. Annotate as you read. Decide on a thesis for which you will develop a reasoned, well-developed argument of three full pages with 20 lines per page.. Fewer pages will not be accepted. Underline the thesis. Example of a thesis: In "Araby" the boy has an initiation into adulthood by which he realizes the parallel between his own self-delusion and the hypocrisy and vanity of the adult world"(Ratinov).
You may write about a personal experience that relates to the story. Start with clustering and create an outline both of which will be included at the back of your essay. You may use the following suggestions for your writing by analyzing the story according to Character OR Setting OR Plot OR Point of View OR Theme.
3 PAGES OF YOUR OWN WORDS--ANY QUOTING FROM THE STORY OR ANOTHER SOURCE IS NOT YOUR WORDS. 20 LINES PER PAGE. ESSAYS THAT ARE TOO SHORT WILL NOT BE GRADED!
WRITE ON ONLY ONE TOPIC LISTED BELOW. THE QUESTIONS ARE TO HELP YOU BUT ARE NOT TO BE ANSWERED AS SUCH. THIS IS A 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY.
CHARACTER-What are the character's motivations, inner conflicts, doubt?
Does the character change or learn anything?
How does the character relate to others as to intimacy, commitment or responsibility?
What is the character's morality?
How does the character fit into and is defined by society -in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation , age or gender?
Who has the power and does the balance of power change?
Compare and contrast characters in a story.
OR
SETTING-How does the setting impact the story?
Could this have happened in any other setting?
How does the setting affect the mood of the story?
How does the historical period or cultural context affect what happens or does not happen and why?
How does the setting symbolize the social relation among characters?
OR
PLOT-Do not just reiterate the plot by telling what happens in the story.
How is what happens to be interpreted?
OR
POINT OF VIEW-Is the narrator a character or omniscient?
How does this impact the story?
OR
THEME-Is the story a traditional motif such as: an initiation, heroic quest, disillusionment, fall from innocence, family dynamics, or art/artist?
Is the story a literary theme such as: The American Dream, Race Relations, Alienation, Imagination, Dynamics of Power, Femininity or Masculinity.