OPENESSAYTOPICS

1. CharactersInfiction,likepeopleinreallife,faceproblemswhichtheyhavecreatedfor
themselvesorwhichhavebeenbroughtaboutbyotherpeople.Inaworkyouhaveread,identify
themajorproblemconfrontingtheprotagonist.Usingspecificdetailsfromthework,demonstrate
thatthisproblemischieflytheresultofhis/herownattitudesandactionsorchieflytheresultof
theattitudeandactionsofanotherpersonorotherpeople.Inyourconclusion,evaluatethecourse
ofactionbywhichtheprotagonistsolves,attemptstosolve,orotherwisedealswiththeproblem.
2. Unlikethenovelist,thewriterofaplaydoesnotusehis/herownvoiceandonlyrarelyusesa
narratorsvoicetoguidetheaudiencesresponsetocharacterandaction.Selectaplayyouhave
readandwriteanessayinwhichyouexplainthetechniquestheplaywrightusestoguidethe
audiencesresponsetothecentralcharacterandtheaction.Considertheeffectontheaudienceof
setting,useofcomparableandcontrastingcharacters,andthecharactersresponsestoeachother.
Supportyourargumentwithspecificreferencestothetext.
3. Acharactersattempttorecaptureorrejectthepastisimportantinmanyplays,novelsand
poems.Choosealiteraryworkinwhichacharacterviewsthepastwithsuchfeelingsas
reverence,bitternessorlonging.Showwithclearevidencefromtheworkhowthecharacters
viewofthepastisusedtodevelopathemeinthework.
4. Chooseacomplexorimportantcharacterinanovelorplaywhomightbeconsideredevilor
immoral.Explainhowandwhythefullpresentationofthecharacterintheworkmakesusreact
moresympatheticallythanweotherwisemight.
5. Arecurringthemeinliteratureisacharactersconflictbetweenpassionandresponsibility.A
personalcause,alove,adesireforrevenge,adeterminationtoredressawrong,orsomeother
emotionordrivemayconflictwithmoralduty.Chooseaworkinwhichacharacterconfrontsthe
demandsofaprivatepassionthatconflictswithhis/herresponsibilities.Showthenatureofthe
conflict,itseffectsuponthecharacter,anditssignificancetotheworkasawhole.
6. Fromanovelorplayofliterarymerit,selectanimportantcharacterwhoisavillain.Inawell
organizedessay,analyzethenatureofthecharactersvillainyandhowitenhancesmeaninginthe
work.
7. Selectamomentorscenefromanovelorplaythatyoufoundespeciallymemorable.Writean
essayinwhichyouidentifythesceneormoment,explainitsrelationshiptotheworkasawhole,
andanalyzethereasonsforitseffectiveness.
8. Acritichassaidthatoneimportantmeasureofasuperiorworkofliteratureisitsabilityto
produceinthereaderahealthyconfusionofpleasureanddisquietude.Selectaworkwhich
producesthishealthyconfusion.Writeanessayinwhichyouexplainthecoursesofthis
pleasureanddisquietudeexperiencedbyreadersofthiswork.
9. Chooseaplayornovelofliterarymeritinwhichthemostsignificanteventsarementalor
psychological;forexample,awakenings,discoveries,orchangesinconsciousness.Inawell
organizedessay,describehowtheauthormanagestogivetheseinternaleventsthesenseof
excitement,suspenseandclimaxusuallyassociatedwithexternalaction.

10. Anindividualsstruggletowardunderstandingandawarenessisatraditionalsubjectforthe
novelistordramatist.Inanessay,applythisstatementtoanovelorplay.
11. Inmanynovelsandplays,minorcharacterscontributesignificantlytothetotalwork.Theyoften
haveparticularfunctions,e.g.asinstrumentsintheplot,foilstothemaincharacters,
commentatorsonthemainaction.Writeawellorganizedessayshowinghowaminorcharacter
functionsinaworkofliterarymerit.
12. Thefirstchapterofanovelorthefirstsceneofaplayintroducessomeofthemainthemesofa
work.Writeanessayaboutadramaornovelinwhichyoudemonstratehowtheopeningchapter
orscentfunctionsinthisway.
13. Chooseanovelorplaythatdepictsaconflictbetweenaparentandasonordaughter.Writean
essayinwhichyouanalyzethesourcesoftheconflictandexplainhowtheconflictcontributesto
themeaningofthework.
14. Manynovelsandplaysusecontrastingplacestorepresentopposedforcesorideasthatarecentral
tothemeaningofthework.Chooseanovelorplaythatcontraststwosuchplaces.Writean
essayexplaininghowtheplacesdiffer,whicheachplacerepresents,andhowtheircontrast
contributestothemeaningofthework.
15. Inanovelorplay,aconfidant(male)orconfidante(female)mayappear,oftenafriendorrelative
oftheheroorheroine,whoseroleistobepresentwhentheheroorheroineneedsasympathetic
listenerinwhomtoconfide.Choosesuchacharacterfromanovelorplayinwhichyoudiscuss
waysthischaracterfunctionsinthework.
16. Thetruetestofcomedyisthatitshallawakenthoughtfullaughter.Chooseanovelorplayin
whichasceneorcharacterawakensthoughtfullaughterinthereader.Writeanessayinwhich
youshowwhythelaughteristhoughtfulandhowitcontributestothemeaningofthework.
17. Insomeworksofliterature,acharacterwhoappearsbriefly,ordoesnotappearatall,isa
significantpresence.Chooseanovelorplayofliterarymeritandwriteanessayinwhichyou
showhowsuchacharacterfunctionsinthework.
18. Novelsandpaysoftenincludescenesofweddings,funerals,parties,andothersocialoccasions.
Suchscenesmayrevealthevaluesofthecharactersandthesocietyinwhichtheylive.Selecta
novelorplaythatincludessuchasceneand,inafocusedessay,discussthecontributionthescene
makestothemeaningoftheworkasawhole.
19. Writersoftenhighlightthevaluesofacultureorsocietybyusingcharacterswhoarealienated
fromthatcultureorsocietybecauseofgender,race,class,orcreed.Chooseaplayornovelin
whichsuchacharacterplaysasignificantroleandshowhowthecharactersalienationreveals
thesurroundingsocietysassumptionsandmoralvalues.
20. ChooseanovelorplayinwhichTHEMEissignificant.Writeanessayinwhichyoudefine
clearlythenatureoftheTHEMEanddiscussthetechniquestheauthorusestobringoutthis
theme.

Themetopics:
LOVEINJUSTICECOMMITMENTVIOLENCEOLDAGEDECEIT
INTEGRITYTRANSFORMATIONGROWTHMATURITYEVILINABILITYTO
ACTFRAILTYHONORINNOCENCE