Choose ONE and only one of the following questions. Answer it in a complete and thoughtful essay. Your essay should be a well-developed, clear, logical and complete idea developed from a definite thesis statement. Use the texts when necessary to support your answer, but do not merely summarize plot. Your paper should be 4-6 pages in length; no fewer than 4 full pages will suffice, and more than that is probably necessary to completely answer these questions.

Essays must be either typed on a typewriter or printed from a computer–12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced. This paper is due on Wednesday, April 23. Papers handed in late will receive a one grade deduction for each day/class late. I will be happy to look at drafts. In fact, I encourage you to come in with a draft and/or send e-mail with questions.

You must, by noon of the day the paper is due, also upload a copy of your paper to turnitin.com following the process outlined in class. This class account ID is 54016, and the password is yellowjacket.

Read the questions carefully. Support all answers with examples from the text, but do not merely summarize plot–analyze!

1) Time seems to be one theme throughout Rick Robbins’ Famous Persons We Have Known. Discuss the theme of time in at least four (but no more than seven) poems in the collection.

2) Charlie Chaplin’s "City Lights" is a film that is concerned with both love and loss. Write an essay that analyzes "City Lights" using love and loss as the film’s guiding ideas. Who love and who loses? Is anything regained? If so, by whom and how?

3) Discuss the importance of hands in Ann Beattie’s "Learning to Fall"and of feet in "Girl Talk." What do feet and hands represent, and why and how are they used in these two stories?

4) "Local Hero" has been described by some critics as "genuine fairy tale." The film seems really about both the importance of home and defining what we mean by "home." Discuss the topic of "home" in the film. What does Mac discover about his own ideas of "home" as the film progresses? You might contrast his ideas about "home" and security at the beginning of the film with those ideas at the end of the film.

W, 3/26: Film: "City Lights" (2pm class meet in Jonas 305)
F, 3/28: Film: "City Lights" (2pm class meet in Jonas 305)
    Also read Rick Robbins’ "Bread," 76-78
    **Library Assignments Due

M, 3/31: Rick Robbins Visits Class
    Prepare at least one solid question to ask Robbins in class
    Robbins’ Reading at 7pm in the Student Union MarketPlace
    Robbins will sign your copy of his book after the reading
W, 4/2: Film: "Local Hero" (2pm class meet in Jonas 305)
F, 4/4: Film: "Local Hero" (2pm class meet in Jonas 305)

M, 4/7: Completion of Film: "Local Hero (2pm class meet in Jonas 305)
W, 4/9: Back to syllabus as planned (begin Ann Beattie)