You may choose a work from the list below or another novel or play of literary merit.1996.The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings."The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from their readersare the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happyending, I do not mean mere fortunate events -- a marriage or a last minute rescue fromdeath -- but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with theself, even at death." Choose a novel or play that has the kind of ending Weldondescribes. In a well-written essay, identify the "spiritual reassessment or moralreconciliation" evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.1995.Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters whoare alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed.Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and showhow that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moralvalues.1994.In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appearat all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write anessay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish todiscuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of othercharacters. Avoid plot summary.
381993."The true test of comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter." Choose anovel, play, or long poem in which a scene or character awakens "thoughtful laughter"in the reader. Write an essay in which you show why this laughter is "thoughtful" andhow it contributes to the meaning of the work.1992.In a novel or play, a confidant (male) or a confidante (female) is a character, oftena friend or relative of the hero or heroine, whose role is to be present when the hero orheroine needs a sympathetic listener to confide in. Frequently the result is, as HenryJames remarked, that the confidant or confidante can be as much "the reader's friendas the protagonist's." However, the author sometimes uses this character for otherpurposes as well. Choose a confidant or confidante from a novel or play of recognizedliterary merit and write an essay in which you discuss the various ways this characterfunctions in the work.1991.Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, twocities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces orideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contraststwo such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each placerepresents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.
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