Monday, November 04, 2013

Sections 2 & 3: Requirements for the Poe paper due Tuesday, November 12th


Requirements for the Poe Unit

Choose one of these topics.  (There are seven choices below.) You will develop the topic into a 600 – 800 word essay that thoroughly explains your analysis.
·      The piece is due Tuesday, November 12.
·      Typed, Times New Roman size 12
·      Single-spaced
·      Name and section in the header
·      Give it a title… even if it is lame
·      You will be scored mostly on your analysis, but your grammar and organization count.  I should not have to guess what you are trying to say.
·      You should use MANY examples from the text to prove your position.
·      Use proper punctuation for quotes:
o   In the story The Tell Tale Heart, the narrator said, “I loved the old man.”
§  Notice the commas and the quotes. End punctuation goes inside the quote unless the sentence is a question and the quote is not.  That is the ONLY time the end punctuation goes outside the quotes.

Writing Topics for the Poe Unit

The Tell Tale Heart
  1. Discuss the reliability of the narrator.  Should we trust him?  What effect does this choice of narrator have on the telling of the story?  We see the story from the narrator’s point of view.  Discuss the dramatic irony found in the story.  Compare what he believes about himself compared to what we know about him.

The Cask of Amontillado
  1. By now you are starting to get a feel for Poe’s writing style.  How would you explain his writing style to someone who has never read him before?  Be sure to discuss his use of many of the following: Mood, Tone, Visualization, Figurative Language, Sentence Structure, Vocabulary, Dialogue, Choice of Topic, Setting, Plot Structure, Foreshadowing, and Suspense.

The Pit and the Pendulum
1.     Many short-story writers in America in the nineteenth century said that they wanted to write a story that seemed like a dream or a nightmare. Show how “The Pit and the Pendulum” is such a story.
2.     In some very basic ways, the situation of the narrator in the story suggests that it is a universal human dilemma and that he is a figure representing everyman. Explain how this allegorical reading of the story can be supported.
3.     Although the story deals with a horrifying dilemma and makes use of violent actions, it does not seem as shocking as many horror films today. Why not?
4.     There is only one character in this story, and all we know about him directly is that he is caught in a horrifying dilemma. Describe what we can infer about his personality from his behavior; discuss how he attempts to cope with his situation.
5.     How would you characterize the kinds of fears and anxieties that the protagonist faces? In what ways are they like fears and anxieties that all of us have?