A common theme in literature is death, how people react to death and how they cope with death. Write an essay that focuses on how death is dealt with in these three stories from Jill McCorkle's Creatures of Habit. Take note of the point of view of speakers, narrators, and characters as well as the metaphors and symbols used to mediate an sense and understanding of death. How do the characters in these stories deal with their experiences of death, and what is the significance, importance, relevance, or value of these stories?
Primary Sources: Students must use these short stories by Jill McCorkle.
- "Billy Goats"
(1-20) - "Fish." (227-242
- "Monkeys" (141-162)
McCorkle, Jill. Creatures of Habit. Little, Brown, 2003. Print.
Requirements
- Length: Your essay must be a minimum of 800 words.
- Documentation Format: You must include an MLA formatted Works Cited page that includes correctly formatted internal citations for all source material used.
- Sources: You are restricted to the stories assigned.
- Number of sources: You must use all three selected works. You may NOT use any other sources.
For this essay, students must not use any sources other than the stories themselves. Students may use a dictionary to help with words with which they are not familiar but should not refer to the dictionary definitions in the essay. Students should base the discussion of the theme on their own close reading> of the stories.
Students must use MLA style documentation. Internal citations should identify authors. Students must also include an MLA Works Cited page.
Finally, students should proofread carefully their final drafts for spelling, grammar, and punctuation as well as clarity, conciseness, and completeness. The final draft should be typed, double spaced, with one inch margins, in Times New Roman 12 pt. The essay should be a minimum of 600 words (two typewritten pages, equivalent to about five handwritten pages) in length.
The essay will be evaluated based on how well students develop their arguments with significant support from the text and articles (thesis, topic sentences, supporting details from the poems); clarity, cohesion, and conciseness; correct use of MLA format; and grammar and spelling.
Students are forbidden from using any source material other than the following selected works. Use of sources about the works will result in a zero grade.
