Ind. Reading Essay Topics

The Catcher in the Rye Essay

You will organize and write an essay that conveys your understanding of one of the themes present in The Catcher in the Rye.  Take into account our various class discussions in order to go beyond the obvious and to the heart of authentic analysis. A strong essay has clear and fluid sentences, cohesive organization, and an insightful purpose.  A completed essay will have all of the following elements:

·         A clear, thoughtful, and well-organized thesis that ties to the novel and serves as a foundation for the entire essay

·         Well-structured topic sentences that relate to the thesis and provide a focus for each body paragraph

·         Seamlessly integrated quotes from the novel to support your thesis and body paragraphs

·         Thoughtful analysis that sheds light on the topic sentences and goes beyond a surface understanding of your chosen theme.

·         An introductory paragraph to set up your argument and chart your course

·         A concluding paragraph to wrap-up your points and express the relevance of your topic outside of an academic setting (how is this significant in the real world? why should someone outside of class care?)

·         Formatted through MLA guidelines and submitted on time

1.  It seems as if Holden is searching for something throughout the course of the novel. Some might argue that he is trying to find comfort and love from others. Using examples from the text, state and defend your view of what Holden was searching for and what might have given him true peace and comfort.

2.  Critic Charles H. Kegel suggests that Holden’s problem is “one of communication.  As a teenager, he simply cannot even get through to others of his own age”.   Kegel also believes that the novel can be read “as Holden Caulfield’s quest for communicability with his fellow man”. Using examples from the novel defend or refute Kegel’s position.

3.  In a literary work, a minor character may possess traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. Write an essay in which you analyze how the relationship between various minors and Holden illuminates the meaning of the work.

4.  Many novels and plays focus on individuals involved in a struggle to find themselves or to seek a purpose in life.  Sometimes the effort pays off; sometimes it does not.  Write an essay in which you explain Holden’s search or struggle throughout the novel. Assess to what extent it succeeds, and analyze how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. 

5.  Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye, uses symbolism to support the thematic idea that maturation and the loss of innocence are an inevitable rite of passage for all of humanity.  In a well-written essay, prove this thematic statement using three different symbols. Discuss each symbol’s meaning and how it connects and aides the development of Salinger’s message.

6.  In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character.  Consider how Holden must contend with different aspects of the past. Then write an essay in which you show how Holden’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

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Things Fall Apart  Essay

You will organize and write an essay that conveys your understanding of one of the themes present in Things Fall Apart.  You can create your own topic or choose from the list below to help you get started. Take into account our various class discussions in order to go beyond the obvious and to the heart of authentic analysis. A strong essay has clear and fluid sentences, cohesive organization, and an insightful purpose.  A completed essay will have all of the following elements:

·         A clear, thoughtful, and well-organized thesis that ties to the novel and serves as a foundation for the entire essay

·         Well-structured topic sentences that relate to the thesis and provide a focus for each body paragraph

·         Seamlessly integrated quotes from the novel to support your thesis and body paragraphs

·         Thoughtful analysis that sheds light on the topic sentences and goes beyond a surface understanding of your chosen theme.

·         An introductory paragraph to set up your argument and chart your course

·         A concluding paragraph to wrap-up your points and express the relevance of your topic outside of an academic setting (how is this significant in the real world? why should someone outside of class care?)

·         Formatted through MLA guidelines and submitted on time

1.   How does the father-son relationship throughout three generations shape the personalities of Okonkwo, and Nwoye? Comment on their characteristics and the role their father plays in making them who they are.

2.      "The story of Okonkwo is in a way the story of our culture; he pays a price because he places too much emphasis on strength and manliness." Discuss this quote as it applies to both the novel and our own modern American culture.

3.      The power of religion can both guide a society and destroy it. Discuss the ways in which Christianity, as promoted by the missionaries, does both.

4.      One of the themes of Achebe's novel is the striving after titles, trophies, and status in general. Write an essay commenting on the presence and importance of status symbols in Okonkwo's world and today's world. Explain their appeal and the ways in which searching for status symbols is a negative force in life. 

5.      Discuss the ways in which the District Commissioner symbolizes intolerance and disrespect for cultures he considers inferior.

6.      Okonkwo suffers because he does not understand himself.  Do his experiences help lead him to self-awareness or not, and why?

7.      "[Okonkwo's] whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness."  Explain how fear, in an ironic way, is the catalyst for destruction and failure in the novel?

8.      Comment on how Achebe, through this novel, counters the Imperialist stereotypes on Africa as an uncivilized continent.  What aspects of Ibo culture contradict this commonly held stereotype?  Perhaps use the District Commissioner’s comments to help convey the imperialist view.