OPTION ONE. Discuss TWO or THREE works (no more than three) that deal with the same idea, concept, topic or subject and examine it in a focused way:
• The Bildungsroman: novel of self development: examine how the idea of particular idea of self is created in fiction: autonomy and individual identity versus social control, outside forces, institutional control; personal transformation
• The representation of childhood or early adulthood
• Self destructive tendencies and/or violence; criminal or antisocial behavior: Monsters and monstrosity; rebelliousness; political or cultural resistance.
• The representation of the family: how it is established, created, destroyed; consider one or more specific family roles (the “Mother”, the “Daughter, the “Father” and so forth). The idea of the orphan; adopted families; self-created families.
• Another theme that we have explored in class is possible: see me if you would like to choose another.
OPTION TWO. Discuss a historical element of one of the works from this class (or two stories from the same element), and explain how the setting of the story informs the plots/characters of the story. In other words, you will be considering the story’s context—the elements outside the text. What do we need to know in order to fully understand this story?
