INSTRUCTIONS: Write a complete essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion based ONE of the following questions. Write at least five hundred words. Do not write more than six hundred words. Longer essays will not be accepted. Run a word count with your word processor and post the number of words at the top of the first page.
NOTE: Do not choose any question that matches the topic of your research paper. You may not write on the same topic in these two essays.
1. Each of Hawthornes protagonists separates himself in some fashion from the rest of humanity. Write an essay analyzing this separation in the two Hawthorne stories we have read.
2. Discuss at least one common flaw in Hawthornes protagonists.
3. Discuss the dichotomy of intellect vs. feeling or reason vs. faith in Hawthornes or OConnors stories.
4. Near the end of A Good Man is Hard To Find, the Misfit says of the grandma, She would of been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life. Analyze the significance of this quote.
5. Discuss the Jesus figures or agents of grace in Good Country People and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. How do they illustrate the purpose of violence in her stories? For this question you may quote from the short essay by Claire Kahane The Function of Violence in OConnors Fiction. Its in Shared Files. You wont need a works cited entry for the Kahane essay. Just be sure you use a proper in-text citation for any material taken from it.
6. Discuss the significance of the choice between Nihilism and God that OConnor presents in in Good Country People and A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
7. In what way are OConnors protagonists evil in Good Country People and A Good Man Is Hard to Find? You may quote from the Claire Kahane essay for this question.
8. Discuss the significance of Joy/Hulgas two names in Good Country People.
The questions above are topics. It is up to you to come up with a strong thesis to guide your essay. And dont forget about paragraph structure. For this essay, I want you to underline your thesis and each topic sentence in your body paragraphs. Also, USE AT LEAST TWO QUOTES IN EACH BODY PARAGRAPH along with at least three pieces of specific supporting evidence.
You MUST NOT use any outside or secondary material, except for the Claire Kahane essay. It must come entirely out of your own head.