Week 2: Discussion 1 and 2

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Character Analysis and Setting

	Prepare: Prior to beginning your initial post, read Chapters 4 through 7 of Journey into Literature.
	Reflect: In the stories you have read in Chapters 4 through 7, you have been introduced to several kinds of characters. Select another story from your textbook that is different than the one you analyzed in the “Literary Techniques and Their Connection to Conflict in Literature” discussion and identify and consider a character you sympathize with. Reflect on why you identify with them and how that character is constructed by the author.
	Write: Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. The minimum word count does not include references. As you write your post, answer the following questions: Identify the character and the literary work he or she appears in. Why did this character interest you? What choices does the character make, and how do the choices (or the result of the choices) contribute to the theme of the story? What kind of conflict (internal/external) did this character encounter, and how did he or she handle it? How does the setting contribute to the character’s development? How does the setting contribute to the character’s experience and give the story more meaning? Incorporate readings found in Chapters 4 through 7 to help illustrate the points you make.
	Respond to Peers: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Each response should be at least 75 words in length and should address two or more of the following questions: Did your classmate acknowledge the complexities in the character he or she chose? If so, how so? If not, what should he or she consider? Are there other conflicts that your classmate should consider? For example, if your classmate primarily discussed a character’s external conflicts, offer an internal conflict that the character faces, or vice versa. Does your classmate adequately connect the character with the setting? Are there details that he or she did not discuss but are important to the story? Why are these details important? Explain to your classmate.