Topics for More Extended Papers (600-1,000 Words)
“Write an analysis of a short story, focusing on a single element, such as point of
view, theme, symbolism, character, or the author’s voice (tone, style, irony).
Compare and contrast two stories with protagonists who share an important per-
“sonality trait. Make character the focus of your essay.
Write a thorough explication of a short passage (preferably not more than four
sentences) in a story you admire. Pick a crucial moment in the plot, or a passage
that reveals the story’s theme. You might look to the paper “By Lantern Light”
(page 1173) as a model.
. Write an analysis of a story in which the protagonist experiences an epiphany or
revelation of some sort. Describe the nature of this change of heart. How is the
reader prepared for it? What are its repercussions in the character’s li
possible story choices are Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” (Chapter 9), William
5. Imagine a reluctant reader, one who would rather play video games than crack a
Topics for Long Papers (1,500 Words or More)
Faulkner’s “Barn Burning,” or Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” (Chapter 3).
book. Which story in this book would you recommend to him or her? Write an
essay to that imagined reader, describing the story’s merits.
1. Write an analysis of a longer work of fiction, Concentrate on a single element of
the story, quoting as necessary to make your point.
. Read three or four short stories by an author whose work you admire. Concen-
trating on a single element treated similarly in all of the stories, write an analysis
of the author’s work as exemplified by your chosen stories.
3. Choose two stories that treat a similar theme. Compare and contrast the stance
each story takes toward that theme, marshalling quotations and specifics as nec-
essary to back up your argument,
Browse through newspapers and magazines for a story with the elements of good
fiction. Now rewrite the story as fiction. Then write a one-page accompanying
essay explaining the challenges of the task. What did it teach you about the rela-
tive natures of journalism and fiction?
Topics for Writing About Poetry
Topics for Brief Papers (250-500 Words)
. Write a concise explication of a short poem of your choice, Concentrate on those
facets of the poem that you think most need explaining. (For a sample explica-
tion, see page 1177.)
2. Write an analysis of a short poem, focusing on how a single key element shapes
its meaning. (A sample analysis appears on page 1 180.) Some possible topics are:
. Tone in Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Recuerdo” (Chapter 23)
Imagery in Wallace Stevens’s Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”
(Chapter 19)
Kinds of
he Workbox” (Chapter 11)
