fiction essay engl 102

English 102 (Writing About Literature) Research Guide: Fiction

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Recommended databases

• Novels for Students Search this to find overviews, criticism, and analysis of famous and popular novels.
• Short Stories for Students Search this to find overviews, criticism, and analysis of famous and popular short stories.
• Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window Find criticism, summaries, and reviews of short stories and novels here. It also includes in-depth background information on fiction writers and their influence.

• Salem Literature This link opens in a new window Critical insights & surveys on authors, films, themes, & works
• MagillOnLiterature Plus This link opens in a new window Another good source for literary criticism and quick plot summaries.
• Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window Multidisciplinary database including journals and popular periodicals.
• Literary Themes for Students: Race and Prejudice
• Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream
• Literary Themes for Students: War and Peace

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Engl 102 Fiction Essay - the Lottery, and the Rocking-Horse Winner

By: efisher1   •  December 8, 2017  •  Essay  •  1,235 Words (5 Pages)  •  3,684 Views

Ethan Fisher

Dr. Rhonda Tilly

English 102-D52

16 November 2017

Fiction Essay

Thesis: “The Lottery”, and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” are vastly different short stories when it comes to their conflicts, structure, and tone, but they also share some striking similarities in particular areas.

• The conflicts in these two stories are different in just about every way, yet they both lead to a character dying in the end.
• There appears to be no real conflict in “The Lottery” until the conclusion of the story when you see that the lottery in the story is not a lottery we know today.
• In “The Rocking-Horse Winner” the conflict appears clearly very shortly after the beginning when you read of the depravity in Paul’s mother.
• The writing structure is very different in each of these stories, yet the way the conclusions are structured are the same.
• “The Lottery” is a bit confusing throughout the story and you can’t really see the whole picture until the conclusion of the story.
• “The Rocking-Horse Winner” also has some mystery throughout it, but it becomes obviously clear by the conclusion of the story.
• Both short stories have strikingly different tones set in the beginning and end very much opposite of each other.
• The tone of “The Lottery” starts out in more of a positive light, and the ends turns dark.
• The tone of “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is dark at first, but it gets lighter as the story progresses, but at the end reverts back to a dark place.

From beginning to end in each of these short stories we see the comparisons of money. Though in “The Lottery” we see it isn’t about money at all in the end, we are given the impression that money is the central focus here. It almost seemed “Hunger Gameish” in the fact they were choosing who to kill. The main conflict in this story really appears when Bill Hutchinson seems to have not had enough time to draw his paper. Tessie immediately speaks up, but it seems to no avail. This eventually leads to her death as she is stoned within in the last 2 sentences of the story.

In “The Rocking-Horse Winner” we see a portrayal of young boy named Paul yearning for his mother’s affection, as she is longing for a luxurious life. Paul thinking the way to earn his mothers love is to place bets on horses to win her money. Paul becomes determined to allay his mother's discontent by betting on horses to earn money. Paul believes that when he rides his rocking-horse, he obtains knowledge of the winning horse in the race. This convinces Paul to make a winning bet on a horse that earns his family the life of luxury his mother longed for. In the end however, Paul falls off his rocking horse, and though not immediately, it eventually kills him.

“The Lottery” seems to be a story about a lucky family getting ready to have their lives changed for the better, yet by then end we find out not all is as it seems. This short story goes from light to dark almost in the blink of an eye as the sharp turn downward makes way for a confusing ending that really just leaves us questioning everything we just read. In the “The Rocking-Horse Winner” we see nothing but depression the whole way through as we read of this mother’s distain for her life and a poor boy longing to fulfil the unmet expectations of life for his mother. In the end it’s this very pursuit of making his mother happy that becomes his downfall. Though he succeeds in bring his mother the life se wants, she now has to live that life without her son. Judging from the opening context of giving the feeling she didn’t really her children anyway, it begs the question of is she truly remorseful of this account anyway?

