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Essay Instructions: When Luke ?runs away? to Baltimore, he hitchhikes with three different people, all of whom are seeking their past selves. As the third driver says, ??I?m driving till I find her past self. You know? And my past self.? The relationship of the past to identity is linked to many themes in this novel. Please discuss this relationship and how it illuminates on of the themes in Tyler?s novel.
For example, you might examine Cody?s obsession with time, or you might explore the nature of being ?homesick.?
Be creative in your analysis, but always remember that solid analysis is always based on fact. Do not stray too far from the text or you stray into the realm of speculation rather into real, insightful analysis of the text. Remember to formulate and stick to your focus (topic), and support with direct evidence from the text, preferably quotes.

Essay Instructions: 3 books to read: 1) Doyle, Roddy - Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha
Ha
2) Tyler, Anne- Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
3)Ricci, Nino - Lives of the Saints

Themes to focus on are institution of the family, father figure, women,
older generations, isolation, characters and relationships, significance of
various characters, past and present, endings, symbol and metaphor.

Questions to consider in Dinner at the homesick restaurant:
Are all the portraits equally successful? Does anyone in the novel ever
successfully communicate? what are the children's various ways of coping
with their difficult upbringing? Why are they able to make it through the
last dinner? Why does the novel end with Cody?

Questions to consider for Paddy Clarke HaHaHa:
The boy stays up night after night, convinced that if he stays awake his
parents will not fight. How does this fantasy about the power of his will to
control his parents relate to other assumptions about power inherent in his
dealings with people? " i wanted to look at my ma and da and not feel
anything. I wanted to be ready. Fuck off, I said to Sinbad" Has the narrator
achieved his goal by the end of the book?
Patrick is in the midst of the brutal fight with Kevin. " This was the most
important thing that had ever happened to me" More important than his
parents' breakup? More important than Sinbad's rejection? Why?

Some images for Lives of the Saints:
The stable: this is where Cristina meets with her lover but it also seems to
imply a sort of link with Mary, whose husband was also not the father of her
child and who also had to face the disapproval of villagers

The lucky one-lira piece, given to Vitto by Luciano: this is the one Vitto
can control and depend on as his life turns upside and down and he carries
it with him always until the end.

Fabrizio's knife: he gives it to Vitto, showing his love and allowing for
Vitto to remain connected to his past.

Finally, Ricci opens his novel with a quote from Proust's Remembrance of
Things Past. How do you think this qustation relates to/amplifies the
meaning of Lives of the Saints??

The aim of this short reflective paper is to show your reading into a
meaningful context consistent with the main themes and to think
comparatively about characters, situations, themes, narrative structure,
setting, imagery etc and comment on what you find significant.

Essay Instructions: Essay Instructions: Complete the questions below (limit the four question to three pages)

1. What do you feel you personally would be able to contribute to the International Assistant Program? What strengths would you bring to the role of an IA?
2. What do you feel you would gain/learn from participating in the International Assistant program?
3. Have you ever been in a similar situation to an international student or in a situation where you were a minority or an outsider? How did you feel? How did you cope? If you are an international student, please describe your experience as such at BC and what advice you would suggest to fellow incoming international students regarding adjusting to life here.)
4. Describe a previous extra-curricular or community service or mentor experience (in high school or college) that demonstrates your ability to make a year-long commitment to helping others. What attracted you to this activity? What did you gain from this experience? What challenges did you face?

Scenario Instructions: The following scenario is an example of the responsibilities and the importance of International Assistants in helping international students adjust to the U.S., Boston, and Boston College. Please address the following items in your response: (Limit answer to one page)

1) Identify the issue(s)/problem(s) at hand.
2) What is the IA’s overall responsibility in such a situation? What do you feel are your responsibilities and what are your limits?
3) What would your response to this situation be?
4) Identify, if any, the BC resources you would use or to which you would refer your student.
5) How would you follow up on your initial response to the situation throughout the semester/year?

Belén is a year long exchange student who has been at BC for two months. She does not speak English well, but is enrolled in an English class that specifically addresses needs for English learners. When the IA sees Belén on campus, Belén attempts to make conversation, but quickly becomes frustrated, and always quickly finds an excuse to leave. Her IA has invited her to group activities, and she comes, however she is always surrounded by other students from her home country. When the IA suggests events with a large number of English speaking students, she shows enthusiasm, but never attends. Belén lives with American roommates. The IA is friends with one of her roommates, who has explained that Belén is constantly on Skype with friends and family from home, and avoids interaction with her suitemates.

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Information to Know in order to know to write the essay:

What is an International Assistant?
One or two incoming undergraduate international students are assigned to each International Assistant in the Fall and in the Spring terms. For some international students, this may be their first experience in the United States. Others may have studied or traveled extensively in the Untied States before. It is the International Assistant's job to adapt to the level of his/her student's needs.

