ick any disaster movie, TV show, book, poem, short story, video game, or any other text that we have not covered in class and write an analysis of its presentation of an apocalypse. Chosen text MUST feature a clear, delineating “end of the world†moment of some kind (rather than a slide into dystopia) and must be based on a fictional apocalypse. If you are unsure if your text qualifies, contact me and we can discuss it. Texts that don’t meet this criteria will be assigned a 20-point penalty.
Your analysis should briefly summarize the plot (no more than a half page), but it should primarily focus on presenting that text’s apocalypse and discussing what is being revealed to us through that particular end of the world. You may discuss the choice of hope/cataclysm, the validity of that choice, or any other elements of analysis that support your analysis.
In summary, your short response should do the following:
- Contain a discussion of the significance of the text’s depiction of the end of the world. What, symbolically or otherwise, is important about that particular ending? In other words, what point is the author making with his/her chosen ending?
- Decide if the author ultimately sides with hope or cataclysm. Discuss the significance of the author’s choice and why they seem to have chosen one over the other. You must identify and analyze three specific elements from your chosen text that support this reading. Your discussion should determine whether the author made the CORRECT choice considering the world he or she has created.
It’s important that you clearly identify how the world has ended in your chosen text and provide clear examples (that you analyze and discuss) so that I’m able to determine the accuracy of your choice.
NOTE: You are only required to complete Short Response 4 or Short Response 5. If you submitted Short Response 4, you are not required to submit this one—but if you did not submit it, this assignment is required. You may choose to complete both if you choose! This only applies if you have submitted Short Responses 1-3.
