Although I originally considered giving you a choice of topics for your essay, I realized that the following subject matter is so broad and open to multiple interpretations that it will offer you an equivalent opportunity to choose an approach that best suits you.
Please write an essay, typed, in 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and at a minimum, six pages long on the following topic:
The Benjamin, Quentin, and Jason sections of The Sound and the Fury pose obstacles to understanding to even the most careful reader. Each narrator has particular concerns, and through the "stream of consciousness" technique, each section offers unique perspectives on the unfolding crisis of the Compson family. Your essay will explore the particular viewpoints of the three brothers, their attitudes, and the struggles they face as revealed through their language and thoughts, examining what concerns they share and what concerns are unique to each of them. Your inquiry will certainly address the ways the brothers were shaped by their historical circumstances and cultural heritage and will of course explain how the stream of consciousness technique contributes to our understanding, including how each brother perceives the world around them, and what symbolic meanings emerge—both for them and for us as readers.
Be aware that you won't be able to "cover" this entire topic in your essay. You will need to decide what ideas you believe to be most important and focus on them. Part of your duty as a writer is to limit yourself in a productive way that keeps to the essential and offers us your deeply felt take on what most matters in this text.
Remember, as always, address the language: what are the words, how are they used, what do they mean literally and metaphorically? How does each character's diction and syntax shed light on character and conflict?
IMPORTANT: Your essay must not simply recycle conversations we had in class. Although you may touch upon a point or two we made in our discussions, for the most part, this essay should examine language and passages, or elements within passages, we did not address in class.
Do not summarize plot, or merely point out language devices. Your writing must be free of errors (consult the no-no list), organized in a coherent manner, and free of awkward or unclear sentences.
Additionally, do not use study guides or critical commentary. This paper must involve your own thoughts and your own grappling with the work. I don't expect you to get everything right. Rather I insist that you to take the risk of being wrong! The point here is to be deeply and seriously engaged in the novel. When I see that, I will know that progress is being made. En avant, then.
This essay will be due on Monday, December 16.
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