Submit a 250 word (min.) analysis of a literary work assigned this week. To do this:

• First, pick a literary element or device that you think is important to the story/poem/play (see Literary Terms and Movements handout).
• Create a thesis analyzing the importance of the term to the literary work. Ex: Modernism is important to Eliot’s poem because…
• Analyze (rather than summarize) the text. Don’t just restate what happens; instead, make an argument about how the term is relevant to the text.
• Use cited quotes from the text as support to substantiate your analysis (required).
• Use APA format. No research is required unless you need to look up the literary term; emphasize your own thoughts on the literary device or element in the work; do not rely on a source to tell you how the device is important to the text.

Ideas for Week 2 Journals (using only the assigned readings from week 2):

• Explain the Gothic characteristics in the assigned Poe or Hawthorne story.
• Write about point of view in “The Tell-tale Heart” using our conversation in the live session as a basis.
• Write about symbolism in Gilman’s story.
• Write about foreshadowing OR irony in Chopin’s story using our conversation in the live session as a basis.
• Explain how the London story is an example of Naturalism (the literary movement, not simply the state of nature).

REMEMBER: To get credit for your submissions, rely on cited quotations from the assigned primary readings as support for your claims!

The week readings can be found here http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/3

Answer preview

Gilman’s story, The Yellow Wallpaper is a fascinating short story written by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The story is narrated by a woman who is supposed to be recovering from a nervous condition, as her husband who is a physician calls it. In the story, several symbols are used to present the central theme, the oppression of women. In particular, the wallpaper, the mansion, and the baby have been used in Gilman’s to provide a glimpse into the more profound meaning of women oppression and help the reader make a richer reading experience.

Different Symbol and the Meaning they Represent

The wallpaper happens to be the most obvious and outstanding symbol used in the narrative to meet its objectives…

 

(450 words)