THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN and two critical interpretations

Identify the arguments of T.S Eliot in "The River Controls Huckleberry Finn" and Henry Nash Smith in "Three Coherent Elements in Huckleberry Finn." Do you agree with their interpretations?  Why or why not?  Use specific, direct evidence from the novel and the essays in order to support your opinions.

"The Embassy of Death: An Essay on HAMLET"

Do you agree with G. Wilson Knight's claim?  Why or why not?  Support your arguments with direct evidence from the play and Knight's essay.

"For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls"

Is Christopher Durang's one-act play an effective parody of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie?  Why or why not?  Use specific examples from both plays to support your opinion.

"The Rocking-Horse Winner"

Read the story carefully and discuss how D. H. Lawrence uses literary devices such as characterization, repetition, selection and order of details, point of view, irony, and symbolism to convey meaning in the short story.

"The Other Paris" passage

"The Other Paris" is a short story by the Canadian writer Mavis Gallant. Read the passage from the short story carefully and explain how the author uses narrative voice and characterization to provide social commentary.

Fasting, Feasting passage

In the excerpt taken from Fasting, Feasting, a novel published in 1999 by Indian novelist Anita Desai, Arun, an exchange student from India, joins members of his American host family for an afternoon at the beach. Read the passage carefully and analyze how the author uses such literary devices as speech and point of view to characterize Arun's experience.