1. It is often argued by critics that the dominant theme in modern literature is the theme of despair. Discuss the representation of that theme in either T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, or Sylvia Plath.
2. Irony is an important literary tool. Explore the prevalence and usage of at least 4 different kinds of irony in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.
3. We are taught that ambiguity is to be avoided in the written word. Yet, an important critic, William Empson, argues that it is a central idea to be dealt with when studying literature. Using his “forms” or types of ambiguity as a reference point discuss how we see ambiguity in at least 4 stories by D.H. Lawrence or Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.
