Outline

I decided to write about the first option that discusses the stories " The Lottery" and "In the Penal Colony"...

Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery" and Franz Kafka’s "In the Penal Colony" both deal with a gruesome tradition that is seemingly unnecessary and unjustifiable. Compare these two traditions, paying particular attention to the language and imagery used to describe each.

Title ___________________________

I. Introduction

1. Discuss how tradition is carried out and how it stays alive after long periods of time.
2. Explain the different tradtions in each of the stories.
3. Explain how language and imagery are used and their effects.
4. Thesis
Although traditions are most commonly thought of as...blah blah blah haven't figured it out yet... they can also be carried on for no particular reason that lead to experiences that are not so pleasant and extremely cruel. In both of these stories, the traditions are described greatly by the usage of language and imagery which tell us exactly how tradition effects the lives of the people involved.

II. First Body Paragraph- Comparing Imagery

1. Compare the similarites and differenecs of the two traditions, paying particular attention to imagery.
2. Discuss the imagery of explaining the way the tradtions used to be in the past.
3. Discuss the imagery of children in both traditions.
4. Discuss the imagery of both stories having people are trying to change or don't agree with the tradition.

III. Second Body Paragraph- Comparing Language

1. Compare and two traditions paying particular attention the the language used.
2. The term "lottery".
3. The term "apparatus".
4. Other major uses of language in each.

IV. Third Body Paragraph- What Each Tradition Meant to the Characters

1. How tradition plays such a strong role in people's lives/the reason for each tradition.
2. The people in each story that are in favor of keeping the tradition alive (many village people vs. the officer by himself)
3. How it is passed down so successfully/unsuccessfully.

V. Conclusion

1.Summarize the key concepts.
2.Restate thesis.

I usually can't think of what the conclusion will actually say until after I write everything else out completely. Also, I might end up making everything that's under "Third Body Paragraph" into the first paragraph so it comes before actually talking about language and imagery. That way the summaries and explanations of each story is said in the beginning.