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 Types of Literary Criticism 

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." 
"Hawthorne's Goodman Brown: Hero or Fool?"

Study Guide for Unit 1 
A Glossary for Unit 1 

Writing Assignment 
See Table of Content or Syllabus for the Due Dates

Online Resources 
 

Next Unit 

 

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This page was last modified September 1, 2006,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey A. Grimes.
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