Discussion on “Clay” and “Ivy Day in the Committee Room”
Humanities
Read the stories “Clay” and “Ivy Day in the Committee Room.” For EACH story, choose a prompt below and write 250 words (total of 500 words). You may not choose the same prompt for each story. Your post does not have to be completely formal in tone, but you must use proper grammar/spelling/punctuation and avoid slang.
Prompts:
1) Choose ONE of the major themes of James Joyce’s writing. Explain how the short story demonstrates this theme. Use specific examples from the text.
2) Choose ONE of the major themes/topics of Irish literature, introduced at the beginning of the semester. Explain how the short story demonstrates this theme/topic. Use specific examples from the text.
3) Compare/contrast this short story with something else you read in this class, including other James Joyce short stories. Use specific examples from the text.
4) Choose two elements of fiction (plot, character, setting, point of view, theme). Explain how they interact in this short story. Use specific examples from the text.
5) Choose a short passage from the short story – about a paragraph or two. Copy/paste that passage in your response (there are plenty of online sources that contain the full text of the stories). The passage does not count for your 250 words. Go through the “Three C’s” (context, craft, connections) and perform a close reading of that passage.
