Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think The Loved One is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Dennis reminds Aimee that she pledged her troth to him, and she is again thrown into a quandary. Her sense of honor will not allow her to go back on her word, and Dennis refuses to release her from the promise. Still, she knows that she could never marry him now, not only because of the hoax concerning the poems but because she considers his job to be beneath her dignity.

Dennis tries to wiggle out of his predicament by stressing a detail, which is that he never actually said the poems were written by him, and he is quite surprised to see that what works is the promise she made to him at the Lovers' Nook. Dennis is so removed from considerations of honor that he could not even conceive that Aimée's pledge would hold her. Indeed, his interest in the marriage increasingly looks like a game he wants to win, simply because winning is good. When a distraught Aimée telephones Mr. Joyboy, she gets exactly what she would have expected, had she been a more insightful person. He is busy with his mother, and it is not convenient for him to see her, even though he can tell that a visit from him is important to her.

1. Do you think Aimee's sense of honor is a positive or negative value? Why? Use examples from The Loved One and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss, in depth, what type of person Dennis must be to hold a woman to a pledge of marriage when she wants out and to look upon making her marry him as a game. Use examples from The Loved One and your own life to support your answer.

3. What should Aimee figure out from Mr. Joyboy putting his mother before her? What do you think Aimee should do about Mr. Joyboy and Dennis? Why do you think she does what she did? Use examples from The Loved One and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of narcissism in The Loved One. Consider the following questions as you write: What characters seem most narcissistic? Why? What are some symbols of narcissism? What are some of the behaviors of narcissism?

2. Trace and analyze the theme of denial in The Loved One. Which characters struggle with this issue? Why? Which characters seem to be in some sort of denial? Why?

3. Trace and analyze the theme of death in The Loved One. Consider not only the death of humans and animals but the comments the author makes on the ritual of death in America.

(see the answer keys)

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