Using Everyday Use as your text, select 2 of the topics below (1 characterization and 1 plot) and compose a written response.
Characterization prompts select 1 of these 2 prompts:
Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
Turn to page 172 and read from line 55 to the tend of the story and write an essay responding to this prompt: Although her mother narrates the story, how does this passage characterize Dee/Wangero? Evaluate Dee’s character based on the indirect characterization provided.
Plot structure prompts:
Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.
A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
