Topic Option 1: Select two literary works that we have studied (or will study) in class and that you believe have similar themes. Write an essay in which you compare the two pieces, exploring the similarities and differences in how they present their shared theme. You may choose two stories, two poems, two plays, or any combination (poem and story, etc.) At least one piece needs to be a story or poem or film from the course schedule. The second piece is your choice.

Topic Option 2: Choose two different works by the same author and write an essay in which you compare the two pieces. You may choose two stories, two poems, or a story and a poem. Focus on what the two different pieces reveal about the author’s personality, priorities, or historical context.

Topic Option 3: Select two literary works that we have studied (or will study) in class and that sharehistorical details. Write an essay in which you compare the two pieces, exploring the similarities and differences in how they address and/or teach readers about the shared historical details.. You may choose two stories, two poems, two plays, or any combination (poem and story, etc.) At least one piece needs to be a story or poem or film from the course schedule. The second piece is your choice.

For either option, focus your comparison on a clear thesis and support that thesis with evidence from the texts, your sources, and your own reasoning. Always remember—a thesis statement must be something which people could disagree with—your interpretation/discussion needs to include at least a little controversy. For further guidance, refer to the instructions on writing about literature in chapters 2 through 8 of your text.

NOTE: In a COMPARATIVE essay, at least 60% of the essay will be COMPARISION (with source support). The rest of the essay will include introduction, conclusion, summaries of the works, history, etc.

Compare “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Story of an Hour” as each explores the theme of women in restrictive marriages/societies.

Research: Your essay must include source material from at least three secondary sources. Two of these sources must be articles of literary analysis or literary criticism from the Literature Resource Center or another dedicated Literature database, which you can access through the library webpage. You may also include some biographical information about each author and/or some historical information about the author’s time period or the time period in which the story is set. Consider how this biographical and historical information affects the readers’ understanding of the works. Your source information may play either a peripheral or integral role in your essay.

Sources: Your works cited page needs to list at least FIVE sources: the two primary sources and your three or more secondary sources. All sources must always be properly cited using the MLA format, including an MLA formatted works cited page. If your essay is 4 pages long, your Works Cited page is page 5, and must have the appropriate page number.

Length: 4-6 pages of text plus an additional works cited page

Format: Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, heading on page one only (and never in the ‘header’), all pages numbered.

Due dates:

Topic idea: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________________

List of sources: ________________________________________

Outline: ______________________

Rough Draft: ______

Final essay :_________ by midnight.

Make sure that your essay:

______Has a clear thesis.

______Supports the thesis with evidence from the primary sources.

______Supports the thesis with your own reasoning.

______Uses 5 or more total sources.

______Is at least 4 full pages long plus an additional works cited page

______Uses outside sources but is not controlled by them.

______Does not waste space with overly long summaries of the two literary works.

______Uses the present tense in discussing events that happen in literary works.

______Addresses the authors appropriately (by last name)

______Cites sources correctly

______Includes a correct works cited page