After reading Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” (in your book) and Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” (linked here) (Links to an external site.), choose one of the prompts below and develop a three to five page response.
Incorporate two critical analyses or reactions (preferably found in the databases) as support for your assertions.
Please pay careful attention. You are not comparing the two stories. You are not writing about all of the elements listed below. CHOOSE ONE and proceed with the questions that follow:
Character Analysis. Write a character analysis of either Louise in “The Story of an Hour” or the Krebs in “Soldier’s Home.” Consider the following as your write:
o Is the character static or dynamic? How does this affect your interpretation?
o Is the character round or flat? How does this affect your interpretation?
o Is the character the protagonist or antagonist of the story? How does this affect your interpretation?
o Do the character’s mannerisms and speech influence your interpretation?
o How do the other characters, the setting, and even the point of view in which the story is told affect the reader’s reaction to the character?
Symbolism. Choose either “The Story of an Hour” or “Soldier’s Home” and identify three solid symbols within the story. Interpret their meaning and discuss their significance within the story. Consider whether they are universal or literary. Remember, theme and motif are closely related to symbolism.
Setting. Consider either “The Story of an Hour” or “Soldier’s Home” and discuss the role setting plays in the reader’s connection to both the plot and the characters.
o How is it significant to the story?
o What role does the setting play?
o Does the setting change or stay the same?
o Is it more of a backdrop for the unfolding tale, or does the setting actually dictate the direction the story unfolds? Remember, setting can be closely related to symbolism.
Once again, you do not have to answer all of the questions I have posed in the prompts above, though they are guidelines for helping you get started writing on each of these literary elements.
