Description
Length: 1300-1500 words
Here are some possible approaches to this essay (though the list is not exhaustive):
You could address the role that setting or narration plays in the stories, discussing how it shapes the reader’s experience or how it contributes to the illumination of gender/race/etc.
You might compare two or more characters, making clear how their differences and/or similarities are significant.
You could consider how these stories are relevant to a current sociopolitical event or situation. Are there ways in which these stories might help us understand the “real” world better?
You could apply a theoretical lens to these stories, and discuss what that lens reveals about the texts.
You could examine an element of an author’s writing style and discuss its significance.
You could look at how different authors approach the same topic/idea, or how one author engages with a topic/idea in multiple ways.
You could consider issues of representation, and observe how a particular group, topic, or issue is represented in your stories.
Whatever you choose, you will need to make sure that you’ve made clear why your discussion matters, and you will need to support your points with evidence from the texts.
I have selected three stories: “Borders” by King, “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan, and “Water Child” by Edwidge Danticat. I will send you the links to these articles. My topic revolves around family and culture, with a focus on Amy Tan’s story “Rules of the Game.” You can discuss the differences between Chinese and American cultures, as well as the variations in Chinese and American families. It cannot solely concentrate on Amy Tan’s story; additionally, details about the other two stories need to be included. I will share specific requirements and resources below. Thank you!!
“Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan
https://genius.com/Amy-tan-rules-of-the-game-annot……
“Borders” by KingThe article is in the attachment.
The article is in the attachment.
“Water Child” by Edwidge Danticat
The article is in the attachment.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
story 1 (Water child)
make a list of significant characters in these stories. what similari
ties do they have? what are some of their key differences?
Nadine Osna: A nurse and protagonist of the story. She is of Haitian
descent, living and working in a hospital.
Nadine’s Parents: They live in Haiti and have a relationship with Nad
ine that involves regular communication through letters. They depend
on her financially and express their health concerns to her.
Josette: A colleague of Nadine who works in the same hospital.
Eric: Nadine’s Ex boyfriend
Similarities:
Emotional Depth: Each person shows deep feelings. Like Nadine has her
own problems, her mom and dad worry about their health, and Ms. Hinds
deals with being sick and leaving the hospital.
Connection to Nadine: They all know Nadine and change her life in dif
ferent ways, at work or at home.
Key differences:
Where they’re from: Nadine and her mom and dad are from Haiti, so the
y might think and act a bit different than Eric or the people in the
hospital who are from other places.
What they mean to Nadine: Every person means something different to N
adine. Her parents make her feel like home and loved, Eric is someone
she used to date, Josette is someone she works with now, and Ms. Hind
s is someone she takes care of in the hospital.
How they affect Nadine: Her parents try to help and be there for her.
Eric brings up harder feelings because they used to be together. Jose
tte is part of her job, and Ms. Hinds, who is a patient, also makes N
adine think and feel more about her job and life.
Identify a theme that you see at least 3 of the stories. How does this them
e emerge? How do the stories deal with this theme in similar or different w
ays?( Themes might include things like guilt, secrecy, cultural identity, t
rauma, family conflict, etc.)
A theme I see in the story is family. This theme comes out in different way
s:
Nadine and Her Parents: The theme of family is shown through the lett
ers and how Nadine takes care of her parents by sending money home. T
his shows that even when family members are far away, they still help
each other and worry about each other’s health and happiness.
Nadine’s Memory of Eric: Even though Eric isn’t family, the way they
were close and then not reflects how people who aren’t family can sti
ll be a big part of our lives, almost like a family.
Nadine’s Work with Patients: Her caring for patients, like Ms. Hinds,
shows a family-like bond. Even though she’s not related to them, she
still feels for them and tries to help.
Each part of the story shows family in a different light. With her real fam
ily, it’s about being there even when it’s hard. With Eric, it’s about how
someone can be like family and then move on. With her patients, it’s like s
he makes a new kind of family where she works. All these show how family is
n’t just who you’re related to, it is also the connections and care you giv
e to people in your life.
