Respond to one of the following topics.  Your response should follow MLA formatting rules and should be at least four full pages in length.  This time you will need to include a Works Cited page so that you can notate which edition of the novel you are using.  Also, make sure to include include ample quotes from the novel to support your claims.  Outside sources are not necessary.  No email submissions.

1.

What role does setting play in this novel?  Choose two or three of the most significant locations used in the novel and discuss the significance these locations have for the characters.  For instance, Jack feels a nostalgic connection to the beach because of his time there as a teenager with Anne, and Willie needs people to view his farmhouse a certain way.  Elaborate on how the characters feel about the settings, as well as how they act when they are in them. 

2.

Discuss how the novel fits Aristotle's definition of a Greek Tragedy.  Who is the tragic figure and how do his actions contribute to his downfall?

3.

Jack seems to react to life's difficulties by withdrawing from them.  Jack views himself as a bystander who cannot change the outcome of any situation.  Discuss the instances where Jack reacts this way in the novel, and explain why Jack chooses to handle the events in his life by not dealing with them at all.

4.

Discuss the various father figures in Jack's life.  Who are they, what kind of relationship does each have with Jack, and how does each relationship affect Jack?