Competency 108.2.3: Reading Critically and Interpreting Literature – The graduate
critically reads, analyzes, and interprets works of literature.

Introduction:

Literature comes in many forms and comments on the culture and society in which it was
written. However, the tools for successfully analyzing and interpreting literature remain
constant throughout genres and time periods. Careful study of the written word results in
finely honed analytical tools, which cross discipline boundaries and are further useful in
interpreting and understanding mathematical equations, scientific problems, and day-to-day
events.

This task asks you to critically read, analyze, and interpret two works of literature. You will
analyze the ways in which characters in the literary works experience social struggles,
whether they are based in class, race, gender, sexuality, educational level, or region. In
order to achieve this, you will choose literary elements that help you analyze and show how
this social struggle is represented in the literary works you choose.

For this assessment, choose one of the following options:

Option 1: Multimedia Presentation (suggested length of 15–20 slides)
Your slides should include the following:
? Introduction with thesis
? Main points of your argument/literary analysis
? Relevant quotations and citations from the texts
? Conclusion

Option 2: Written Analysis (suggested length of 10–12 pages)
Your analysis should include the following:
? Introduction with thesis
? Main points of your argument/literary analysis
? Relevant quotations and citations from the texts
? Conclusion

Select two of the following literary works of the same genre (e.g., two novels or two
poems) to be the subject of your presentation or analysis.

Short Stories and Novellas:
? Jorge Louis Borges, “The Garden of Forking Paths”
? Ray Bradbury, “The Veldt”
? Angela Carter, “The Loves of Lady Purple”
? William Faulkner, “Arose For Emily”
? Jacques Futrelle, “The Problem of Cell 13”
? William Gibson, “Johnny Mnemonic”
? Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “Yellow Wallpaper”
? Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter”
? E.T.A. Hoffman, “The Sandman”
? Henry James, “Daisy Miller”
? H.P. Lovecraft, “The Outsider”
? Katherine Mansfield, “Miss Brill”