For each story, think about what you consider to be the most important/memo
rable moment. In a sentence or two, write about why this parts is so signif
icant.
The significant moment is when Nadine receives a letter from her parents th
anking her for the money she sends, which they use for her father’s healthc
are. This moment is deeply moving because it shows the enduring bond and se
nse of responsibility she feels towards her family despite the distance, an
d it also reveals the sacrifices she makes to support them.
For the moments you just identified: do you see any significant connections
between them?
There’s a significant connection between Nadine’s interaction with Ms. Hind
s and the letter from her parents—they both highlight Nadine’s caring natu
re and her tendency to put others’ needs before her own. In the hospital, s
he prioritizes her patient’s emotional needs over socializing with colleagu
es, showing her selflessness and commitment to care. With her parents, she
continues to support them financially and emotionally, despite the physical
distance and her own challenges. Both moments reveal her deep sense of resp
onsibility and the personal sacrifices she makes for the well-being of othe
rs, whether they are her own family or her patients, extending the theme of
family beyond blood relations to include the broader human connection.
If you had to apply a theoretical lens to these stories, which would make t
he most sense? What kinds of questions/ideas would be raised by applying t
his lens?
If we look at this story from a family perspective, it’s like wearing a spe
cial pair of glasses that helps us see how important family is in someone’s
life and the role family relationships play. Here are some interesting ques
tions we can ask:
Is family important to Nadine? This question makes us think about the
role family plays in Nadine’s life, how she stays in touch with her p
arents who live far away, and how this affects her feelings and decis
ions.
How does Nadine feel about her family responsibilities? Here, we’re l
ooking at how Nadine makes sacrifices for her family and how she bala
nces her job with helping her family.
How do Nadine’s family and cultural background influence her? This qu
estion lets us explore how family and cultural traditions shape Nadin
e’s thoughts and actions, and how these traditions affect her relatio
nships with others.
How does the story show family conflicts and solutions? This helps us
see how the story describes problems within the family, how these pro
blems are solved, and how support and understanding between family me
mbers help them.
How does the story talk about love and sacrifice in the family?
Write down as many thoughts/ideas for the essay that you can think of
at this point.
(water child)
At the end of the story “Water Child,” we see the main character, Nad
ine, facing challenges in her life and work. Despite the difficultie
s, the story leaves us with some hope. Nadine’s love for her family a
nd her passion for her job show she really cares about others. When t
he story ends, not all problems are solved, making us feel like Nadin
e’s journey will continue with maybe more challenges but also hope ah
ead. This story makes us think about the importance of family, work,
and growing up, and the power of keeping hope during tough times.
Story 2 (Rules of the Game)-Amy Tan
make a list of significant characters in these stories. what similari
ties do they have? what are some of their key differences?
In the story “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan, we follow a young girl n
amed Waverly Place Jong, but everyone calls her Meimei. Meimei is ver
y smart and learns how to fit in between American and Chinese culture
s. Her mom teaches her a special way of doing things called “invisibl
e strength,” which helps her win in many situations, including playin
g chess. There are other characters too, like her brother Vincent, wh
o brings home the chess set, and an old man named Lau Po, who teaches
Meimei advanced chess moves. All these characters show us what their
family is like, their cultural background, and how they deal with lif
e’s challenges. This story isn’t just about how Meimei becomes a cham
pion in chess; it also tells us about the love in a family, the impor
tance of culture, and the story of a young girl growing up.
Identify a theme that you see at least 3 of the stories. How does thi
s theme emerge? How do the stories deal with this theme in similar or
different ways?( Themes might include things like guilt, secrecy, cul
tural identity, trauma, family conflict, etc.)
For the moments you just identified: do you see any significant connections
between them?
