Q3 Narrative Common Task – 40pt. Summative
Your final Summative Assessment for the third quarter is a short narrative task. You will choose one character from the short stories we have read: William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby,” and Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find.”
After you have chosen your character, select a moment from the short story where this character has a prominent role. You will then write a diary/journal entry from the point of view of that character. Your goal is to include the inner thoughts and feelings of this character, providing details the author did not write. You must refer to actual scenes in the story – your character should reflect on his or her actions and give us greater understanding about choices he or she has made. Remember to choose one of the main characters!
You are expected to write at least 6-10 sentences as you develop your diary entry. You do not have to begin by writing Dear Diary, but it is certainly an option. You should write in first person, as this is a diary. You can comment on other characters and events in the story, but you want to make sure you address your character’s thoughts and feelings about his or her own actions. We want to understand this person.
Keep your diary entry true to the story. Yes, you are including thoughts and feelings that the author excluded, but they should be believable based on how the character is portrayed. You have to stay true to the character’s nature. For instance, there is nothing in “A Rose for Emily” that indicates she regrets killing Homer. You should not write about how sorry she feels for poisoning him.