Choose either “A Painful Case” or “The Lady from Lucknow” for this exercise. Using one of the categories in the short story rubric we discussed in class, develop a claim related to that category. For instance, “the character of Mr. Duffy emerges gradually, largely through descriptions of x and y.” Then provide the precise set of details and explain the kind of character that is built in this fashion.
The formula is claim, explanation and evidence. If the category is too large to handle in one paragraph, as theme and character both can sometimes be, focus on a sub-category. Just make sure it is complex enough to be paragraph length without repetition. Remember that you cannot put every piece of evidence in a paragraph, or indeed in an essay. So part of this exercise involves filtering. Choose examples that illustrate different aspects of the overarching claim, not examples that all illustrate the same aspect. For instance, Duffy’s character is more than dull. If everything you state refers to dull, your paragraph will be repetitive.
Read each other’s paragraphs and comment. You might want to add a detail that the writer missed, ask about how that analysis helps us understand a particular event or aspect of the text (in “A Painful Case”, it might be a question of how x helps us understand the ending or the title). You may comment on any number of entries. If an interpretation stands out for its insight, comment on it but explain how it helped your understanding of the piece. Don’t simply commend.
