MEANINGS AND MORALS ON SELECTED LITERATURE here is …



I. Introduction:

A. Catchy opening: Here is where you should create a sentence that catches the reader's attention. Here are a few ideas for you to choose from (just choose/revise one):

i. Have you ever noticed that when someone in your family passes away, your whole family draws closer together? That's just part of the human existence. And since all great literature is about what it means to be human, then it makes sense that literature reflects this idea.

ii. What does Shakespeare have in common with Lucy Maud Montgomery? Well, they are both writers. However, it's what the content that these writers explore that ties them close together. Both write about the idea that death and illness bring people together.

B. After your catchy opening, you'll want to develop your main point and hint at the examples you'll use to show that main point. Here are a few ideas that you can make your own (just choose/revise one):

i. Just like in life, death and illness tend to bring people closer. Both Shakespeare and Montgomery knew this, and their ideas are explored in Anne of Green Gables, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

ii. In Shakespeare's plays, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, the idea that death and illness bring people closer is easy to see.

C. The last part of the introduction should include a transition to the body of the essay. This is difficult for me to write, as I'm not sure exactly what you'll include in the conclusion, but here's a few tips about writing transitions:

i. Transitions highlight a relationship that already exists by summarizing the previous paragraph and suggesting something of the content of the paragraph that follows.

ii. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two (however, for example, similarly), a phrase, or a sentence.

iii. Transitions can be at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second paragraph, or even in both places.

II. Body of the Essay:

A. Death and illness bringing people together.

1. In the novel Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the idea of death and illness bring people together:

a. Example One: Matthew dies of a heart attack

b. Here's a quote from the book that supports this idea:

" In the night she awakened, with the stillness and the darkness about her, and the recollection of the day came over her like a wave of sorrow. She could see Matthew's face smiling at her as he had smiled when they parted at the gate that last evening — she could hear his voice saying, 'My girl — my girl that I'm proud of.' Then the tears came and Anne wept her heart out Marilla heard her and crept in to comfort her" [You'll have to figure out how to cite this quote, as I don't have the same edition of this book as you do. I found this online at Google Books, and the quote is in the chapter "The Reaper Whose Name is Death."]

c. Here is where you should analyze the quote. You might say something like:

-- In this quote, Montgomery shows the effect that Matthew's death has on Anne and Marilla. It is in the nighttime that Anne is at last able to grieve, and in doing so, Marilla draws near to comfort her. [Develop this idea by adding your own thoughts about how this quote shows that Matthew's death brings Anne and Marilla together.]

d. Example Two: Marilla goes blind, which brings Anne to stay in Green gables.

e. Here's a quote from the book that supports this idea:

"'I'm not going to take the scholarship. I decided so the night after you came home from town. You surely don't think I could leave you alone in your trouble, Marilla, after all you've done for me... Marilla. And I'll read to you and keep you cheered up. You sha'n't be dull or lonesome. And we'll be real cosy and happy here together, you and I.' Marilla had listened like a woman in a dream." [You'll have to figure out how to cite this quote, as I don't have the same edition of this book as you do. I found this online at Google Books, and the quote is in the chapter "The Bend in the Road."]

f. Here is where you should analyze the quote. You might say something like:

-- Marilla's oncoming blindness brings out Anne's love for her adopted mother. Here, Montgomery shows that Marilla's infirmity brings the two women together. In fact, the two are so close, that Anne sacrifices her scholarship in order to care for Marilla. Because the two love each other, Anne even imagines the "cosy and happy" time they'll have in each other's company. [Develop this idea by adding your own thoughts about how this quote shows that Matthew's death brings Anne and Marilla together.]

