Write an essay about marriage.
Choose one of two options to write an essay.
Option A: Examine the differing attitudes toward marriage that Wilder shows in Act II.
Throughout this act, there are many attitudes displayed about what marriage is all about. “There are a lot of things to be said about a wedding; there are a lot of thoughts that go on during a wedding . . . there’s a lot of confusion way down deep in people’s minds and we thought that ought to be in our play, too.” These different attitudes are demonstrated throughout the act by Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. and Mrs. Webb, George, Emily, Mrs. Soames, the baseball players, and the Stage Manager. Write an essay explaining how any three characters demonstrate differing attitudes about marriage. Include your perspective on how true or accurate these perspectives are on marriage today. Do not just quote their words; explain what “truth” each character tells about marriage. Remenber to document your evidence properly, using MLA format.
Option B: Interview a married couple about ideas on marriage that Wilder shows in Act II.
Interview a couple who have been married for at least 10 years. What can they remember about their first meeting? Was there anything special about their first meeting? What do they remember about their first date? Does one spouse remember more than the other? When or how did each realize that this relationship should become a marriage? Write this couple’s story. Include how their story is similar to or different from what Wilder shows in Act II. Be sure to indicate the couple’s relationship to you and the number of years they have been married.
Either essay choice should be at least 500 words long.
Your essay will be graded based on the following:
your attention to the instructions given above
the specificity and validity of your conclusions
use of proper punctuation, spelling, grammar, and sentence construction (commonly called “conventions”), and appropriate length