|
|
Appreciation of Literature, spring 2008
Essay #1
Due in class Feb. 29
Possible topics for the first essay:
- We are reading six 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
The essay should be 2-3 full pages long, double-spaced, with normal margins and font (12 point Times
New Roman is standard). (If you write your own fairy tale and need more space, it is okay with me for the
story to be up to seven pages.) 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 write, keep in mind that I do not accept late papers. Please plan ahead for emergencies.
back
|