Between these two stories we are left with a handful of questions and emotions. The “Rocking-Chair Winner” being the more emotional story I would say weaves and bobs in and out of this depressing tale of a pursuit for a better life that ends more depressing than when it started. There are lighter moments when it seems the mother might actually have love for her son, but that is almost immediately met with his death. In “The Lottery” we are covered in this mysterious cloud of the unknown from the beginning to end. The point of this story, which I am honestly still a bit confused on, appears to be a play on the word lottery. This lottery portrayed at the end of the story is one no one in our modern day would dare volunteer to play. This whole story from beginning to end is a giant question that never is given a clear answer. In the end we see what the lottery actually is, but not why everyone is playing, as it seems everyone is required to play due to the roll call.

ENGL 102 Composition and Literature

• Course Description

Composition and Literature continues the emphasis on writing. Two analytical papers—based upon studies of the short story, poetry, and drama—and a research paper, sequentially developed, are required.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

Course Guide

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*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.

English 102 continues the development of college-level writing skills and practice, providing the student with opportunities to: evaluate literature from a biblical worldview; examine structure, aesthetics, and issues; and organize thinking in written form. In addition, the research paper requirement strengthens the student’s skills in investigating, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating the ideas of others while also sharpening the student’s expression of his/her own conclusions. The introduction to literature enriches the student’s general understanding of human experience, which will assist him/her in subsequent courses and in life.

Course Assignment

Course requirements checklist.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student will reply to at least 1 classmate’s thread. For Discussion : The Importance of Literature to the Christian, the thread must be 250–300 words and the reply must be 250–300 words. For Discussion: Christian Worldview Assignment, the thread must be 100–150 words and the reply must be 75–100 words. Both the thread and the reply must demonstrate correct, formal writing style. (CLOs: A, B, C, D, G, H, I)

Fiction Essay Assignment

The student will compose a 750-word essay (3–4 pages) that compares and contrasts 2 stories from the Fiction Unit. The essay must focus on 1 or more of the elements of fiction that is covered in the course. The essay must include a title page, thesis statement, and outline followed by the essay. The student will have the opportunity to receive instructor feedback by submitting the thesis and outline prior to the essay. (CLOs: A, B, C, D, F, G)

Poetry Essay Assignment

The student will compose a 750-word essay (3–4 pages) that analyzes 1 piece of poetry covered in the Poetry Unit. The essay must include a title page, thesis statement, and outline followed by the essay. The student will have the opportunity to receive instructor feedback by submitting the thesis and outline prior to the essay. (CLOs: A, B, C, D, F, G)

Research Paper Assignment

The student will compose a final research paper of at least 1,500 words (5–7 pages) that incorporates a minimum of 6 citations, including the primary source and at least 5 secondary, scholarly sources. The research paper must have a title page, thesis statement, and outline followed by the paper and a correctly documented works cited page. The student will have the opportunity to receive instructor feedback by submitting the thesis, outline, draft, and bibliography prior to the research paper. (CLOs: A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

Quiz: Pre-Quizzes (3)

In the module before each Quiz, the student will take a pre-quiz that will help him/her prepare for the subsequent quiz. Each pre-quiz will be open-book/open-notes; consist of 20 multiple-choice, true/false, and matching questions; and have a 1-hour time limit. The student may take each pre-quiz as many times as he/she likes until the due date. The final attempt will be counted toward the final grade. (CLOs: C, F, H, I)

Quizzes (3)

The student will take 3 quizzes. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes; consist of 50 multiple-choice, true/false, and reading comprehension questions; and have a 1-hour and 30-minute time limit. Unlike the pre-quizzes, the student may only take each quiz once. (CLOs: C, F, H, I)

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Teaching Writing at LaGuardia

Resources for Faculty

ENG 102–Composition II: Writing Through Literature

Course Description

3 credits; 3 hours

Fulfills “Pathways: Required Core”

This course extends and intensifies the work of Composition I, requiring students to write critically and analytically about culturally-diverse works of literature. Students are introduced to poetry, drama, and fiction, employing close-reading techniques and other methodologies of literary criticism. Students will utilize research methods and documentation procedure in writing assignments in varying academic formats, including a research essay that engages literary critics or commentators. Admission to the course requires completion of Composition I.

Prerequisite : ENA/ENC/ENG/ENX101 and CSE099

Pathways Student Learning Objectives:

• Read and listen critically and analytically, including identifying an argument’s major assumptions and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence.
• Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research papers, and reports) using standard English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s own and others’ texts.
• Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing primary and secondary sources.
• Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media.
• Formulate original ideas and relate them to the ideas of others by employing the conventions of ethical attribution and citation.​

Course Learning Objectives:

• Reinforce the practice of writing as a process that involves pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, critiquing, and reflection.
• Reinforce students’ skill​ s  at writing clearly and coherently in varied academic formats (such as response papers, blogposts, formal essays, and research papers) with an emphasis on writing as a critical thinking process. Essays will vary in length between ​ 600  and ​ 2000  ​words, using standard written English (SWE).
• Familiarize students with poetry, drama, and fiction, and introduce students to techniques of literary criticism including the close reading of literary texts.
• Introduce students to methodologies of literary analysis, such as biographical context, historical context, and critical theory.
• Reinforce critical reading and analytical skills by guiding students to identify an argument’s major assumptions and assertions and evaluate its supporting evidence and conclusions.
• Reinforce students’ skills in creating well-reasoned arguments and communicating persuasively over a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and mediums.
• Reinforce students’ research skills including the use of appropriate technology and the ability to evaluate and synthesize primary and secondary sources, while employing the conventions of ethical attribution and citation and avoiding plagiarism.
• Reinforce writing strategies to prepare students for in-class writing.

Program Learning Objectives

PLO 1: Evaluate and synthesize sources using summary and/or paraphrase and/or quotation.

PLO 2: Engage critically and analytically with a text’s major assumptions and assertions.

Course Resources 

Faculty-facing introduction to sheet–about teaching this course.

Click below to download the faculty introduction sheet.

Student-Facing Introduction To Sheet–About Taking This Course

Click below to download the student introduction sheet.

Optional Syllabus Template

Rachel Boccio and Tara Coleman created this accessible ENG 102 Syllabus and Course Schedule. You can personalize the template to include your specific section information. Some slight modi

Sample Syllabi

Leah richards.

Engaging tone, very clear presentation

Leah Richards–ENG 102 Syllabus

Bethany Holmstrom

A non-traditional organization that really works! Very useful coupled with a traditional syllabus.

• Bethany Holmstrom–ENG 102 Syllabus

Excellent example of a clear and concise syllabus

Paul Fess–ENG 102 Syllabus

Sample Syllabus Sections

This link will take you to sample syllabus sections you might use for inspiration in writing your own syllabus:

Sample Sections include:

• Attendance/Engagement Policies
• Class Environs policies
• Explanations of synchronous and asynchronous meetings
• Statements of Support
• Grade Breakdowns
• Journal Entries/Weekly Responses
• Revision Policies
• Assignments Sequences
• Miscellaneous 

Sample Assignments

Julianna ryan: introductory video.

Introductory Course Video and Blackboard Walk Through

Leah Richards: Research for Closer Reading

An analytical writing assignment on Ernest Hemingway’s “The Revolutionist” designed for an ENG 102 Hybrid course. Easily adaptable to a fully asynchronous 102 course.

• Leah Richards–Researching Context to Enhance Close Reading

Lauren Navarro: What is Point Of View?

This 7-minute instructional video on POV serves as a model for designing student-facing videos for asynchronous ENG classes.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16bqDBceZdgiyKWatNlKAYXLEqH8HVkt-/view?usp=sharing

Lauren Navarro: Point Of View Exercise

This exercise on point of view in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is easily adapted to online synchronous or asynchronous classes.

• Lauren Navarro: Point of View

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• Transitioning from ENA 101 to ENG 102: A Low Stakes Writing Assignment by Anita Baksh
• Spring 2022 Syllabus Updates

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