Skip to content

Proposal

Prompt

  • Select six to seven major characters we’ve studied from the various novels, plays, short stories, and poems we read for this academic year.

    • At least two must be from novels, two from short stories, at least one from a play, and one from a poem.

You must submit me to me no later than Tuesday, May 7th. Your proposal should include the following

  • List of characters and the novels, short stories, and poems that they come from.
  • A brief: 1-2 sentence explanation about why you chose that character.
  • An MLA citation for that specific story.

Response

Characters

Novels

  • Victor Frankenstein from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
    • I chose Victor Frankenstein because his character embodies the consequences of unchecked ambition and the ethical dilemmas surrounding scientific advancement, which are themes that I find particularly intriguing.
  • Kathy H. from Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
    • I found Never Let Me Go to be an interesting exploration of identity, ethics, and the human condition, and how it could apply to topics such as cloning and organ donation. Or even more broadly, the idea of what it means to be human.

Short Stories

  • The Inventor from Cannibalism in the Cars by Mark Twain
    • He builds an engine. But I found it interesting how he poked fun at rigid structures and societal norms, which resonates with me as I get annoyed with bureaucracy and red tape.
  • The Narrator from There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
    • Smart home integrations and AI. I enjoy these topics and how they can be used to explore human nature and the consequences of technology.

Play

  • Henry Higgins from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
    • Linguistics is getting more important in the tech world, and I think it's interesting how language can shape perceptions and social status.

Poem

  • The Speaker from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
    • There's many different ways to interpret this poem, and I think it's a good reflection on choices and consequences.

Citations

  • Bradbury, Ray. "There Will Come Soft Rains." The Martian Chronicles, Doubleday, 1950.
  • Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." Mountain Interval, Henry Holt and Company, 1916.
  • Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. Faber and Faber, 2005.
  • Shaw, George Bernard. Pygmalion. Constable and Company, 1913.
  • Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, 1818.
  • Twain, Mark. "Cannibalism in the Cars." Sketches, New and Old, American Publishing Company, 1875.