The story digs into how Waverly Jong tries to figure out who she is, stuck between
being American and being Chinese. At the start, her mom teaches her about “invisib
le strength,” a cool way to win at chess and life, showing how her Chinese backgro
und can help her in America. Then, as Waverly becomes super good at chess, she and
her mom don’t see eye to eye, showing the tough spot of trying to make her family
proud while also doing her own thing. Lastly, when Waverly stands up to her mom, i
t’s like she’s trying to find her own voice but still respects where she comes fro
m. All these parts of the story are linked because they show Waverly’s journey of
mixing her Chinese heritage with her American life, which is something a lot of ki
ds with family from different places might go through.
Written Analysis 2
Length: 1300-1500 words
For your second literary analysis paper, you will choose a point of focus that interests you, read a
set of short stories, and compose an essay about those stories.
First, you will need to decide on a topic, an author, or an area of literature that interests you.
Maybe you’d like to read more stories by Native American authors, or additional stories by
Russell Banks or ZZ Packer. Maybe you are drawn to stories that navigate issues of race, gender,
culture clashes, war, grief, religion, or family. Maybe you like stories that are told from a child’s
perspective, or that use humor effectively. Once you have decided on a focus, you will choose
one or two stories related to that interest that we have already read for class.
Second, you will read two additional stories related to your topic that are not on our syllabus. I
will provide a list of possible stories for you to read. If you would like to read something not on
the provided list, you will need to clear your selection with me by March 18.
Third, you will identify a compelling point of comparison and/or contrast between these stories,
and compose an essay that explores and illuminates that point. You may choose to focus on two
points of comparison/contrast, but no more than that; you need to be able to explore these ideas
in depth.
Because this essay topic is broad, you will need to think carefully about your topic before you
begin writing.
Here are some possible approaches to this essay (though the list is not exhaustive):
● You could address the role that setting or narration plays in the stories, discussing how it
shapes the reader’s experience or how it contributes to the illumination of
gender/race/etc.
● You might compare two or more characters, making clear how their differences and/or
similarities are significant.
● You could consider how these stories are relevant to a current sociopolitical event or
situation. Are there ways in which these stories might help us understand the “real” world
better?
● You could apply a theoretical lens to these stories, and discuss what that lens reveals
about the texts.
● You could examine an element of an author’s writing style and discuss its significance.
● You could look at how different authors approach the same topic/idea, or how one author
engages with a topic/idea in multiple ways.
● You could consider issues of representation, and observe how a particular group, topic, or
issue is represented in your stories.
Whatever you choose, you will need to make sure that you’ve made clear why your discussion
matters, and you will need to support your points with evidence from the texts.
You will need to select your two “outside” stories and finish reading them (and re-reading your
chosen class stories)
Criteria for Evaluation
A clear, specific focus; it should be clear
why this focus is significant, and what
analyzing the stories allows us to see/do
15pts
Specific evidence from the text to
support the writer’s ideas, and clear
discussion of that evidence
15pts
Clear, carefully proofread writing; quotes
analyzed and incorporated appropriately
10pts
Deductions for lateness, missing/incomplete
draft, etc.
TOTAL: 40pts
Comments
Brainstorming Prompts for WA 2
Make a list of significant characters in these stories. What similarities do
they have? What are some of their key differences?
Freewrite a paragraph about a point of similarity or difference between
characters.
Identify a theme that you see in at least 3 of the stories. How does this
theme emerge? How do the stories deal with this theme in similar or
different ways? (Themes might include things like guilt, secrecy, doubt, cultural
identity, trauma, family conflict, etc.)
For each story, think about what you consider to be the most
important/memorable moment. In a sentence or two, write about why this
part is so significant.
For the moments you just identified: do you see any significant similarities
and/or differences between them?
If you had to apply a theoretical lens to these stories, which would make
the most sense? What kinds of questions/ideas would be raised by applying
this lens?
Look at the ending of each story. How do the endings compare? (You
could think in terms of how hopeful they are, where the characters are left,
whether conflict is resolved, what questions they leave unanswered, etc.)
What do you notice about these endings in relation to one another?
Write down as many thoughts/ideas for the essay that you can think of at
this point, being as specific as possible.
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