Urban, ENGL238, 1

ENGL238 Final: Themes in Fiction

This final test covers the stories assigned during the latter half of
Introduction to Fiction, and asks you to apply your knowledge and
understanding of both the elements of fiction and writers expression of
thematic concerns in developed, focused essays. Each of these questions
asks you to communicate an argument about how these stories are crafted,
what they reveal about human experience and society, and the significance
of the themes and issues they address.
Write an essay of 500-750 words in response.
Essay Questions:
1. In his essay Why I Write Short Stories, Cheever states: so long as we
are possessed by experience that is distinguished by its intensity and its
episodic nature, we will have the short story in our literature and
narrative fiction can contribute to our understanding of one another and
the sometimes bewildering world around us (Charters 1446). Relate
these statements to two of the short stories from the last four weeks of
this class. What does the short story uniquely offer (as compared to the
novel, or film/TV)? What does it show us about our human experience
and world? Use evidence from your two chosen short stories to support
your claims.
Evaluation: These essays will be primarily evaluated on how clearly and
thoughtfully you demonstrate understanding of, and engagement with, the
elements of fiction and the crafting and meaning of the assigned stories. You
are expected to demonstrate thoughtful analysis of the stories crafting and
meaning and to include specific evidence (quotations and examples) to
support your claims. Clear focus, logical organization, and editing for
precision are required.
Requirements:
12 pt. Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, double-spaced.
Use MLA style for your paper heading and for in-text citations (if you
need help with MLA, use the OWL at Purdue website for reference).
Upload as a Word document on Blackboard. Upload your essay
responses as one document; make sure each essay is clearly labeled.
Use a title for each essay that indicates the question youre answering
(for example, 1A).