English Literature Reports for Friday, November 15

English Literature Reports for Friday, November 15

These essays are due on Friday the 15th. There are several choices with regards to which topic the student wishes to cover, however there are several important instructions with regards to these essays.

- The design must follow the MLA format (Which is covered in the Resources section)

- It will be graded based on the Barnstable Rubric (Which is also in the Resources section)

- In addition to the normal rubric categories, there will be an additional category called Citations, which is explained below.

- The paper must be three pages long.

Citations

Students should cite four passages from the book which they are reading. They must be used as examples to prove whichever point the student is trying to make in their essay. The sources must be cited using the MLA format. Scoring is very simple:

- Four points for four citataions

- Three points for three citations

- Two points for two citations

- One point for one citation

Periods One, Two, and Five (Catcher In The Rye)

Holden Caulfield is a very complex individual, and there are varying opinions about the main character. Some are positive and some are negative. The student must prove ONE of the following in their essay:

1. Write about how Holden is a typical teenager and that his complaints about life and school are common and legitimate. (Ex: Homework is boring, teachers don’t understand him, sex and relationships with the opposite sex are a complete mystery, people really are shallow, etc.)
2. Write about how Holden is neurotic, and that his opinions are extreme and do not represent the average teenager. (Ex: He blames everyone else for his mistakes and accidents, people are not as bad as he portrays, he is suffering from extremely low self-esteem, etc.)
3. Write about Holden Caulfield as a hypocrite and that his beliefs are contradictory. (Ex: He hates how people mistreat each other, but then mistreats his roommate, friends, and family, and that he accuses people of being ‘phoney’ but constantly lies to others and pretends to be someone he is not.)

Periods Three and Four (The Killer Angels)

The novel The Killer Angels is a heavily character driven story. Despite the fact that the novel is about a war, it takes no sides and the characters on both sides are presented in a positive light. The student must write about one of the following:

1. Kilrain and Chamberlain have a discussion about the nature of mankind. Write about which person you agree with and why? Chamberlain is an idealist who believes that everyone is equal and should be treated fairly and with equality. Kilrain is a pessimist who believes that humans are animals, and they only have value if they are good people. Is man a ‘Killer Angel’?
2. Although the novel portrays the opinions of both sides, ironically, the author has been accused of taking sides. Northerners seem to believe that the novel has a Southern slant, whereas some people have said that Kilrain represents the author (Since he’s the only fictional character in the book), which would mean he has a Northern bias. Argue that the book has a slant towards one side, or argue that the book is unbiased in its portrayal of the two factions.
3. (Warning, this topic is for those who are knowledgeable about the American Civil War) This novel is a novel about the battle of Gettysburg, and the author has chosen to write about specific parts of the battle. Many have said that he left out many important elements. Write about what you believe is missing from the novel and why they should be included. Examples:
4. Which characters should be in the novel? (George Meade, A.P. Hill, J.E.B. Stuart, Custer)
5. Should another important regiment have been shown as well? (26th North Carolina, 40th New York, 1st Minnesota)
6. Which fights were critically important, but were not shown in the novel? (Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, the 3rd day Cavalry battle, etc.)