Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Ironing Essay

A few students needed an optional summer assignment, so here it is. If I did not already talk to you about doing this assignment, please do not do it!

Have a great summer!

Assignment:

Read the short story "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen (you can get a .pdf of the story here) then write a 4-6 paragraph essay on the following prompt. Your essay must be typed using MLA format (you can find directions on typing in MLA format here). When you are finished, you can email the essay to me at naylor_lori@ausd.us.

Be sure to attach the essay as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file and to ALSO copy and paste the essay into the body of the email in case the attachment doesn't open. Put your full name as the subject of the email.

Prompt:

A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. One symbol in Tillie Olsen's short story "I Stand Here Ironing" is the iron. Write an essay analyzing how the iron functions as a symbol in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Finally, be sure to avoid plagiarism. It is NOT OK to copy ANYTHING off of the internet. You can only include your own ideas and/or quotes from the story.