Works of Literature

Instructions For this essay, respond to the prompt below (note there is only one prompt this time). Your essay should be a well-thought out examination of the topics we have been discussing in class and should be your own response to the work. That means this is not a research paper. Your essay should be based on your thoughts alone. Requirements Each essay should be about 700-900 words long, and should be written in MLA format (which means you must document any quotes from the text and include a works cited page). For your response, be sure to discuss at least three works of literature, unless otherwise stated. All essays should be typed and double spaced. Be sure to include specific examples from each text. Prompts (Note: These questions should be used as a jumping off point, not necessarily as an outline, and the certainly should not limit your discussion of the general topic in any way.) Topic: Though it is Emerson who labels it specifically, self-reliance is a prominent characteristic of many of the works we have read this semester. Discuss the ways self-reliance has been represented throughout the texts we have discussed. Is Emerson’s definition consistent with other writer’s representations of or experiences with self-reliance? Or are there variations that he doesn’t address? Are there writers who better represent self-reliance, even though they may not state that this is their theme? How so? What is it about American culture at this time that evokes this theme? (While you may discuss earlier works for this prompt, either Douglass, Whitman, Mellville or Hawthorne should be a prominent example.)  .