Topic: Putting the "Fun" Back in "Dysfunctional Families"
Several of the stories we have read feature strained or outright abusive family relationships. Choose two stories and write an essay that compares how two authors depict relationships within the family. Think about the exploitative, abusive, or less than loving elements of the family dynamic within the story. What might be the author's perspective on the family and what might they be trying to communicate via the way they depict the family? For this essay, you will need to pick one common feature about the family dynamic that the two stories share and then compare how each author engages that feature. Consider how differences in gender, culture, historical era, and location may impact the way this theme develops in the story. You may choose any two of the following, "The Yellow Wallpaper", "The Metamorphosis", "Two Kinds", "Death By Landscape", "Araby", or "Barn Burning". Include introduction, thesis, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion.