The Prompt
Write an un-researched analysis (at least 650 words) addressing ONE of the following prompts. Use at least three meaningful quotes from the text to support your analysis. The intro and conclusion paragraphs should be brief.
Texts:
“There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
“The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
“Game” by Donald Barthelme
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
Vietnam Poems on Canvas
Love Poems on Canvas
“This is What It Means…” by Sherman Alexie
Prompts:
Discuss the theme of loss of innocence in one of these stories. Why is this an important theme for the story? Why is this an important, recurring theme in American literature?
One common theme of modernism and postmodernism is that authority figures are untrustworthy. Pick out one text that you haven’t discussed in your other responses and address this theme.
How do the characters in one of the stories have difficulty telling the difference between reality and perception? Why is this important to the theme?
Choose your own adventure. Come up with your own prompt that relates to one of the readings above. You must get this prompt approved by the instructor.
Final Draft is due Monday, April 15th by 11:59pm
Introduction
Hook – The first 1-2 sentences of your essay. The hook should grab your reader’s attention by introducing the general topic of the essay. A hook can be anything from a quote, statistic, short story, joke, etc.
Background Info – The introduction of the essay needs to include specific background information. Include the title of the poem(s) (set off with quotation marks), the poet(s), and a brief summary of the plot (if applicable).
Thesis – Here you should rephrase the prompt and answer it.
Body Paragraph(s)
Topic Sentence – The very first sentence of each body paragraph. This sentence needs to identify the ONE reason that supports your thesis.
Analysis – For each body paragraph, focus on ONE reason why your thesis is correct. Include evidence (i.e. direct quotes) to support the topic sentence. Analyze HOW and WHY this piece of evidence helps support your thesis.
Transition – The last 1-2 sentences of each body paragraph. The transition needs to sum up the main point of the body paragraph AND transition to your next topic sentence.
Conclusion
Briefly summarize the main points of your essay.