The Roles an International Assistant plays are:
1) A friend and support - The most important way to help your international student is by being his or her friend. A smile or a word of confidence at a crucial moment can often do more than any list of facts. If this is your student's first time in the United States, he or she may feel homesick from time to time, or overwhelmed by the change of environment. Often, the new surroundings may appear strange and upsetting until your student feels more at home. At those times, your understanding may be invaluable.
2) A resource person - Since you have already studied at Boston College for a year or more, you are familiar with how things work at Boston College and in Boston. Your international student may have questions ranging from "How much does the subway cost?" to "Why do Americans act this way?" Your student may also need help in such matters as opening a bank account or buying clothes suitable for New England weather. Most of these questions can be easily answered by drawing on your own past experiences.
3) A culture sharer - Most international students come from countries whose cultures, customs, and values differ from those of the United States. The degree of difference will depend on the individual student and culture. It is your challenge, as an International Assistant, to be aware of the possibility that these differences may be present, and to be willing to explain occurrences from the American point of view. Remember, the American way is not the only way. You may find that many of the things you take for granted are peculiarly American, and may be viewed quite differently by people from other cultures. It will be your challenge to help your student understand those ways, so that he or she may readily adapt to life in the United States. Your international student will learn a great deal about American culture through everyday events. In helping your student understand the hows and whys of American life, you will come to a deeper understanding of yourself and of your own culture. Another important feature of the International Assistant Program is that you will also have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of other cultures.

Essay Instructions: Formalist/Comparative Literary Analysis

Choose any song and write either a Formalist or Comparative Literature Analysis of the work. Your analysis should support a thesis, which not only asserts an interpretation of the lyrics but also evaluates the work according to the author's use of the literary elements and/or a comparison to a literary work.

For example, in a Formalist analysis you might suggest that Jim Morrison effectively evokes the mysteries of death through the use of metaphor, imagery, and literary allusion in "End of the Night." Your thesis would then be supported with direct references to those elements in the lyrics and how each assists the author in effectively communication his ideas and emotions about his subject or theme.

In a Comparative Literature analysis, you might explore the elements of ambiguity, associative logic or stream of consciousness, and tone in “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan and the poem “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg. Your thesis would then be supported with direct references to each text and observations about the similarities or difference of how those elements function in each work.

Your essay should:
• cite all quotes in MLA format and
• contain at least one quote from the work you are analyzing, as well as one quote from a secondary source relevant to the work or author/s you are considering.
• include a works cited, be double spaced, and have a compelling title (don't just use the author's!).
• be 2-3 pages in length.


Formalist Literary Analysis Critique
Use the following questions as guidelines to help the author better see his or her work through the eyes of the reader. As a critic, try to be as specific as you can about the essay's strengths and weaknesses in order to help the author effectively revise. Return the answers to these questions on a separate sheet of paper with your name as "Critic" and the author's name as "Author." Include the critique you receive back with your final draft so that your critic will receive credit.
Work
What literary work is the author analyzing?
Does the student-author refer to both the author and title of the work?
Is the work's title properly formatted? (quotation marks for a short work)
Synopsis
Does the student-author offer a clear synopsis of the work in question?
Would you add anything to it?
Where in the essay does it appear? How is this effective or ineffective?
Thesis
What is the central question that the student-author asks of this work?
What specific literary elements does the thesis address?
What central claim does the student-author make about them?
Is the thesis too factual, too broad, too vague, or is it an acceptable thesis? Explain.
Organization
How are body paragraphs organized? Does the topic of each body paragraph clearly correspond to one of the literary elements addressed in the thesis? Are transitional phrases and words used between subtopics? Give examples or make suggestions.
Write a brief outline of the student-author's essay. Is it organized logically? Explain.
Support
Does the student author support each general assertion that he or she makes about the work with specific references to the text?
Are any direct quotes used? If so, are they documented according to MLA style? Are any secondary sources quoted or referenced, for example, an article on the author?
Is there enough commentary by the student-author to justify the use of each quote?
Development
Does the student-author offer enough evidence to support his or her thesis? Explain.
Are there any points that could use further development?
Do all points seem relevant? That is, are they unified?
Does each paragraph flow to the next? In other words, are they coherent?
Does the student-author effectively introduce and conclude his or her essay? Explain. Are all sources documented an MLA style Works Cited page?
Proofing, Editing and Overall Effectiveness
Mark any grammar or spelling errors which mar the essay's content.
Underline any awkward or unclear sentences.
Circle any vague or inaccurate word choices.
What is this essay's greatest strength?
If you were to revise this essay, what would you focus on?