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Welcome to the School House Books Online Services Public Recommended List of Novels with Open Question Essay Prompts and Links |
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Heart of
Darkness Final take-home essay:
The inhumanity in the soul of humanity is a central them in Joseph Conrad's
masterful historical fiction Heart of Darkness. Yet there
is an interesting duality and ambiguity in his purpose and reasoning for
writing such a story. Did Conrad support the "civilizing and culturing"
of a primitive people that innately possessed a heart of primordial darkness,
or did he condemn the actions of the imperialist system within which he
lived? Support your argument throught the examination of the characterization
of Marlow
Amy
Foster
Lord Jim Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Describe the major differences and similarites in a sequence of parallel or recurring events that occur in this play and discuss the significance of such events. Do not merely summarize the plot. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Write a well-organized essay that analyzes how this novel confronts the reader with a scene or scenes of violence. Be sure to explain how these scenes contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid plot summary. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Although not usually identified with the detective story genre, this work does involve the investigation of a mystery. Write an essay which identifies the mystery, explaining how the knowledge gained from the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. Heart
of Darkness
Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Analyze the conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority. Discuss the moral and ethical implications that this conflict has for the individual and for society. Essay Prompt on Attitude: Read the following passage carefully. Then write an essay that describes the attitude of the speaker toward Captain MacWhirr and that analyzes the techniques the speaker uses to define the captain's character.) Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: This novel uses contratsting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that arecentral to the meaning of the work. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the overall meaning of the work. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: In this novel, a character who appears briefly, or does not apppear at all, is a significant presence. Write an essay that shows how this character functions in this work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: This work offers a happy ending through moral development. Write a well-organized essay that identifies the moral reconciliation evident on the ending and analyze its significance in the work as a whole. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: In this novel, a character--not necessarily the protagonist--is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Write a well-organized essay that identifies each conflicting force and explain how this plaguing conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: In this novel, a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the madness to the work as a whole. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Although not usually identified with the detective story genre, this work does involve the investigation of a mystery. Write an essay which identifies the mystery, explaining how the knowledge gained from the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. Another Essay Prompt on a Literary Element: Critique Roland Barthes has said, "Literature is the question minus the answer." Choose a novel or play and, considering Barthes' observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers any answers. Explain how the author's treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. |