Posted: July 5th, 2022

Circe (Madeline Miller)

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Essay 2 is your response to the novel you have chosen to read this semester. Below are directions for that essay. First, review the prompts for the novel you’ve chosen to read. Be sure to look, too, at the end of these directions for some reminders about how to develop the essay.
Choose one of the following prompts that relate to your novel. *Compose your essay on that prompt:
Circe (Madeline Miller)
1). In what ways do you think the author best re-imagines the famous Witch of Aiaia, Circe, for the contemporary American audience? Why do you think the qualities that Miller highlights in this character are relevant to us today? You should read (or re-read) Book X of The Odyssey to help form your perspective (for background).
2). Discuss Circe’s dealings with two or three of the male figures in this novel. How does her interaction with each help to develop our understanding and appreciation of her character, her strengths and weaknesses? You should read (or re-read) Book X of The Odyssey to help form your perspective (for background).
The Nickel Boys (Colson Whitehead)
1). The “strong Black woman” has become something of a facile stereotype in American culture, but Elwood’s grad mother (Harriet) is more the face of an enduring archetype. Discuss Harriet and her conflicts in the novel. Does she remind you of other figures from literature or popular culture? How is she similar to them? How is she different? Ultimately, do you agree that she rises above stereotype and into archetype? How?
2). Elwood and Turner’s friendship evokes a recurrent dichotomy presented among African-American writers. In a sense, they are twins, certainly brothers of a sort, but they also represent opposing responses to systemic racism. Discuss their shared conflict and their essential differences. Draw on “Of Cabbages and Kings,” the short story by James Alan MacPherson in our text (page 341), and/or on James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” (widely available) to frame your comments.
On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong)
1). Like the author, the protagonist-narrator of this novel is both gay and the son of immigrants. Do you regard this mainly as a gay novel or as a novel that depicts the immigrant experience? In other words, do you see it as succeeding mainly as a novel depicting the conflicts faced by a gay person, or those faced by an immigrant?
2). Vuong is both a poet and a novelist. On Earth is his first novel, and there is substantial poetic language in it. Address some of the prominent metaphors and symbols (or other poetic qualities you see), and discuss how they contribute to the development of the plot, as well as to the novel’s overall strengths. NOTE: You could also discuss any shortfalls with Vuong’s use of poetry in the novel.
When These Mountains Burn (David Joy)
1). Much of this novel focuses on the challenges law enforcement officers deal with in a close-knit and entrenched community. How does it depict law enforcement with sympathy (likeable characters), and how does it depict law enforcement less sympathetically (unlikeable characters)? Develop and support a thesis that asserts something about how what this novel might say to someone who is pursuing a career in law enforcement. 2). What does this novel say to us about the opioid crisis in America? Consider the plot, the conflict(s), and specific characters, and comment on those elements to support a thesis about the novel’s portrayal of this national problem.
3). Consider this passage from the novel’s conclusion: “When the days grow shallow, there are only the memories, the stories that remain scattered like seed, the tales that bind us in this world . . . . As we stare into the oblivion an slowly fade from the familiar, those stories will be the faces that surround us, and the voices we hear when we too come to pass” (255). Present this quotation (or at least part of it) in your introduction, carefully. Then, develop and support a thesis that explains why this is such an effective commentary on the story that has preceded it. Leave This World Behind (Rumaan Alam)
1). At its heart, is this a novel about racism, or is a novel about the apocalypse? What would you say is the “deepest,” most important idea in the novel, and what would you say is there merely in order to develop character or move the story along? I would be especially impressed if you were to include mention of any other works this semester that contain ideas like those in this book.
2). What do you believe is the event in the novel that has caused such alarm and panic? Though it is not named outright in the story, critics and readers of Alam’s novel have drawn on various details in the book to say exactly what they believe the event is. In your essay, make an argument for what the major event is, and base this on what you believe would make it the most relevant novel of 2020. You must support your argument well with details including plot, character, and imagery. By the way, I am not looking for any one “correct” hypothesis, but rather at your ability to say how this novel finds something to say about this American moment.*If you find a prompt appealing but difficult to follow (if you find it less than clear), please speak with me before you change your mind and choose another prompt. I would like to help you out by clarifying the prompt rather than have you move on to something that is less interesting to you.
In addition to responding well to the prompt, be sure to include the following in your essay:
An introduction that presents your thesis–a clear response to one of the prompts–as well as an engaging opener, something that is original to you and that makes a good first impression.
One good, long quoted passage from the novel, incorporated sensibly to develop a main point in the body, conveying an example of the best writing in that novel, and introduced and cited correctly.
An effective conclusion, with a reference to some idea or concept you have learned in this class: for example, you might recall author John Gardner’s comment that there are only two plots in literature (a character goes on a trip, or a stranger comes to town) and say which of those two categories your chosen novel falls into. You do not need to document Gardner’s comment if you use it, just introduce it briefly (“According to John Gardner, there are only two plots in literature . . . . “). Alternatively, I think a nice way to conclude your essay would be to include a statement about the degree to which you think the novel might make a good assignment for all students in this course to read, for the way it captures any (or many) of the themes and concepts we’ve covered.
Refer to “General Directions for Writing and Submitting Essays” (under Important Documents) for any questions.

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