Learning Goal: I’m working on a literature discussion question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

questions.owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.htm

lFirst, you’ll need to choose a topic for your final essay, which will be at least 1,000 words in length. This is the topic you will use to create your outline in Week 2 and final essay in Week 3. Choose ONE of the topics below.

Option 1: 

The American Dream lecture in Week 1 points out that Poor Richard’s Almanac was an annual publication that included calendar lists, home recipes, weather forecasts etc. What made Franklin’s almanac unlike other almanacs was the inclusion of Franklin’s witty parables and humorous writings. Franklin proposes in “The Way to Wealth” that anyone who works hard, avoids debt, and works toward attaining a virtuous character can be successful and ultimately wealthy—that the American Dream is accessible to all.

Watch either The Color Purple or The Great Gatsby (locate the films using Netflix, Amazon, or your local library) and argue why or why not Franklin’s assertions are correct. Provide examples from the film and your own explanations to support your assertions.

You will have two choices for your thesis statement:

As is evident in the film The Color Purple (or The Great Gatsby), Franklin’s assertion that the American Dream is available to all people is incorrect because _________, ___________, and _________ (you will determine three points in support of your thesis, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

As is evident in the film The Color Purple (or The Great Gatsby), Franklin’s assertion that the American Dream is available to all people is correct because _________, ___________, and _________ (you will determine three points in support of your thesis, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

Option 2: 

Write a comparison or contrast essay about two of the corresponding characters in the table below. You will choose three of the points of comparison from the pool below as your points of comparison or contrast. Keep in mind that the purpose of a comparison or contrast essay is to reveal something meaningful about the characters and their relationships to the text.

You will be using a point-by-point style of comparison, and you will have two choices for your thesis statement:

While some differences between __________ and __________ (names of characters in the pairing you chose) are evident, they are similar in the aspects of __________, __________, and __________ (you will determine three points of comparison from the pool, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

While some similarities between __________ and __________ (names of characters in the pairing you chose) are evident, they are different in the aspects of __________, __________, and __________ (you will determine three points of comparison from the pool, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

Choose one of the following pairings:Choose three of the following points of comparison:1. Rip Van Winkle and Anton RosickyA. Motivation2. Dame Van Winkle and Mrs. PetersB. Religion3. Desiree Aubigny and Faith BrownC. Generosity4. Young Goodman Brown and Armand AubignyD Trustworthiness5. Dame Van Winkle and Mrs. HaleE. Independence/DependenceF. Communication skillsG. Level of intelligenceH. Sense of adventureI. Relationships with othersJ. Conflicts/trials facedK. Journeys, either physical or symbolic

For example, you might choose pairing #3 (Desiree Aubigny and Faith Brown) and points C, I, and B (generosity, relationship with others, and religion) as your points of comparison.