For your first essay, you will write a comparative analysis of two texts we have read thus far in class. Essays will be 2.5-3 pages, double spaced (see below for full details). Considering the short length, you will likely want to focus your attention on a key scene or two from each text, and compare and contrast the ways in which the authors present their themes in differing manners. In addition, you will want to consider the social, historical, and political climate in which these texts were written. You might consider and include ideas we discussed in class, information garnered from the textbook’s author biographies, or your own research. Most importantly, all essays should quote the texts you’re writing about and offer thorough analysis in your own words. While you may write about any topic and texts you would, here are a few sample prompts that you may use, or amend to your own preferences.
Using two of the following authors, analyze the ways in which Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edith Wharton, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, and Kate Chopin present women’s roles at the turn of the twentieth century. How does each author’s story criticize and comment upon social structures?
Sample Solution