A thousand Splendid Suns--comparative Literary Essay Assignnment

Traits to be compared	Support for each character (select a key speech or action that reveals the trait in each character; include at least one quoted passage per paragraph from A Thousand Splendid Suns followed by page # in brackets)
THEME(S) What is learned from the characters’ experiences? (Express theme as a FULL sentence: a complete thought.

Second Draft Due: ____________________

Plagiarism Warning
Do NOT use ANY secondary sources. All you need is the book and your brain. Essays containing any borrowed wording (other than the necessary acknowledged quotations from the novel for support) or borrowed ideas will earn a zero. Submit your work online to turnitin.com using the instructions provided (available online also, from class Web site).
IDEAS FOR YOUR COMPARATIVE LITERARY ESSAY

COMPARING TWO CHARACTERS FROM A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
Use this list to get some ideas of three traits that your two chosen characters have in common. Since some words are synonyms for each other, be careful to choose three distinctly different attributes in your thesis statement; use the synonyms to add variety to the rest of your writing. If you don’t know what some of them mean, expand your vocabulary–look them up!
Character Traits

aggressive ambitious amoral angry depressed

apathetic argumentative artistic austere authoritative

awkward belittling brave bold bossy

businesslike calculating callous carefree caring

cheerful chivalrous clever cold confident

congenial considerate controlling cool-headed cooperative

courageous courteous cowardly critical crude

cruel curious daring deceitful demanding devious diffident

diplomatic disgusting dishonest disloyal disorganized

domineering dreamy duplicitous eager egotistical

empathetic energetic enlightened entertaining enthusiastic

faithful fawning fearful flamboyant foolhardy foolish

frank friendly generous gentle giving

greedy gullible happy-go-lucky hateful hesitant

honest honourable hopeful hot-headed hot-tempered

humble hypocritical ill-mannered ill-tempered impatient imaginative

immature immodest impulsive inconsiderate independent

indecisive industrious ingenious insensitive insincere

intelligent introspective introverted inventive irresolute jocular

joyous keen kind laid-back lazy

level-headed loyal macho mature meditative

mischievous miserly modest moody moral

mouthy nasty naive negative nervous

neighbourly nonchalant nosy obnoxious obsequious

observant optimistic organized outgoing outspoken

overbearing patient paranoid paternal peaceable

pedantic pensive perfectionist pessimistic picky

pious polite practical predictable proud

quiet racist rational reasonable rebellious

relaxed reliable respectful responsible romantic

rough rude sad sadistic saintly

sceptical scholarly secretive sensitive shallow

shy self-centered selfish selfless serious

sharp shallow shrewd sincere smug

sneaky snobby solemn spontaneous stingy

stoic suggestible suspicious sympathetic tactful

talkative thick-skinned thin-skinned thoughtful thoughtless

timid touchy tough treacherous true

truthful uncaring uncouth unctuous unfriendly

underhanded unreliable untruthful vain warm-hearted weak-willed whiny wishful wistful

worried zealous

The Comparative Literary Essay Checklist

(for an essay comparing characters and analysing theme)
On the first page (not a separate title page), include the writer's name, the teacher's name, the period, the date due, and an original, effective title for the essay. The essay should be double-spaced, have numbered pages, and include a word count on the last page.