Opinion Paper on "The Revolt of Mother"

Opinion Paper on "The Revolt of Mother"
Composition

Once you have read the story "The Revolt of Mother," write a paper of 400-500 words that expresses your opinion on one of the questions listed below. The due date is Thursday, June 21. In your essay, be sure to make the essay one that "stands alone;" that is, it doesn't depend upon this assignment. You'll need to introduce the story, tell it briefly (as you did the cartoon) and then make a statement (your thesis statement) about the story that your paper will seek to develop.

Your intended audience is an intelligent person who has not read the story but is interested in gender issues and has some sense of history.

You will be using the skills you practiced in the cartoon essay, the summary, and the comparison essay in this next assignment.

Note: Send me this paper as an attachment, either as a *.txt file or a *.doc file.

You would be advised to read Section 13: "Writing about Literature" in your textbook.

In the development of the essay, or the body, your paper will need to make and support the idea stated in the thesis. In order to support that statement, you will need to use summary, paraphrase, and quotation from the story to back up your ideas. Success in the essay is dependent on a good introduction, a clear thesis, and paragraphs that develop the ideas with evidence from the story.

Some notes about this assignment: You will be reading and using your classmates essays on this story for another essay. In other words, your opinions will be examined by the other members of the class. You will also write this essay without responses to the draft from your classmates.

I encourage you to use the new discussion board for getting started. Take notes on the story and keep track of your opinions.

Questions:

1. How realistic is the shift in the father? Do you think his giving in at the end is a reasonable ending, or does the first part of the story make him out to be a stronger character than the one we see at the end?

2. What explains the mother Sarah Penn's "revolt?" Which of the things that bothers her seems to be the primary motivation for her decision to oppose her husband's will? Do you think she would have moved into the house if her husband had not left to buy the horse?

3. What is the role of the children? How are they affected by the conflict between their parents? Are they "used" by either of the parents to give either the father or the mother an advantage? What part do they play in the struggle for power?

The primary questions are asked first. The ones that follow are to help you develop your thinking and your paper. You're also welcome to write a paper that somehow combines these questions in a new way or develops some unique idea about the story, as long as it somehow addresses the issue of gender roles in the story.