Tim O'Brien
Going
After Cacciato 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.) In
the Lake of the Woods 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.
Things They Carried
Essay Prompt on a Literary Element:
Critic Roland Barthes has said, "Literature
is the question minus the answer." Choose a novel or play and, 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.
Tim
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Vietnam: President's Lecture, 21 April 1999
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