English1102Fall2011/Final Essay

English 1102

Fall 2011

Peter Wilkins

Final Essay Topic

2 Hours

5-6 well-developed paragraphs.

Open book.

Make sure you make a coherent argument in your essay. That is, make sure that one key point drives your essay.

Make sure that you use quotations from the texts to illustrate and support your argument.

Include properly formatted, in text citations for your quotations.

Include a properly formatted, MLA style Works Cited list at the end of the essay.

You may bring one page of point form notes. No full sentences.

Please write on two of the following texts:

Alison Bechdel, Fun Home

Alicia Erian, Towelhead

Jessica Abel, La Perdida

Choose one of the following topics:

1. Discuss the significance of the transition from ignorance to knowledge to the characters' coming of age. To what extent is gender an issue in this knowledge?

2. Discuss the concept of agency, the capacity to act in the world, to the success or failure of the central characters' coming of age. To what extent is gender an issue in agency?

3. Discuss the representation of masculinity and its role in the female characters' coming of age.

4. Discuss the significance of a secret, or keeping something hidden, to the characters' coming of age.