The secret sharer

For Essay 2, you will write an essay on one of the two short stories presented in this section.

Choose one of the following prompts:

1. Several instances of character doubles (doppelgangers) emerge in the various works, including film, music videos, novels, poems, etc. “The Secret Sharer” is one work in which doppelgangers occur. Compare and/or contrast the doubles. As part of your thesis, incorporate an argument for the existence of the double in “The Secret Sharer.” It is not enough that the doubles appear in the work. There must be a debatable reason for the inclusion.

2. Choose a work in which a specific inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important, and write an essay in which you show how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.

3. Select an important person who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character’s villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. You may also want to prove how the creation of this villain enhances, diminishes or responds to a particular type of person in society.

4. In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the opening scene in a story introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene in which you explain how its opening functions in this way.

5. Choose a character and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the society in which the person/character exists and (b) show how the person/character is affected by and responds to those standards.

Remember, your essay must discuss one of the two short stories presented in this course.

Your essay must be between 750-1000 words and adhere to MLA formatting. It needs to quote directly from your chosen text(s) for support, but it should not use any secondary research.

Keep in mind that the essay should not just summarize the story: the essay should move beyond the story’s plot and present an original argument based on proof from the text.