Description
Read (and listen to) Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” and Gilbert Highet’s “Subway Station.” Reread and annotate the stories as needed. They are available in the Course Text and Readings course menu option on Blackboard. Re-examine any videos as you deem helpful to writing this essay. Choose ONE of the two choices for the fiction essay assignment. The stories and the grade sheet are attached as well. 1. Read Gilbert Highet’s “Subway Station.” Write an essay that examines its imagery and tone in relation to its theme. In other words, what is the theme of the work and how do imagery and tone help achieve it? How does the narrator’s experience with public transportation compare to yours? Be sure to use plenty of textual evidence (see Essay Requirements). Be specific. Review the Shared Elements of Poetry, Short Fiction, and Drama on Blackboard and your text for information on theme, tone and imagery. Chap 5 “Tone and Style” (147+); Chap 6 “Theme” (184+); Chap 13 “Imagery” (432+). Be sure to use plenty of textual evidence (see Essay Requirements). Addressing the tasks and maintaining strong organization (which includes a degree of compare and contrast) is key to a successful essay! 2. Read Jamaica Kinkaid’s “Girl” (attached). Write an essay that compares and contrasts your own childhood lessons learned with those of the narrator’s daughter-figure. Detail at least one significant similarity and difference. Be sure to include discussion of the story’s tone and style and how they might contribute to a specific theme. Review the Shared Elements of Poetry, Short Fiction, and Drama on Blackboard and your text for information on tone and style, as well as Chap 5 “Tone and Style” (147+). Be sure to use plenty of textual evidence (see Essay Requirements). Addressing the tasks and maintaining strong organization (which includes compare and contrast) is key to a successful essay! Even though the story’s title is “Girl,” the males in class can write a great essay on this topic. Childhood lessons learned are childhood lesson learned. At least don’t immediately dismiss this topic if it does not align with the gender with which you identify. Essay Requirements: – A full paragraphed essay of a minimum 600 words (about 2.5 pages), maximum about 800 words (3-3.5 pages); choose your words wisely and stay on topic! – Use proper MLA conventions: margins, font, spacing, heading, etc. – Include an original title centered at the top of the essay – Use evidence from story: Minimum of 6 borrowings – 5 quotations and 1 paraphrase. Follow The Quotation Process when borrowing. Since there are no paragraphs and only about 1 page for each story, no in-text or works cited page is needed. However, heavy emphasis will be placed on following the quotation process – providing context, introducing, and explaining. – As this is academic writing, please remember to use a certain level of formality in your writing: avoid slang, clichés, texting language, informal and weak wording like you, I, thing, interesting, this quote means, good, bad etc
