Choosing one of the topics listed below, write a 6-page comparison essay based on your own
interpretation of the stories
Topics:
1. Explore and compare the phenomenon of “initiation” or “coming of age” as it is presented in
two of the works we’ve studied. Possible approaches to this topic might be as follows:
a) Is “coming of age” or initiation a “one-time thing,” or can it occur multiple times?
b) What are the challenges or obstacles (social or personal) that might face a character on the
brink of an initiation?
c) What might be the price of initiation? Do the benefits outweigh the cost, or not?
d) What might be the consequences of never having actually “come of age”?
2. Explore the significance of psychological trauma as it is demonstrated in two of the works
studied this term. Include in your discussion the idea of the “coping strategies” that people
develop when under stress, and how these strategies may have both positive and negative
effects.
3. In two of the stories covered this term, investigate how the authors present problems related
to the presence and operation of power dynamics in personal and social relationships.
4. When rigid ideologies, worn-out social conventions, and/or overly romantic or narrowly
rational outlooks dominate interpersonal relationships, individuals and even whole communities
can suffer. Discuss this in relation to two of the stories we’ve discussed this term.
5. In many of the stories we’ve read, the writers work in a very purposeful way with narrative
perspective to reveal information about different characters, events, themes, and even the
narrator of the story. Explore the effectiveness and significance of point of view and narrative
voice in two of the works we’ve studied this term.