In-Class Summer Reading Paragraph

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Anthem, Ayn Rand
Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand

While each of the summer reading texts is quite different in content, style, and historical period, all three concern themselves with man in conflict with himself as well as with the world in which he lives. Ironically, each work also portrays its protagonist’s conflicts in such a way that the protagonist can be considered a hero, though clearly not always a conventional one.

Select one of the three works. In your essay, explore this concept of the hero. How does the main character struggle to assert his own identity and to maintain his values in life as he also struggles to live in a world very much opposed or even antithetical to his own mindset?

Remember standard essay conventions:

1. present tense
2. third person
3. three concrete examples (quotations if possible)
4. analysis of the examples 
5. plot details provided for support
6. basic paragraph format: TS, transitions, CS
7. double-spaced, 12 pt.Times New Roman
8. engaging title