Essay Response to Questions

Prepare an essay response to each question. Do not answer more than two questions. Don't write a book ... do write complete, thoughtful, carefully proofread and edited essays, and document your analysis. Essays must include relevant quotations from the assigned readings and in-text citations and a Works Cited page in MLA style.

Questions:

Consider the ending of "Under the Lion's Paw" and the ending of "The Wife of His Youth." Hamlin Garland ties up loose ends; Charles Chesnutt leaves big questions unanswered. Why do these stories conclude so differently? What does each ending suggest about the kind of Literary Realism espoused by each author? Cite evidence from the stories to explain your point. Write a character-focused essay about Mrs. Slade or Mrs. Ansley in Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever.”

In your essay, discuss the character’s worldview and how she develops over the course of the story. Cite specific examples from the story.