Total length about 6-9 pages.  This paper may be in the form of a report. You do not need a formal introduction though if you feel you have to have one, go ahead.

Below are 7 very short stories we have not read in class. Choose any 2.

• In a heading, name the first story you will consider and the author.

• Below that, summarize the story.  Maximum length= 1 page.  (if you are not sure how to summarize, please click on the link.)

• Discuss it in relation to at least 2 other works we have read so far and say what it has in common with these works and/or how it is startlingly different, if it is. Quote from the works when necessary to make your point.(More about this in the upcoming lecture). Keep your focus on the works as part of the body of literature by women. 1-2 pages.

• Follow the same procedure for the  second story.

• Write a conclusion  in which you explain why what you’ve said is important or what it shows about women in literature(a page or less).

Here are the stories: 

Stephanie Burgis, “ Locked Doors “(2007)    

Leonora Carrington “The Debutante”  (1939)  

Christine Boyka Kluge, “Walking the Wolf”(2002)  

Makya McBee “Spilt Wine” (1994)  

Dorothy Parker “You Were Perfectly Fine”  (1929)

 Henry Handel Richardson, “Two Hanged Women” (1934)
[Note--the expression “hanged” does not mean hanged by the neck until dead – it is like saying “two darn women” or something similar.]
 Therese Svodoba, “The Haight” (2002) 
 

You will be graded on the following:

1.You do the assignment, writing about 2 stories, summarizing them correctly and relating them to other literature in the class, concluding with an explanation about why what you’ve said is important or what it shows about women in literature.

2. I can understand you – you don’t write anything that confuses me.

3. I think you have understood what you’ve read (you don’t say anything factually inaccurate about the stories or leave out something important about them in order to make your point).

4. I can follow your reasoning: You use direct quotation from the stories to support important points which are not obvious to a reader.   

5.Your writing has been carefully proofread, spell checked, and you show you have a command of the customs and conventions of written English. 

6.  You send me the paper in an rtf or word doc, double spaced, 12 point type; with your name on the first page of the paper; you use paragraphs to divide different sections of your paper from each other; you name your file lastnameMidterm 

7.  You do not have to use any other sources in the paper but the texts and your own thoughts. But if you do use other sources, you must indicate them; when the wording is not your own, you must use quotation marks  and cite your sources  Failure to cite sources is plagiarism; this will sink the paper. Here's an additional link to in-text citation . 

Please feel free to ask questions in the Question Section of the Discussion.

A list of works we have read so far is available in Module 1, Semester Schedule.