Malamud's the Natural

Inning 4: The Natural

Enjoy the definitive baseball novel. Malamud's The Natural establishes the archetype for all of baseball literature. Roy is a hero with great promise, but he has some pride and maturity issues. All baseball writings that follow this novel deal with many of the same themes and much of the same subject matter raised by Malamud's masterpiece. Be prepared to make comparisons to other novels and films this semester.

Directions: Write a well-developed essay on the prompt below. Your essay must conform to MLA document standards and must include direct quotation from Malamud's novel to support your arguments and conclusions (use MLA in-text format). You should investigate thoroughly the context of the scene before you write your essay. If you do outside research to support your work, you must also include a properly formatted works cited page to avoid plagiarism. Minimum: ≥ 3 pages.

Essay Prompt: How do the mottos that Roy encounters in the Judge's office provide insight crucial to an understanding of the themes and purposes of Malamud's novel?

* "Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home"

* "Nihil nisi bonum"

* "All is not gold that glitters"

* "The dog is turned to his vomit again"

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Inning 5: Shoeless Joe

Enjoy this wonderfully rich, often funny, and poignant classic American novel. Ray chooses to obey the voices we all hear but tend to ignore. Like a good #2 hitter, he receives a sign and willingly sacrifices to advance his dreams in this powerful story about family, forgiveness, courage, and baseball. The novel is markedly different than the film, and better for it.

Directions: Write a well-developed, properly evidenced essay that addresses the prompt below. Your essay must conform to MLA document standards and must include direct quotation from the novel to support your arguments and conclusions (use proper in-text format). You should investigate the context of the scene before you write the essay. If you do outside research to support your work, you must also include a works cited page. Do not type the prompt in your essay (it takes too much space). Minimum: ≥ 3 pages.

Essay Prompt: How is the following quotation crucial to a solid understanding of the themes and purposes of Shoeless Joe?

"For it is money they have, and peace they lack [...] I'll bet some of the men will be dragging along little women in flowered housedresses and high-heels who will see nothing and whine about sitting on a backless bleacher seat for two hours.