To Be (At Fault), Or Not To Be

Background

In Junot Diaz’s This Is How You Lose Her, we see characters, primarily Yunior, who are not living the optimal life.  Whether it is with love, health, money—or a combination of all—Yunior seems to be stagnant, or digressing rather than progressing.  At times, he seems conscious of this, and at other times, oblivious.  While it’s clear Yunior is downtrodden—the cause of his state is not as definitive.  Some might read and find his fate to be unavoidable, a mix of circumstances outside of his control.  Others may find him to be living in a deserved hell of his own making.

Your Task:

In a 4-5 page paper, consider the life and background of Yunior and decide ultimately whether his ongoing struggles are his own doing, or beyond his control, or something else altogether.

When planning for this essay:

• Annotate the text: Mark pages/take notes.
• Note the poor decisions, and consider all that possibly influences/plays a role in the decision.
• Consider all that plays a factor in a character’s misfortune, not just the character’s behavior itself.
• Challenge yourself to incorporate different short stories into an idea, from different points in Yunior’s life, demonstrating deeper understanding of his
• Proofread and edit: Check grammar, punctuation, and spelling before submitting the final draft.

A successful essay will:

• Maintain focus on the prompt and thesis throughout the essay.
• Feature fully developed paragraphs which include a claim, support, and literary analysis.
• Avoid plot summary or simple paraphrasing, and instead use specific evidence from the book to show your stance.
• Leave out first person statements and references.
• Lack process errors (punctuation, spelling issues that can be eliminated through proofreading). 5 process errors= no pass.  Get an essay tutorial!