Life & Times of Michael K Prompt

In each of the articles you read, a critic develops a specific critical lens through which to examine the novel. In your essay you will use this lens to analyze a specific scene or scenes, and thus develop the idea more fully.

- In your introduction, identify the key ideas of the critical lens. Feel free to modify or challenge the lens, formulate your own version of it. I encourage you to find another critical source to augment or challenge your understanding. Either way, develop your thesis based on a theoretical lens. Check out the links on the right to three essays on Beloved to see how to integrate ideas and establish lenses.
- Choose a scene (or scenes) from the novel not covered (or at least not in depth) by the critic. Analyze it through the lens, fleshing out the theory.

Alternatively, you may write an essay about the novel through the lens of Joseph Campbell’s ideas about mythology. Develop a clear thesis and use ample quotations form Campbell and Coetzee.

Other ideas? See me.

Essays should be 3 to 5 pp. You must cite your sources (check out citation examples in the link on the right). Due 12/8.