Short Stories Essay

You will create a project in a medium of your choice: Essay to highlight one of the following areas in regards to your stories.

**These 3 short stories are from the same author. You can choose one topic below to write an essay and show how is this 3 stories related.**

Link to the 3 stories:

Hell Scene:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/244662652/Akutagawa-Ryu…

In A Grove:

http://fullreads.com/crime/in-a-grove-by-ryunosuke…

Spider’s Thread:

https://isistatic.org/journal-archive/ma/01_02/ryu…

1. Gender roles

How are the roles of men and women portrayed in the stories? Are they distinctly different? Do they have equal rights? What gender expectations do they follow or fight against? What do these gender roles signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

2. Comparisons between genres

How does each genre tell its story? What are the differences and similarities between the three stories? Is one more effective than the other? What do these signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

3. Historical background

Who are the authors and what are their stories? Were there controversies associated with any of their work? What is the significance of the stories in the time they were written? How do they reflect the society and beliefs of their time?

4. Politics

What issues in politics do these stories address? Discrimination? Rights? Equality? What do these political issues signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

5. Religion

How are these stories religious? What beliefs are they promoting or questioning? What do these religious connotations in the story signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

6. Comparisons between two characters

This is between three characters in three different stories. How are their differences and similarities important to the stories? What does it say about the author? Or about the setting?

7. Comparisons between the three stories

If the stories seem completely different but represent the same genre or come from the same time period, this may be something you want to explore. What do these differences mean in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

8. Allusions within the novel

What are some significant allusions within the stories? These could be religious, refer to other novels or authors, etc. How is this important to understanding the stories and their place in English Literature? What do these signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?

9. Criticism

What are some of the most notable criticisms out there for your stories? What is your response and how does it compare to other critics out there? Are they deserving of praise or criticism? Was one story criticised and others of your three praised? Why do you think they were?

10. Symbolism

What are important symbols in the novel? How are they significant? Are there any symbols that come up in two or all three of the stories? What do these signify in regards to where the author is from or where the stories take place?