First Essay topics

Here are the first essay topics.

1. In many of the books we’ve looked at in this course, the weight and the allure of History plays a tremendous role in the lives of the characters. Focusing on a single character from two of the three books we've read (Running in the Family, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Englishman’s Boy), examine how each character grapples with the concept of history, whether personal, public, or both, and how it shapes their relation to the world.

2. In each of the works we have looked at the authors employ innovative styles to achieve a particular effect. Looking at two of the books we've read examine how the author's stylistic choices connect to the content of the book. In other words, what techniques do the authors use and why? Are these plays with form successful?

Essay length: 1500 words
DUE: October 21 at 3 PM (deliver to the English Dept. office at 400 Old Mill)

N.B. The deadline for students participating in the Ottawa trip will be Tuesday October 25th at 4 PM.

PLEASE NOTE: If you find yourself in a situation where you have too many papers due on the same day or all your midterms the day before the essay is due, I do permit extensions. There are a few ground rules though: you need to give me a written request for an extension no later than one week before the essay is due with a firm deadline as to when you will have your essay in. I will also have to agree on that deadline and will sign your letter to indicate that I have approved the extension.

Any late papers that do not have my prior approval will be penalized one grade point per day late, including weekend days. This, of course, excludes papers that are late due to sickness or family emergency. In such cases, the usual rules about doctor's notes apply.

For some tips on writing your essays, check out this posting I wrote when marking the essays for last year's version of English 180.

Essays must be formatted according to MLA style. Diana Hacker's excellent site has a good summary of MLA manuscript format, as well as some very helpful exercises to assist you in learning how to cite your sources properly.

Here's another link to an earlier posting about how to cite your sources using MLA style. All sources that you use to write the essay, along with quotations from the text, must be cited. Plagiarism, whether intentional or accidental, is a serious academic offense and I treat it as such. I'm also an expert at spotting it.

Discussion Question: Final Thoughts on The Handmaid's Tale

We've already left this book behind in class, but if you're like me you might still have some lingering thoughts or questions about the book.

Now that we've finished it, what did you think of the book? What about the book has stayed with you the most since reading it?

Atwood said in an interview that the reaction to the novel varied between countries. The British told her it was a "jolly good yarn," the Canadians said "that could never happen here," and the Americans asked "How much longer do you think we've got?". In which camp does your reaction to the book belong?

Interview with Guy Vanderhaeghe

Here's a link to a great interview with Guy Vanderhaeghe.