You may write on one story or all three. Whatever stories you choose, your paper must ultimately
consider the theme of the storv. or stories, since theme is part of the storv’s meaning
When: Due Thursday, 24 March 2022. Please submit your paper online to Turnitin.com
Length: Three pages, meaning two tull pages and at least twelve lines on the third page. That would be a
minimal length and would start out as a C for content.
Structure: Your paper should have an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion
Introduction: One paragraph. Open with a global comment about how illusion and reality function in life.
Mention title and author in the second sentence (e.g., Cheever’s “Reunion”) and explain in a sentence or two
how the stories illustrate the global comment you made in the opening
End our introduction with a thesis statement in the
“Examining 1. 2. and 3 shows 4” format. For
example: Examining Charlie. Miss Brill, and Poe’s narrator shows that people sometimes need Illusions
to distract themselves from the harsh realities of their lives.
Main Body: Several paragraphs (at least three) developing the three points of your thesis, in the order in which
you listed them. Your first sentence in each main body paragraph IS your topic sentence, which should also
reterence the main idea (the #4) of the thesis.
TS #1: Charlie’s expectation of an ideal father evaporates when he realizes
that his father Is an sensitive boor.
TS #2: Likewise, Miss Brill’s illusion of fashionable gentility shatters on the reality that
others see her as a desperately lonely woman.
TS#3: Poe’s narrator harbors the illusion that he is a victim when, in fact, he is the
victimizer.
Conclusion Begin by coming back to the global comment that began your paper. Sum up briefly your main
ideas and, finally, point out the implications of your main idea for people today (Do not say, “In conclusion”).
