DUE MONDAY Feb 26 (LATE PAPERS DO NOT GET REVISION AND DROP AN ½ GRADE FOR EACH DAY THEY ARE LATE) A>A- B+>B>B-…

3 PAGES, DOUBLE SPACED, SIZE 12 TIMES NEW ROMAN

USE TWO OUTSIDE SOURCES (NOT INCLUDING THE TEXT!) AND QUOTE THE PRIMARY TEXTS AS WELL.

USE THE EXAMPLE PAPER HANDOUT FOR MLA GUIDELINES!!

Refer to the class blog for outside source info: eng215spring2018.blogspot.com

Pick ONE of the essay topics below for your paper.

1. Illusion vs. reality is something that comes up in a lot of literature. We saw some in The Great Gatsby. Pick one aspect of a character’s life, whether it be from the past or the present, and explain how he/she uses illusions to distort their reality. Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

2.      Pick one or two of the many symbols from the novel and describe what it is important. What does this symbol mean in to this particular text? Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

3.      How does Gatsby represent the American dream? What does the novel have to say about the condition of the American dream in the 1920s? In what ways do the themes of dreams, wealth, and time relate to each other in the novel’s exploration of the idea of America?

4.      Is Nick a reliable narrator? We do not have much choice but to believe what he says throughout the novel so decide if he is and prove your point. Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

5.      Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom. How are they alike? How are they different? Given the extremely negative light in which Tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might Daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?

A Raisin in the Sun

6.      Each of the characters in the Younger family has a particular individual dream. One wants to move to a bigger home, one wants to attend medical school, one wants to rise above his conditions though does not necessarily have a plan to do so. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the functions of dreams in A Raisin in the Sun. Consider whether there was a way to make each individual dream compatible with others’ dreams. If so, explain why the characters did not identify this alternative. Use examples from the texts along with 2 outside sources to support your thesis.

7.       As we discussed in class, it can be said that each of the three female characters (Beneatha, Ruth and Mama) represent three women at different spectrums of their lives. Explain how they differ by finding examples in the text. Use examples from the texts along with 2 outside sources to support your thesis.

 The title of Hansberry’s play makes a direct reference to the Langston Hughes poem, “A Dream Deferred.” “What happens to a dream deferred?” asked Hughes. “Does it shrivel up like a raisin in the sun?” Consider the conclusion of A Raisin in the Sun—or lack of one—and write a persuasive essay on A Raisin in the Sun in which you attempt to convince the reader that Hansberry does or does not answer Hughes’s question through the actions of her play. Explain the significance of the