Appreciation of Literature, fall 2007
Essay #1
Due in class Sept. 24

Possible topics for the first essay:

1. You have read five different fairy tales in numerous different versions. Now, write your own version. Feel free to “update” the story in any way you see fit, and to write for adults, teenagers, children, and/or any audience you choose.
2. Watch (or re-watch) the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, or Cinderella. Compare and contrast it with one or more of the versions of that story in The Classic Fairy Tales. What do we learn from that comparison? Essays that explore one or a few points of comparison and contrast in detail will be stronger than those that list many points and deal with them in a shallow way.
3. Argue either for or against the value of fairy tales, using examples from at least one of the fairy tales we have read. In writing this essay, you can build on the short writing from class on Sept. 7, further developing your thinking. (You are also, of course, free to change your mind based on further reading and thinking since that class.)
4. Zohar Shavit argues that the Perrault and Grimm versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” demonstrate the evolution of attitudes toward children. Examine her argument by extending it to texts she does not discuss in the essay we read, whether by adding other versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” to the mix (you might consider what Dahl and Thurber have to say about the 20th century’s attitudes, or speculate on Chinese perspectives based on “Goldflower and the Bear”) or by examining at least two versions of another fairy tale.
5. I am also open to the possibility of other essay topics based on our discussion of fairy tales, if you discuss your idea with me well in advance of the due date.

Ground rules:

Whichever topic you choose, the essay should be 3-4 full pages long, double-spaced, with normal margins and font (12 point Times New Roman is standard). Be sure to number the pages, and give your essay a title. Do document everything according to MLA style, but don’t do any additional research beyond the texts read in class or mentioned in the assignment. I want to see your original thinking about the texts themselves.

As you choose a topic, keep in mind that I would like to see at least one “creative” and at least one “critical” essay from each of you over the course of the semester – even if you have a preference for one, you should have some experience with both.

As you write, keep in mind that I do not accept late papers. Please plan ahead for emergencies.