AP English
Mrs. Woronko
Short Story Out-of-Class Essay
“The Yellow Wall-Paper”
“A Father”
“The Swimmer”
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Bharati Mukherjee
John Cheever
By now you should have carefully read the three selected short stories above. Choose
one of the stories as a focus for your out-of-class essay.
You will develop a well-structured essay based on one of the following prompts:
1. Edgar Allan Poe believed a short story should be read in one sitting so as to create a
powerful single effect upon a reader. He also declared that every element, every
technique, and every word should contribute to this single effect. Choose one of the
stories, clearly identify its single effect, and analyze how the author goes about
achieving it.
2. Conflict seems to give birth to a short story, and seldom is there a simple, single
conflict. Usually a story embodies two or more types of conflict (man vs. man, man vs.
society, man vs. nature, man vs. himself, man vs. fate or God). Choose one of the stories
and analyze how conflict controls characterization, setting, mood and theme.
3. Since earliest literature, journey has been an important motif. Discuss how one of
the authors listed above manipulates four elements of fiction to establish successfully a
journey motif in a short story.
In preparation for this out-of-class essay, you need to read and digest all handouts,
including those on literary criticism, constructing an essay, etc. We will spend one day
in the library conducting necessary research to complete the assignment. In addition,
the laptop cart will be available for you to do some online research. Learn about your
author’s personal life to help you understand his/her writing. Read criticism of his/her
works and see how others analyze and evaluate craft.
Remember in writing your paper to construct a focused, clear and thought-provoking
thesis statement, which you will prove as your essay unfolds. This paper should be a
minimum of three pages typed, double spaced, using MLA format. Make sure you
provide adequate textual support as well as research findings, especially critical
remarks. You must have a properly formatted Works Cited page as well.
Essays are due ____________________