This unit explores the formal study of literature through an analysis of short fiction.  You are asked to read a short-story by contemporary American writer, Marshall Bennett Connelly.  Materials in this unit introduce information you need about short stories, literary criticism, and strategies for reading literature actively and writing about it.

Begin by exploring the following documents before reading the short story, "from 'Three Dirges.'"

Readings
Why Study Literature?
Genre: The Short Story
How to Read a Short Story Critically
How to Write an Analytical Essay about Short Fiction
Some Critical Approaches to Literature

The Reading: "from 'Three Dirges'"
Supplemental Materials for "from 'Three Dirges'"

Sample Essays
"Tragedy and the Ethic of Responsibility"
"The Rhetoric of Pathos in the Writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

Study Guide for Week 1
A Glossary for Unit 1

Writing Assignment
Exercise 1 is due at the end of Week 2.

Online Resources