ENGL 2328 Davis Writing Studio

Thematic comparison workspace

Thematic comparison Studio

A practice room for Thematic comparison. Choose a theme, pick two authors from the course list, and draft a comparative literary analysis.

Practice path Practice tools Resources All essays

Purpose

Write a 1,500 to 2,000 word MLA thematic comparison across works by two authors from Jackson, Matheson, Bradbury, Plath, O’Connor, or Capote. Use at least three scholarly secondary sources. Compare approaches to one theme and reflect on contemporary relevance.

On this page

Required reading / assignment overview

Titles and how to use them live here. This course uses open educational resources (OER) and Canvas-hosted texts, not a Norton anthology purchase. Library: SAC Library · A–Z databases.

How to use this studio
  1. Read the Purpose above.
  2. Open the overview and required reading dropdowns.
  3. Use Tools; pick this essay when a helper asks.
  4. Keep AI at Level 2 (support, not composition).
Assignment overview (Thematic comparison)
  • Length: 1,500 to 2,000 words. Format: MLA. At least three scholarly secondary sources.
  • Select two authors from: Shirley Jackson, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, Sylvia Plath, Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote. One significant work per author.
  • Choose one theme (identity, alienation, the American Dream, confrontation with societal norms, or another focused theme).
  • Include thematic analysis, comparative synthesis, historical/cultural context, and contemporary relevance with personal reflection.
Required reading (OER / open links)
  • Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House - Canvas-hosted novel file in module
  • Ray Bradbury, “The Veldt” - Canvas-hosted
  • Sylvia Plath, “Morning Song” - Poetry Foundation; “The Applicant” - Poetry Foundation
  • Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” - Canvas-hosted
  • Richard Matheson, “The Man Who Made the World” - Project Gutenberg (public-domain open text; no Sp26 module page). Other common titles (I Am Legend, “Button, Button”) stay title-only / SAC Library / Canvas; no legal free full text.
  • Truman Capote - named on the Thematic comparison prompt (prior calendar often used “Miriam”). Still under copyright; no free public-domain full text. Title-only until Canvas or SAC Library provides the assigned work. Author overview: americanliterature.com
  • Later modules also read Stephen King and Anne Rice; they are not on the Thematic comparison author list.
Practice helpers

Pick Thematic comparison in Tools for a comparative thesis and criteria.

Tools