Prompt:
The reading assignments for this semester present seemingly surreal conflicts which unfortunately parallel actual events from today’s headlines. Research and compare, in a researched essay of no less than 1200 words, an actual event or character from recent headlines with the situation or characterizations presented in any of the reading assignments freom the second half of this semester (Week 8 – 16).
**Important: Pick one only one piece of literature and find one real life parallel situation for comparison only.
Outline:
I. Intro: Use the background and situation of your selected literature to introduce your argument. Present the situation without storytelling. Explain conflict and characterization and narrow to a thesis which introduces the topic of your comparison such as: The situation presented in the author’s work is reflected in the recent events of (give your real life topic and restate this concept in your own words).
II. Body: Discuss in detail at least three specific examples from the real event and characterization vs. parallel events and characterization from the fictional story. Introduce the literary figure to prove your knowledge of the text, but emphasize the real life example to support the development of your belief in author’s purpose and theme.
III. Conclusion: Explain the author’s purpose and suggested theme in the fictional plot. What does it foreshadow in our actual lives, as seen in your non fictional example, and how does the author hope the readers will react?
Using our TCC Library Database (link in course menu), research the background and critical interpretations of the fictional vs actual characters. Give specific details and quotations from the events and your research to illustrate your knowledge of conflict, characterization and theme.
In your paper and on the Works Cited. you must cite at least four separate sources, (Compact Literature, which is the source of the literature, plus three more authored articles).
YOUR ARE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ILLUSTARATING WITHIN THIS PAPER AN UNDERSTANDING AND THE CORRECT USE OF MLA DOCUMENTATION. Use the chapters in Rules for Writers on MLA Documentation and Writing about Literature to guide the structure of your paper. Four separate sources, (Compact Literature, which is the source of the literature, plus three more authored articles) must be cited in the paper and listed on the Work Cited.
Your original work only. MAKE SURE ANY RESEARCHED, QUOTED AND PARAPHRASED INFORMATION WHICH IS NOT YOUR ORIGINAL THOUGHT OR COMMON KNOWLEDGE IS CITED IN THE TEXT OF YOUR PAPER BY AUTHOR’S LAST NAME, AND HAS A MATCHING CITATION IN THE WORKS CITED. INFORMATION WHICH IS NOT PROPERLY DOCUMENTED WILL NOT PASS TURNITIN. Use the TCC Library database for research; sources must have an acknowledge author. Wikipedia, Smoop, Sparknotes, etc. are not acceptable or appropriate sources for college level writing. You may find articles elsewhere, however, all cited articles must have a named author.
Turn you work in early to double check the originality Index assigned by Turnitin before I see the paper. Any highlighted sentences or phrases in your paper marked as such by Turnitin must be corrected and the paper resubmitted. Make corrections as needed. (Properly documented quotations and the Works Cited should not be highlighted by Turnitin). Papers must have a Similarity Index of less than 20% to receive credit.
Possible comparisons:
• Any character and his story from The Things They Carried to an actual war veteran living in 2015.
• Any character and his story from Death of a Salesman to a parallel father, son or mother living and struggling to make ends meet in 2015.
• Victims of kidnapping, rape or murder to the central character of “Where Are Your Going…”
• Compare a serial killer of 2015 with the serial killers Arnold Friend or The Misfit (pick one only).
• Any character and his backstory from the play Nine Ten with an actual survivor 9/11/2001.
• The suspected activities of any teacher or person in authority to the Father Flynn or Mother Superior in Doubt.
• Any character and his or her story from any real person living within the past ten years in modern day North America.
