William wilson analysis

You will be reading a short story of Edgar Allan Poe’s called “William Wilson.” He wrote the classic suspenseful story in 1839. I don’t want to give anything away, so we’ll discuss literary terms after you have read the story. I have broken the story up into three parts and edited parts of it to make it a little shorter. The main character, William Wilson, goes through a dramatic change in characterization in the story. As you read, there are several things I want you to do:

Read the section once through for comprehension.
On the second reading, underline or highlight any words you don’t understand and look them up using another resource, such as a dictionary and write definition you find in the space provided. I want you to highlight at least one word per page, but my guess is there will be more than one word you want to look up.
In each part of the story (so a total of three times), write any questions you have about what is going on in the story in the space provided, and then write the answers to those questions as you find them in the story.
Underline or highlight the point in the story when William Wilson loses his sanity.
Make a note at the point in the story when you have what I call the “aha!” moment, when you understand what exactly is driving William Wilson insane.
Portfolio Assignment 8.4: “William Wilson” Opinion Essay

“William Wilson” is a frightening tale of a school boy slowly and steadily falling into insanity while being haunted by his doppelgänger. Yet, this is just one small view of a much larger picture that Edgar Allan Poe is trying to reveal to the reader. You will be writing a short one-page essay on the following prompt:

What statement is Poe making in “William Wilson” about human nature and society in general? Explain how events in the story prove and support your opinion.