Literature essay

Choose one of the topics below for a 500-word essay, due Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

• What life lessons does "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" suggest to the reader? Use specific examples from the story to make your points.
• Demonstrate how the duke's character is progressively revealed in "My Last Duchess" and evaluate how the speaker's voice is different from the poet's.

Your essay doesn't have to be a research paper, but referencing one or two critical works could well make your paper stronger.