Learning Activities
Choose ONE of the short stories assigned in the learning activities link and explain how one or two key literary devices (symbolism, theme, tone, setting, irony, etc.) play a part in the story’s development; this is not the same as simply identifying the appearance of those devices.
In other words, it will not be enough to note that an author uses symbolism and list the examples. Instead, use those examples to show how they contribute to the story’s progression, the character’s development, the overall theme of the story, etc.
In addition, this essay will not concentrate on or address “the reader”; we cannot assume to understand the author’s intentions; therefore, we cannot make statements such as, “The author uses imagery to create interest in the reader”.
Instead, we can speculate that an author might use imagery to create a certain impression about a character or to enhance a theme, for an example.
Finally, this is not an opportunity for plot summary. Provide a brief two- to three-sentence summary in the intro, the purpose of the body paragraphs is not to relate the plot to your readers; they are assumed to be familiar with the story.
Use appropriate transitions to move from one part of the essay to the next.
