Personal Essay Prospectus Due on Thursday!

Note about the prospectus:  be sure that the "topic" you write out in full is one of the ones listed on the hand-out (the six for the Common Application) and the two for the University of Washington.  If you choose "Topic of your choice" because you want to write on a topic given by another school, tell which school, and write out THAT topic in full.  If you are just "choosing" to do something on your own, the main standard will be whether or not it provides the opportunity to reveal the same sorts of things about you as can be seen in virtually all of the other topics.

TODAY IN CLASS
Discussion of a range of possible themes for "Araby"--and review of the criteria for any statement of theme:

• universal (not tied to the plot events or specific characters of a particular work)
• explanatory power that tries to express the most insight (though more than one thematic statement may apply)
• must stated as a claim (cause, effect, reason, association, etc.)--NOT just a topic or subject area

Epiphany--although defined briefly in your handbook of literary terms at the end of the textbook, you should be aware of a fuller definition, and the fact that James Joyce himself originated the term:

Epiphany has been given wide currency as a critical term by James Joyce, who used it to designate an event in which the essential nature of something—a person, a situation, an object—was suddenly perceived.  It is thus an intuitive grasp of reality achieved in a quick flash of recognition in which something, usually simple and commonplace is seen in a new light, and, as Joyce says, “its soul, its whatness leaps to us from the vestment of its appearance.”  This sudden insight is the epiphany. 

                                                            --from A Handbook to Literature

                                                                  (mine is Holman/Harmon, 5^th ed.)

Obviously in "Araby" the epiphany occurs in the final sentence of the story, which we discussed at some length.  It also shows something true of many epiphanies--the sudden realization turns out to be something about oneself. 

But the greatest "take-away" here is that epiphanies are not restricted to the work of James Joyce--be prepared to recognize them from time to time throughout the year.

FOR TOMORROW

The only work is to think about your essay enough to write a useful prospectus and have it printed out by the time class starts.

2nd period--I have already written the note on the board to remind me to collect the annotations of "A & P."