Comparative Writing Prompt: “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “Shooting an Elephant”
Why is alienation such a common theme in the modernist literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
In an essay, explore the ways in which T.S. Eliot and George Orwell are able to present both the similarities and differences in the alienation that their narrators feel. Be sure to discuss the causes of the narrators’ alienation in addition to how it seems to be affecting their everyday lives. In your conclusion, synthesize the ideas from these texts about alienation into a statement of its role or presence in the modern world. Be sure that your literary analysis includes the following:
an introduction
a thesis that clearly states your claims about how the authors explore the theme of alienation
convincing reasoning that supports your claims
textual evidence from both sources
elaboration that connects the evidence to your claims
coherent body paragraphs to support your argument
a conclusion that appropriately synthesizes your claims about alienation
Structurally, this sets up nicely for a four-paragraph essay. In your intro s illustrate about the effects of alienation on the population of the modern world.
In your intro you should be concerned with making it clear that both Eliot and Orwell reveal alienation in their narrators, but that not all aspects of it are the same. Body paragraph one should highlight the ways in which both narrators are experiencing similar things due to the alienation they feel, while body paragraph two should be focused upon the differences in the alienation experienced by the narrators. Finish it all off by synthesizing your information into a conclusion that effectively says something about how and what these examples illustrate about the effects of alienation on the population of the modern world.
