First Critical Paper, 1250-1500 Words. DUE: SUNDAY MARCH 16th, 5PM.

After selecting one of the three prompts, write a considered essay in which you
make an argument based on the topic. You may not write on “Yellow Wall-paper”
for this assignment, as you were already required to write on it. For the first topic,
you must use a story narrated in the first person and for the third topic you must
write on As I Lay Dying.

The Narrator: We have encountered quite a few texts this semester with unreliable
narrators, irrational narrators and, at times, downright crazy narrators. In almost
every case, the limited perspective of the narrator’s mind dramatically shapes our
understanding of the story world. For this topic, consider how the formal properties
of first person narration influence how a story is told and specifically shape the
meaning of the story. Thinking about the unreliability of narrators is a good place to
start, but if you head in this direction be sure to go beyond this core idea of
unreliability and get much more specific. (You’re welcome to attempt to tackle this
prompt with As I Lay Dying, the narration style is a huge part of the book, but you
may have to tweak the question a little).

The Good Reader: Any number of the stories that we have read critique certain
writing practices; most apparently, realist writers frequently offer criticism of
romantic ideologies and writing. But, sometimes in more subtle ways, these stories
also encourage a particular kind of reading. How do these stories enforce a reading
practice of what it means to be a “good reader” (even if they never use this
language)? For this topic, create an argument about how you see a particular text
encouraging a certain kind of reading style. For example, one could make an
argument that in the “Yellow Wall-paper,” we learn about reading practices from
watching the narrator “read” the wall-paper and then document her experiences.
One could go on to argue, however, that these reading tendencies are the direct
result of the narrator’s oppressive surroundings, and ultimately discouraged as an
unhealthy tendency.

The Modernist: For this topic, consider one of the core modernist texts, As I Lay
Dying, in conjunction with Eugene Lunn’s four “aesthetics of modernism.” We
discuss how and if we see these aesthetics but here I want you to take these ideas
further and consider how one of the four elements shapes some aspect of the story’s
meaning. Here, I am asking you to use instances of one of these aesthetics to create
an argument about ONLY As I Lay Dying. Consider: How and where do you see this
element functioning? How does it affect our understanding of the characters? How
does it relate to the particularly unusual style of narration? How would the same
content be conveyed differently if it were realist story with a realist aesthetic?

Remember that you are making an argument about and
using only the story, not about what the author means or
intended the meaning to be. You are creating the meaning.
Some things to keep in mind:

– Feel free to email me with questions about the paper. I will look at thesis
statements, intros, or drafts, but if you want extensive feedback please plan
to meet with me outside of class (read: early, before break). Otherwise, I will
do my best to respond limitedly in email format.
– I will not review any work within two days of the due date. For this
assignment, your last chance to send me work is the evening of the 14th.
– You should be doing the same kind of close reading work here that you have
been doing in your shorter “close reading” assignments to defend your
argument. Remember that you need to use evidence from the text and then
argue for your interpretation of this evidence to support your larger
argument.
– The editing stage can be long!
– Papers need titles.
– Part of your grade depends on originality of argument. Do not simply repeat
what we have already discussed in class: feel free to use it, but also go
further!