Essay

Choose ONE of the prompts below:

Some heroes are known for their physical prowess, but others demonstrate strength by resisting action (e.g. Buddha). Even in literature, the popular catchphrase, widely circulated on social media, holds true: “Not all heroes wear caps.” Do you prefer tales of superheroes or of ordinary people who overcome great odds? What, in your opinion, makes a character heroic? Explain and support your answer—articulated in a thesis statement–by drawing on at least two literary works, from different genres (a play and a poem/short-story) assigned in this course and developing your ideas in a coherent fashion.

Heraclitus, an ancient Greek author from the sixth century B.C., is thought to have said that “character is destiny.” To what extent is this true in two of the works we have studied in this class. Where does an individual’s responsibility for his/her destiny begin and end? To what extent are an individual’s behaviors, actions, and circumstances determined by forces outside of him/herself? Do the protagonists of these works come across as active or passive? Do they change and grow over the course of the narratives, or not? Your essay should develop comparisons and contrasts between these characters’ motives and situations.
What have you learned about reading, analyzing, and discussing literary works from various cultures, or from your encounters with cultural others? Discuss the cultural significances that have interested you and incorporate at least three literary elements into your comparative discussion of at least two separate texts/characters from cultural backgrounds different from your own. Your argument needs to have a logical structure; it should not be a set bullet points followed by free association of ideas.
Compose an essay in which you argue in support of this statement: “Literature is an effective medium for raising awareness of racial prejudice and social injustice.” Support your argument with evidence from two of the works we have studied, including a play.