Looking ahead to next week’s Short Story Analysis assignment, please choose one of the four listed short stories for that assignment and for this discussion forum (please use the same story for both assignments). This discussion forum is intended for you to begin discussing the story’s elements with peers who have also chosen the same story, in preparation for next week’s assignment.
1 James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”: What is the significance of music in Sonny’s life? How does this story reflect the historical or social context of when it was written, and what values or themes does it explore overall?
#2 Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”: What does the narrator learn in this story, if any epiphany is reached? What values or themes does the story explore as a whole?
#3 Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”: Who, if anyone, is responsible for the actions that transpire in this story? What values or themes does the story explore as a whole?
#4 Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”: What do you make of Arnold Friend’s name, and of his character as a whole? What values or themes does this story explore?