Option 1:

The American Dream lecture in Week 1 points out that Poor Richard’s Almanac was an annual publication that included calendar lists, home recipes, weather forecasts etc. What made Franklin’s almanac unlike other almanacs was the inclusion of Franklin’s witty parables and humorous writings. Franklin proposes in “The Way to Wealth” that anyone who works hard, avoids debt, and works toward attaining a virtuous character can be successful and ultimately wealthy—that the American Dream is accessible to all.

Watch either The Color Purple or The Great Gatsby (locate the films using Netflix, Amazon, or your local library) and argue why or why not Franklin’s assertions are correct. Provide examples from the film and your own explanations to support your assertions.

Your will have two choices for your thesis statement:

As is evident in the film The Color Purple (or The Great Gatsby), Franklin’s assertion that the American Dream is available to all people is incorrect because , __, and _ (you will determine three points in support of your thesis, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

As is evident in the film The Color Purple (or The Great Gatsby), Franklin’s assertion that the American Dream is available to all people is correct because , __, and _ (you will determine three points in support of your thesis, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

Option 2:

Write a comparison or contrast essay about two of the corresponding characters in the table below. You will choose three of the points of comparison from the pool below as your points of comparison or contrast. Keep in mind that the purpose of a comparison or contrast essay is to reveal something meaningful about the characters and their relationships to the text.

You will be using a point-by-point style of comparison, and you will have two choices for your thesis statement:

While some differences between _ and _ (names of characters in the pairing you chose) are evident, they are similar in the aspects of _, _, and __ (you will determine three points of comparison from the pool, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

While some similarities between _ and _ (names of characters in the pairing you chose) are evident, they are different in the aspects of _, _, and __ (you will determine three points of comparison from the pool, and those will become the topics of your three body paragraphs).

Choose one of the following pairings: Choose three of the following points of comparison:

1. Rip Van Winkle and Anton Rosicky A. Motivation
2. Dame Van Winkle and Mrs. Peters B. Religion
3. Desiree Aubigny and Faith Brown C. Generosity
4. Young Goodman Brown and Armand Aubigny D Trustworthiness
5. Dame Van Winkle and Mrs. Hale E. Independence/Dependence
   F. Communication skills
   G. Level of intelligence
   H. Sense of adventure
   I. Relationships with others
   J. Conflicts/trials faced
   K. Journeys, either physical or symbolic

For example, you might choose pairing #3 (Desiree Aubigny and Faith Brown) and points C, I, and B (generosity, relationship with others, and religion) as your points of comparison.

Sample Solution