2. Insert a transition sentence here.

3. In the play Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, the idea of death and illness bringing people together:

a. The double suicide of Romeo & Juliet brings the Montagues and the Capulets together and ends their feud.

b. Here's a quote from the play that supports this idea:

The Montague and Capulet households are fighting-- Shakespeare writes in the prologue that the house an “ancient grudge." Yet when their two children die, the two families are devastated. The Prince sums up the whole situation as a story of "woe" (v.iii. 309), and both Capulet and Montague shake hands, agreeing to put their fight to an end. Capulet is the first to offer his hand to Montague: "O brother Montague, give me thy hand. This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more can I demand" (v.iii., 313). Montague responds: " But I can give thee more, for I will raise her statue in pure gold, that whiles Verona by that name is known, There shall no figure at such rate be set as that of true and faithful Juliet" (v.iii.314). [You'll have to figure out how to cite this quote, as I don't have the same edition of this book as you do. I found this online at Sparknotes, No Fear Shakespeare]

c. Here is where you should analyze the quotes. You might say something like:

-- The reader knows that this double suicide has made an impact on the two families because Montague, while heartbroken at the loss of his son, erects a gold statue of Juliet in Act V, Scene III. To build a gold statue of the daughter of your enemy speaks to the change that's taken place in Montague's heart. And Capulet, also a sorrowful father, offers his hand to his sworn enemy. [Develop this idea by adding your own thoughts about how this quote shows Romeo & Juliet's deaths bring the two families together.]

4. Insert a transition sentence here.

5. In the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, the idea of death and illness bringing people together is seen when:

a. Oberon, King of the Fairies, makes his wife Titania believe she is in love with an ass by putting her under a spell. While she is not physically ill, she is definitely a little "sick" in the head.

b. Here's a quote from the play to support this idea:

-- Oberon and Titania are in the middle of a fight, and to get revenge on his wife, Oberon sends his servant Puck on a mission to get the juice of a magical flower. This flower was hit by cupid's bow, and has the power to change anyone's perception. Oberon says: "Having once this juice,

I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep and drop the liquor of it in her eyes. The next thing then she waking looks upon—

Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, or meddling monkey or on busy ape— She shall pursue it with the soul of love" (ii.i.161). [You'll have to figure out how to cite this quote, as I don't have the same edition of this book as you do. I found this online at Sparknotes, No Fear Shakespeare]

c. Here is where you should analyze the quotes. You might say something like:

i. Even though tricking his wife is cruel, for Titania falls in love with a donkey, in the end it makes their relationship stronger. [Develop this idea by adding your own thoughts about how Oberon's trick brings him and his wife together.]

d. Here's a few other quotes that might help you support this point:

--Titania says to Nick Bottom (who has been turned into a donkey): "Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed while I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick musk roses in thy sleek, smooth head,

And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy." (iv.i.1)

-- Here's where we see Oberon begin to feel sorry for what he did to Titania:

"Her dotage now I do begin to pity" (iv.i.30)

-- This quote shows that Titania and Oberon are now in love again:

"Sound, music!—Come, my queen, take hands with me, and rock the ground whereon these sleepers be. (dances with TITANIA) Now thou and I are new in amity" (iv.i.69)

e. Several characters in this play, while not truly ill, are "lovesick" -- most notably the character Helena is in love with the character Demetrius.

i. Here are a few quotes that show that Helena is madly in love with Demetrius

1. Lysander, who wants to marry Hermia, says:

-- "Demetrius, I’ll avouch it to his head,

Made love to Nedar’s daughter, Helena,

And won her soul. And she, sweet lady, dotes, Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry" upon Demetria (i.i.106)

2. Helena talks about how she's lovesick here:

-- " Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,

Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.

My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye. My tongue should catch your tongue’s sweet melody. Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, The rest I’d give to be to you translated" (i.i.186)

3. Even Oberon recognizes Helena's lovesickness, and he sends Puck to fix the mistake he made when he ended up having both men (Lysander and Demetrius) fall in love with Helena:

-- "And Helena of Athens look thou find—

All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer,

With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear. By some illusion see thou bring her here. I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear" (iii.ii.96)

f. By the end of the play, Puck is able to make Demetrius return Helena's love, and that brings the two together.

6. Conclusion

a. In the conclusion, you want to:

i. Restate the main idea

ii. Remind the reader of the three points you used to support your essay

iii. close with something memorable-- it's easy to do this by connecting the attention getter in the first sentence to the closing sentence

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