Essay writing
Suggestions for essay writing for the Edwardian Period in general and some of the texts in particular –
to improve your writing skills including your skills in analysis and comparison and to get wiser on the subject of the Edwardians and their way of life.
1:
Write a paper about the feminists of the Edwardian Period.
Can Emmeline Pankhurst and Sarah from “Upstairs, Downstairs” both be considered feminists?
A comparison to the British feminist writer Fay Weldon and the British columnist Caitlin Moran, who both consider themselves modern feminists, should be drawn. What are they fighting for in today’s British society?
2:
Write a letter from Sarah from “Upstairs, Downstairs” to her best friend in which she tells about her first impressions of life as a maid in an Edwardian household.
3:
Outrage is a powerful tool, when giving a speech.
How and why are Malcolm X and Emmeline Pankhurst outraged?
And how do they make use of that outrage in their respective speeches about “The Ballot or the Bullet” and “Freedom or Death”?
4:
Victoria Sackville West’s diary entries are clearly those of a lady from the British aristocracy.
Write Sarah or Rose or Emily’s diary instead and make sure to touch upon the duties, concerns, social life, and the (sparse) leisure time of a girl in service.
5:
Write an analysis and interpretation of Rudyard Kipling's poem “The Ballad of East and West”.
In your paper the following aspects must be considered:
- The title
- The outcome of the encounter between Kamal and the Colonel's son
- The overall theme of the poem
- The tone (is it optimistic or pessimistic or something in between?)
- A discussion of why Mr. Dickinson from “Hassan of England” apparently disapproves so much of Rudyard Kipling and assumes that Hassan shares his bad opinion of him.
