Assignment:
Monsters in Literature
Choose one of the essay prompts listed below. Using MLA style, write a 3 to 4 page short-essay response. Use the texts as support and work on your own. Be sure that you have a solid, defendable thesis statement toward the end of the introduction, which can be brief. Have a strong, analytic topic sentence that furthers your argument for each paragraph and avoid any sentence-level errors, particularly serious errors such as fused sentences or comma splices. Do not consult outside sources or each other. Bring up the relevant points from the literature that support your thesis. Do not summarize. Pay attention to the author's language and use quotes to substantiate your claims.
1. The characters of Dracula and The Metamorphosis are faced with unexplainable monsters but respond very differently. Compare and contrast Van Helsing to Gregor's father to explore what the authors have to say about the value of community.
2. Dracula and The Metamorphosis explore horrifying fantasy but in very different styles. How do the different styles of the works affect your reading of the stories? What are the authors' purposes in using these styles?