Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison ------ The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy ------ "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks
For this assignment, using at least four of the works listed above, you will write a paper that compares what the writers say, and then (briefly) comment on what the writers say in your conclusion. In other words, by your paper will (1) identify and summarize essential points made by the writers and (2) compare/contrast those points, based on what the writers argue. Such analysis of sources is a common practice both in college writing and in the writing of scholars. Your
"commenting" will occur in the conclusion, where you can evaluate the strengths and/or weaknesses of the authors' arguments. You will give no evaluation in the paper prior to this point.
The completed paper will be 3-4 pages in length (double spaced and not including the works cited page)
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE TASK.
Probably the most difficult part of your task for this paper will be the connections you make among the articles you choose. These primary connections ("themes," "points," "ideas") will, of course, represent what is in the articles, but making such connections is a matter of your input: your accurate, insightful reading, interpretation, and analysis. Although you will need to reproduce accurately what is in the articles, your paper's real success lies in how insightful your connections are among the four articles. Try to find areas in which the works share a common ground, as well as looking for ways in which they are different from each other. All the works have something to say about rebellion, conformity, or both. No two works say the exact same thing, nor do they say similar things in the exact same way. Strong responses will go beyond merely labeling works as "pro-rebellion" or "pro-conformity", and will differentiate finite and subtle differences.