Stories we have read:
“Everyday Use” “The Lottery”
“The Black Cat”
“The Cask of Amontillado” “Barn Burning”
“A Rose for Emily” “The Masque of Red Death”
“The Story of an Hour”
“The Necklace” “The Yellow Wallpaper
“A Jury of her Peers” “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Listed below are son suggested ideas or thoughts for possible research papers. You may choose one of these ideas or an idea of your own to create your own paper topic. You may also refer to your notes to lend more topic ideas.
- Theme of alienation/isolation – “The Story of an Hour”, “Desiree’s Baby”, “A Rose for Emily”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
- Theme of man’s inhumanity – “The Lottery”, “The Black Cat”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “Barn Burning” “A Rose for Emily”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”
- Theme of dying – “The Black Cat”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “A Rose for Emily”, “The Lottery” , “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, “The Masque of Red Death”
- Theme of Parent/ Child – “Barn Burning”, “Everyday Use”, “The Lottery”, “Desiree’s Baby”, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
- Theme of Family – “Desiree’s Baby”, “The Necklace”, “Barn Burning”, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
- Portrayal of Youth- “Barn Burning” , “Desiree’s Baby”, “A Rose for Emily”
- Portrayal of Psychopaths – “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Black Cat” , “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
- Concept of Marriage – “A Jury of her Peers” , “The Story of an Hour”, “Desiree’s Baby”, “The Yellow Wallpaper”
- Discuss the significance of objects such as flowers in three stories or three objects in the same story. For example: the significance of the rose in “A Rose for Emily” or the significance of the clock in “The Masque of Red Death”
- Discuss the portrayal of men and women and their specific gender roles in three of the stories.
- Discuss a specific character trait found in three protagonists in three of the stories.
- Discuss symbols found in one story or various stories
- Discuss the significance of the title and how it fits with the overall meaning of the story
- Compare themes: select 2 or more stories for each theme comparison
- Violence – “Barn Burning” , “The Lottery” , “The Black Cat” , “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”
- Alienation – “Barn Burning”, “A Rose for Emily”, “Desiree’s Baby” ,
- Crime and Punishment – “Barn Burning”, “The Cask of Amontillado” , “A Jury of her Peers”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Black Cat”
- Death – “A Rose for Emily”, “The Lottery” , “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Masque of Red Death”, “The Black Cat” ,
- Family Relationships – “Desiree’s Baby” , “Barn Burning”, “A Rose for Emily”, “The Lottery”, “Everyday Use” ,
- Forgiveness or Revenge – “Barn Burning”, “A Rose for Emily” , “The Cask of Amontillado” , “The Necklace”
- Jealousy – “Barn Burning” , “A Rose for Emily” , “Everyday Use”
- Justice or Injustice – “A Jury of her Peers” , “Barn Burning” , “The Lottery”
- Loyalty or Betrayal – “Barn Burning”, “A Rose for Emily” , “The Lottery” , “The Cask of Amontillado”
- Sacrifice – “The Lottery”, “Everyday Use” , “The Necklace”
- Tradition – “A Rose for Emily”, “The Lottery”,
Assignment Details
- This will be your final paper for the class. This paper will count as 20% of your final grade, so you must be sure to complete it.
- Paper Requirements:
- Typed in MLA Format using Times New Roman 12 point Font
- Complete essay which includes an introductory, at least 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. Your essay must also contain a Works Cited page listing the sources you have used for the paper.
- Minimum length of 3 typed, double spaced pages of text. (Not including the Works Cited Page)
- Primary Source: You must use at least 1 of the stories we have read in class. The story/stories you use in your paper must be cited on your Works Cited page.
- Secondary Source: You must use a minimum of 3 secondary sources which support the points you make in your essay. These sources MUST come from the Library’s Website. Sources located from Google, Bing, etc. will not be accepted.
- We will work on the essay in class together. Your final essay will be due in class on __________________________________.
