Your essay should focus on one of these elements in the story you choose (the questions below are meant to get you thinking and do not necessarily need to be answered in your paper):
• SYMBOLISM AND THEME: Write an essay in which you analyze the relationship between the
symbolism in the text and the theme(s) you believe is underlying the the narrative’s plot. What
specific symbols does the author use, and what do they mean? How do these meanings contribute
to the story’s progress and help the reader better arrive at the text’s overall meaning? Are the
theme(s) and symbolism intertwined or at odds with each other?
Your essay should have a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. Each body paragraph should
begin with a topic sentence stating the subject and purpose for that paragraph. Conclude your essay by addressing some type of “so what?” question: Why does this matter? What can we learn from this? How does this reading affect us or make us realize something interesting or new about ourselves, as illuminated by this approach to the literature? Support your points with evidence from the story, presenting it in the form of quotation, summary, or paraphrase. Do NOT use secondary sources; use only the story itself, and do NOT simply rehash or summarize the plot (if you read your topic sentences for your body paragraphs in order, they should reprent an outline of your paper’s topics and points and not an
outline of the story’s plot).