Darko Suvin argues that science fiction is literature rooted in some scientific feature that creates an alternate reality but which allows the reader to see his or her own reality reflected in that alternative world. Fans of Star Trek experienced that in episodes like "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" where two men, the last living representatives of their planet pursue each other endlessly out of prejudice over which side of their face is black and which white. When Spock points out the illogic of their behavior, the viewers were exposed to the illogic of their own racial discrimination. Numerous episodes in the original series reflected questions about the Cold War, where the Federation represented the Allied West, the Romulans, the Russians, and the Klingons, the Communist Chinese. This was particularly evident in "The Omega Glory," where Kirk eventually realizes that the two warring bodies on the planet, the Yangs and the Kohms represented Earth's Yankees and Communists, and called for an end to their conflict.
Using "The Bad Graft" and "Bog Girl: A Romance" in Karen Russell's Orange World, explore how the stories examine male and female relationships by viewing them from an altered reality. How do the stories reveal the conflicts people face in relating to the opposite gender, whether mothers and sons, lovers, or husbands and wives?
Primary Sources
- Russell, Karen. "The Bad Graft." Orange World. Knopf Doubleday, 2020. 37-66. Print. (Link to story
) - Russell, Karen."Bog Girl: A Romance." Orange World. Knopf Doubleday, 2020. 67-94. Print. (Link to story )
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 both 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 author and page number. 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.
