ENGLISH COMPOSITION I

Essay 1

The following essay is based on Fences by August Wilson. Please make sure that you have thoroughly read the play and have completed the previous worksheet.

Make sure that you include your Revision Checklist with all assignments. Make sure that you include all drafts with the final draft submission. This will help me to help you. It will allow me to see your writing process and to determine if any aspects of your writing process need to be addressed.

Please choose one of the following topics.

Complete a 2-3 page (500-750 word) essay on your chosen topic. This essay is due Week 8 of the semester. The essay should be typed, double-spaced using 12 point font. You should use Times New Roman or Courier font.

Do not use “I” in the paper.

NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Topics

1. Choose the moment in the play that is the most dramatic and significant. Explain why this scene stands out from the rest of the play. Make sure that you focus on ways in which this scene anchors the play and ways in which the rest of the events are connected to this moment. Keep in mind that what you think is the most important scene might differ from your classmates’ ideas about the most important scene. That is fine, as we all interpret and connect to works of art differently. The key is that you are able to identify why this scene is important and why it stands out.

2. Compare Fences to another story that you have read. Explore the similarities or differences. You can choose a short story, another play, or a novel. If the novel or story that you chose has been turned into a film, I highly suggest also watching the film. This will allow you to note the dramatic elements. It will help you compare the dramatic moments in the play. (Suggested comparison: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry or Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.)

3. Choose the character from the play who you feels evolves the most throughout the play. Explore how this character changes throughout the play. Specify the evolution of this character by highlighting certain key moments in the play. Be as specific as possible when tracking this evolution. You can be specific by quoting specific lines of dialogue. You can explore where the character started, what he/she went through, and where this character ends up emotionally and physically at the end of the play.

4. In what ways is August Wilson’s life evident in Fences and what can we learn from his life and art? This topic choice will require you to build on the Wilson research that we have done in class. It is important to watch the American Masters episode, The Ground on Which I Stand, again. You will also want to explore the library databases and online articles surrounding the life and inspiration of August Wilson.