Select ONE of the following topics and respond in an essay that is approximately 800 words in length. Be attentive to quoting formats, grammatical accuracy and organization. Include a clear thesis and topic sentences.
1. Characters respond to a crisis in different ways. From Borowski, choose 3 or 4 varying reactions to a desperate situation. What do these reactions teach us about human nature?
2. The sudden awareness of one’s status as an outsider can be debilitating. Discuss the causes and effects of alienation in 2 readings.
3. What are the attitudes towards women and/or marriage that are evident in 2 readings?
4. Oppression takes many forms. It can be physical, mental, social or emotional. What are the responses to oppression in 2 readings?
5. Sometimes characters reveal behavior that is socially unacceptable, but the reader still forgives them. Why? 2 readings.
6. How characters see themselves and how others see them can be radically different. Examine the distinction between self-perception and social views. 2 readings.
7. Discuss the relationship between body image and social pressure. 2 readings.