Writing Assignment 1

Choose one (1) of the following topics and write four page essay (that's four or more full pages) in standard MLA format which is thoughtful and supported with several specific examples from the work(s) you are analyzing. If you select topic 2 or 4, then you'll be doing something a little different! Your essay will be evaluated on both form and content. Do your best, and good luck!

1. Explore the range of satire in Candide. Consider his treatment of war, religion, politics, social conventions, philosophy, even literary traditions (the story has been compared to a mock Odyssey). Find examples of several of these elements he holds up to ridicule. Altough the satire is outrageous, how does Voltaire manage to make his story credible? Cite some examples of real events he integrates into Candide which are even more extreme than the exaggerations he uses in his comedy.

   Note: You may even want to discuss how the story is still relevant by citing some contemporary situations that are remeniscent of the outlandish, improbable, seemingly-exaggerated incidents of Candide.

2. While topic 1 calls for a very traditional analytical essay, this topic is for you creative types. A chapter of Candide seems to be missing, and it's up to you to write the missing chapter. From Voltaire's notes you've discovered that while heading from El Dorado back across the ocean, the ship mysteriously swerves into the Sargasso Sea and/or the Bermuda Triangle. The travellers are whisked through a time portal to (???). Invent a brief chapter where the main characters find themselves on a space station in the future or at some key moment in history or at Disney's California Adventure or at a shopping mall or ....

   Note: for this topic you will want to keep at least the three main characters--Candide, Pangloss, Martin--in character, responding the way they would likely respond based on what we know of them. You may involve other characters from the novella as well. Include dialogue and some action and lots of descriptive details.

3. Most of us might see the title character of The Sorrows of Young Werther as a self-indulgent nut, but he bacame a cult hero to followers of the Romantic movement throughout Europe. What elements of Romanticism are evident in Werther's character? Here are some things to cover in your essay:

   • how does Werther feel about Nature?
   • how does Werther feel about society? the aristocracy? rustic, simple, homey pleasures?
   • where are there elements of the gothic? the melodramatic? the lure of adventure (consider Werther's favorite books)
   • find indications of the wish to transcent the mundane (of the inner journey

   Be sure that you quote and document examples from the novel to support your observations.

   Note: for more information on conventions of Romantic literature, read the introductary material on pages 1619-1627 in your textbook.

   Also, if you would prefer to write about another work from in our text that demonstrates these conventions, you may substitute that work in place of Sorrows

4. Here's a creative option for those of you who wish to write about The Sorrows of Young Werther.

   If poor Werther had just looked in his mailbox before doing anything drastic, he may have found the help he needed to get over his obsession. It seems the mailbox is packed with letters from friends, family, key characters in the novel, even some modern pundits who have been following his story.

   Write at least five letters to Werther from five different sources. They can be letters of advice, inquiries, even threats (depending on who writes the letter). Try to match the style and content to the character writing the letter.

   Important Note: this assignment is "different" already, but to add to this, all letters must be submitted (dropped off in my office--NEAH 273--or mailed to me at school) as actual letters in different envelopes. No, you don't have to put stamps on them, but student have actually drawn stamps (some quite funny) on the envelopes. You might type some, handwrite others. Consider what would be appropriate for each (would the mother's letter be on formal stationary? would Albert's be a crisp business letter?); think about fonts, wording, etc. Then put all of the envelops into a manila envelope and drop it off or send it to me.

   Additional Note: the most obvious candidates for letter writing are Lotte, Albert, Werther's mother, William, and other characters within the storyline. But don't hesitate to have the editor write a letter. Feel free to have Howard Stern, Theresa Caputo (The Long Island Medium), Dr. Laura, (the late) Larry King, Maury Povich, Dear Abbey, etc. write some helpful comments to young Werther.

5. (Note: you will see a similar option for all of the writing assignments)

   Write an analysis of any literary work (from the 17th to early 19th centuries) from a country either not represented or under-represented in our text. Consider works from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, perhaps even Oceania. DO NOT select work from North America or Europe for this category.

   For this analysis you will concentrate on theme or style or some issue or idea that is suggested by the work, or you may want to explore how the work is characteristic of the area from which it comes or characteristic of a specific literary movement from that country. Develop your essay with your observations which are supported with several documented quotations from the text. Feel free to include secondary source material (reference material from the library, etc.) to add even more support to your analysis (if you do use reference sources, be sure they are properly documented as well). Since the work will not be from our textbook, you will also want to have a Works Cited page including bibliographic information for the literary work you've chosen and for any research material you may use (this does not count as a page of the body of your essay).

   Note: you may want to get the work and your thesis approved by me before you go ahead and write the essay.

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