English 4
Mr. Donahue
Essay Assignment #2: Before and After (Changing or Not Changing Your Mind)
Texts read in class for this essay:
Stories:
“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver
“A&P” by John Updike
“I’m A Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy” by Louise Erdrich
Essay Question:
Choose two stories from the list and compare how a decisive moment in each text changes what a character believes about themselves and their place in the world. What does the character believe before that moment? What do they believe after? How do you know? What is similar about each character’s transformation? What is different or unique about each character’s transformation? What can we learn from these two characters’ transformations?
Assignment:
Write a multi-paragraph essay in which you use the prompt above to explore an idea, conflict, or relationship in depth and to argue what readers should conclude about that idea. You should be making one complex central argument that is supported by several short direct quotes from the two stories in each supporting paragraph. Refer to the essay writing rubric for more detailed requirements.