The Moths (304-307)or The Word Love (57-71)Compose an original titleand develop aneight-paragraphessayin which you interpret the authors purpose in Helena Maria Viramontes short story The Moths or Chitra Banerjee Divakarunis purpose in The Word Love.(I. Introductionwith thesis, II. Expository paragraph about the author, III.-VI. Fourbody paragraphswith one or twoquotationsin each, VII. Concession and refutation paragraphwith one or two quotations, and VIII.Conclusion. Include all eight paragraphs to demonstrate your knowledge of the formal outline and the essay requirements. Include the authors name and title of the story in your introduction as well as a narrowed topic culminating in your thesis sentence.The complex, argumentative thesisat the end of your introductory paragraph should state your narrowed topic and argumentative claim about the purpose of the story and the four subtopicsthat you will develop. Be sure to include a minimum of five quotesfrom the storyto support your argument. You may select longer passages(limit to one or two sentences), particular word choices, or even sentence structure or punctuation to add specific details to your argument. Documentall quotes with in-text citationsin MLAstyle,and add a WorksCitedpageat the top of the final page of your essay (page 4 or 5).

Choose one of the following topics. (Two options for each story are provided, select one!)Essay TopicOne: Throughout The Moths, the narrators character develops as she grows closer to her grandmother or abuelita. Discuss the influence of her grandmother on her transformation.Select four scenes in the story that reveal the relationship between the narrator and her grandmother and its influence on her inner strength or spirituality.In the final scene, what does her reaction to Abuelitas death, the sacred bath wate, and the magical real image of the moths demonstrate about her character?
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Gender stereotypes lower the narrators sense of self-worth throughout The Moths. Discuss the stereotypical outlook of her sisters, her father, or her mother and how the grandmother enables her to triumph over these limited views. How does the magical real image of the moths in the final scene relate to the narrators new identity and her relationship with her Abuelita?