Do you find her to be a sympathetic character, or cold and calculating? Is her reaction to Mr. Mallard’s death justified, or a result of being too self-involved?

Mrs. Mallard

Double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a font no larger than 12 points

In your essay, you will need to take a stand for or against Mrs. Mallard and provide evidence from the story that backs up your thesis.

Do you find her to be a sympathetic character, or cold and calculating? Is her reaction to Mr. Mallard’s death justified, or a result of being too self-involved?

This essay should be two full pages, and follow the standard essay form, which includes a well-developed introduction, with a clear thesis statement, and ending with an effective conclusion. You will need to include quotes from the story.

Regardless of your personal opinion of the character, you should be able to formulate a solid argument for or against her.

There is enough evidence in the story to develop a solid argument for either side, and neither side is necessarily the correct one.

The point of this exercise is to practice developing a written argument using the text to provide evidence.

The last sentence of your first paragraph is the topic statement, which is probably the most important element of the essay.