This journal will be the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and the script version titled “The Misfit”.
There are many ways to write about literature, many ways of reading, interpreting, and appreciating literature. Assignments in literature can range from close reading of passages to very broad discussion of its themes and ideas. The following are some of the ways instructors may ask you to approach and understand the short story and the script.
- The summary, that is, a critical retelling of the story and examination of its interior logic. Just the short story.
- Passage analysis, a close reading of a selected or shorter passage Just the short story.
- Structural analysis, or an examination of plot elements and why the author has so arranged them How are they different in structure?
- Character analysis, for example, discussing characters’ motivations or how they externalize themes and ideas Short Story
- Point-of-view analysis, or who tells the story and how this affects the telling Both
- Tone analysis, or discerning the overall mood of a work Both
- Historical or cultural analysis, that is, how a piece reflects the beliefs and values of the society that produced it, or how history can shed light on a work for modern readers Look up when short story was written.
- Comparing and contrasting to demonstrate similarity, difference, or superiority: three differences
- Symbolism analysis, or how the things in a story simultaneously represent something else Both
- Ideas or themes analysis, or detailed discussion and evaluation of the author’s ideas Both
- Evaluation, or a judgment on the overall quality and value of both quiz and script: which one did a better job and why?“
Choose three of the 11 to respond to. Write Journal #1 at the top of the paper.
Number each response is chosen and write a half to a full page on each number.
Use specific examples from both.
Maximum 5-6 pages of answered questions
