Compare the kōgen’s narrative description of Atsumori’s death with the chorus’s reenactment of that confrontation at the end of the play..
For your first major writing assignment, you’ll choose from a variety of topics and compose a short essay. Your goal is to write an argumentative analysis. Because these analyses are also arguments, that means they require a clear and well-defended thesis using evidence from the text. Evidence includes quotations as well as descriptions of scenes, characters, events, or episodes. Try to use quotations instead of broad plot summary; using a text’s actual words will always make your own points more convincing. You can assume your audience (myself and your peers) have read the texts you’re discussing. Zeami Motokiyo – Atsumori Compare the kōgen’s narrative description of Atsumori’s death with the chorus’s reenactment of that confrontation at the end of the play. What is the point of hearing the story twice and seeing it acted out at the end of the play? How do the two versions differ, and what is significant about the changes? Chikamatsu Monzaemon – The Love Suicides at Amijima Chikamatsu Monzaemon was born into a provincial samurai family. The samurai abide by an ethical code in which it is not only permissible but also honorable to commit suicide if one has been defeated ingloriously in battle or shamed in one’s culture. How does this ethical requirement compare to the motives and outcome of lovers’ suicide in the play, and how might it contradict or support Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s views of suicide, given his social background? Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels & “What is Enlightenment?” Compare and contrast part 4 of Gulliver’s Travels with one of the selections from the “What Is Enlightenment?” excerpts. How does Jonathan Swift represent Enlightenment ideas? Cao Xueqin – The Story of the Stone Analyze Jia Baoyu’s relationship to his father and to women. How does class and status impact these various relationships? Hŏ Kyun – The Tale of Hong Kiltong Why does Kiltong become king at the end? What is this story saying about agency, masculinity, and class? What is the result of his reign for the nation?