This article would analyze the structure of Tobias Wolff's memoir and why it is considered a significant work among other memoirs. It would also discuss the general structure of memoirs and how they've evolved (or have not evolved) through time by taking a look at several notable ones by different authors.
This article would take a look at a few notable short stories written by Tobias Wolff (each story taken from a different collection) and discuss how his earlier work has informed his later work or vice versa. It should discuss the themes which are often explored in his writing and whether the presentation of his ideas has changed since he first started writing.
A discussion of whether Oates' writing has benefited or suffered due to how prolific she is. This article would take a look at her earlier work and the critical reception it has received, and compare it with her most recent work. This article would also offer some insight as to how and why a prolific writing career can affect an author's craft.
A look at the medium of short stories and the reasons behind why they should be regarded as highly as the novel. This article would look at several famous short stories or short story writers and the influence they've had on writers throughout history (including the influence they've had on the medium of the novel). It might also be helpful to discuss the status of the short story–how it's risen or declined in popularity through time.
A very interesting topic, but fairly daunting and possibly a little too broad. For whoever's attempting this though: would be interesting to bring in Maupassant, Poe, Hardy, Kipling, etc, and if possible, tie it right back to our contemporary times, with a little nod to Alice Munro. – Matchbox9 years ago
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth – these plays could be considered the "Holy Trinity" for Shakespeare in academia; these plays seem to be the ones that are introduced to students most often and at the earliest ages (with an occasional Othello or King Lear thrown into the mix).
Why are these three plays seemingly the most prevalent in English classes? Some of the more "obscure" Shakespeare plays are, arguably, just as good for both reading and teaching as the aforementioned ones. Consider Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, or the history plays (Richard/Henry) and how they would fare as a student's first exposure to Shakespeare, as opposed to Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth.
Although I would argue that Midsummer Nights Dream is up there as well as the most-often-done comedy. I think it would be interesting to ask how looking at more obscure plays would introduce new/different/more interesting aspects of Shakespeare. – Francesca Turauskis9 years ago
I'm not against first exposure to the "classic" Shakespeare choices that you mention, but I do agree that exposure to a comedic Shakespearean play would be more interesting and entertaining for newbies. I'll always love a good Hamlet in the traditional style or a basic Macbeth (ala Judy Densch as Lady Macbeth--all actors and set in full black, very sparse set, etc.) in which the language and beauty of the story can shine through without distraction. But they are heavy and violent, and some of the comedies are so irreverent and funny that they might help younger audiences appreciate the Bard more readily. This is a very interesting topic to me; I'd like to see how people explore the ideas.
– TheatreLife249 years ago
Never thought of Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing as 'obscure' - I studied both of them before touching Macbeth. Obscurity for Shakespeare ought to be more of a question of going against type, or looking at his early material. – JekoJeko9 years ago
A lot of it has to do with the verse. Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night's Dream are usually the first Shakespearean plays to which middle/high school students are introduced (I disagree that Hamlet and Macbeth are the first). These plays also are written in much simpler iambic pentameter than his later works; as he developed as a playwright, the complexity of his verse increased. Plots also got more complex and convoluted; R&J and Midsummer are very easy to read and understand; additionally, the protagonists in these two plays are closer in age to teens, as opposed to Hamlet or Much Ado About Nothing (men and women in their late 20s/early 30s), and so are their love triangles and juvenile understanding of love. – Katheryn9 years ago
The emphasis of a woman’s appearance as a means of fashioning an identity in literature, art, film, or TV. Discuss and explore the ways in which fashion and consumer culture influence individual self-creation (whether it be in literature, film, etc.). Female beauty and self-confidence are consistently linked to male attention in literature, and this “beauty” that attracts the men is, most of the time, some kind of physical beauty. This topic would analyze how beauty is equated with physical appearance (meaning possession of expensive commodities and attractive body shape) and how a woman’s level of attractiveness is often linked to the status, price and brand, of her clothing and commodities in literature, film, or TV. Furthermore, discuss the idea that women’s appearances are emphasized and linked to consumer culture and often times used as a means of connection to wealth and status in literature, TV, film, or any other form of art/ popular culture.
This could be particularly interesting to talk about this in regards to literature, as a woman's appearance isn't seen but described. – Marcie Waters9 years ago
This sounds like a good topic. Some examples of female fashion could be Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Agent Carter. Or the writer could look at how the three women in Big Bang Theory all look very different and how their outfits express their character for TV and how their outfits have evolved over time and the impact of their attractiveness on relationships. One interesting aspect is the recurring theme of attractive women. Munjeera – Munjeera9 years ago
Nice topic. When reading it though, I thought about female characters who the author describes as plain (i.e., Jane Eyre) or who say themselves they aren't pretty (i.e., Sara Crewe). Are such heroines really unattractive, or are we meant to pooh-pooh such statements and say they're pretty anyway? In describing such characters as plain or ugly, do the authors privilege inner beauty, or are they just feeding appearance obsession more? – Stephanie M.8 years ago
What do readers look for when purchasing a celebrities autobiography? Do readers prefer sentimentalism or heart-felt stories.
Also, what are a celebrities' aim for their autobiography?
It may helpful to compare and contrast the sordid "tell-alls" with more sophisticated, well-regarded autobiographies. Both can include raw, unpleasant material: but what would make one honest and personal, and the other sleaze sensationalism? – Luthien9 years ago
I don't have the expertise to write this essay, but I would love to read it once it is written. Why DO people read celebrity biographies? – sophiacatherine9 years ago
I think I can answer your question Sophia. To participate in the exciting lives of celebrities and live through them. – Munjeera8 years ago
Personal reasons, different motives. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Analyze why certain things are redone over and over again. For example, why is Romeo and Juliet so popular that it is re-released in different formats? These include: movies, books, parodies, revamped novels/movies/games, etc. Why are fairy tales re-written every couple of years? Why are certain movies redone and re-released every few years? It can't just be popularity, is there a trend in the stories?
it would be interesting look at the idea of timelessness in these works. Why are they timeless and why do we still relate to them? Do they display some kind of 'universal' values or ideas about the human being? – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun9 years ago
One of the bigger reasons why things like Romeo & Juliet, A Christmas Carol, and even the story of Jesus are so often retold, is likely because they are out of copyright. They have no lock outs, no licenses, and there are no exclusive holdings to their content. They can be retold by anyone anytime and in any way, forever. I'm not entirely sure on the status of Peter Pan, but I think that's out of copyright as well. Or at least the Children's Hospital that was given the rights to it have almost no selection process and openly allow people to adapt it however they will it seems. Sherlock Holmes still has some legal gray areas and red tape, but only so far as to whether or not aspects of the character and his adventures are only found in the last few books, and whether or not those last few books are still under copyright to the family and firm who hold them. But, in about 30 years, those rights will dissolve as well, and anybody at any time, will be able to adapt Sherlock Holmes. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
I think this could be a really exciting topic to write about. I think we as a culture have a fascination with stories that we really identify with. I think you could even go so far as generalizing all the recent action-hero/super-hero movies as remakes of each other. While they are on the surface all different stories, they all basically have the same underpinnings. I hero from abnormal circumstances or someone who maybe is a bad person at first, development of heroic abilities, super villain comes along, must fight villain for world safety or to save certain people. And this goes not just for action movies but for the other topics you mentioned, such as fairytales and books. I think its important to note that for some reason, there is something about these stories that still identify with our current cultural values where we as a society values these narratives being told over and over. – SamHersh9 years ago
