When we close read, remember that we are not concerned merely with what happens in the text. Rather, we want to discover how the language and symbols create meaning in the text.
writing
Description
The Essay Question
Use the following
question when designing your thesis and for the full essay #1.
Choose one of the
following texts:
- Ezra Pound's "The River-Merchant's Wife: A
Letter"
- Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy
Evening"
- James Joyce's "Araby"
Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour"
Answer the following
question as it pertains to your chosen text:
- Contrast the idea of the social world/civilization with
nature (or even just being alone) in the text. What images
represent society and what images represent nature/isolation, and how does
this contrast shape the text's meaning? Are there problems or dangers that
come with being isolated and away from the social world, or does isolation
offer something positive?
- Consider not just how the text distinguishes
civilization from nature, but also how the speaker or narrator interprets
nature. Are there problems with this reinterpretation of nature?
- When we close read, remember that we are not concerned
merely with what happens in the text. Rather, we want to
discover how the language and symbols create meaning in the text.
- It is probably best to limit the thesis to one or two
specific ideas that best show the contrast between civilization and
nature. Each paragraph should be distinct and unified.
