Topics: 1. Representations of the Holocaust (compare/refer to two or three novels, films, graphic novels, etc.). E.g. Do they use different styles such as one factual/objective, one emotional with various literary devices? What aspects of the Holocaust do they focus on? 2. Memoir and murder (what's unique about the representation of murder in memoirs-for example, compare The Pianist and The Diary of Anne Frank or Night.) 3. Representations of murder in the horror story (two or three incl. one by King or Oates)- e.g. is murder represented as entertaining? Justified? A manifestation of evil? 4. Representations of female murderers in literature or film (two or three works, including Monster). Only use this topic if you did NOT write on Monster for your first essay. 5. Study another true crime author (e.g. Ann Rule) and compare to Capote. 6. Analyze Stephen King's depictions of murder in three different stories, novels, or films (at least one must be a story or novel). 7. Compare Oates's The Corn Maiden to another work by Oates or to a work by King. 8. Compare the main female criminals of Monster and The Corn Maiden. 9. Analyze and compare two or more works by Evan Hunter a.k.a. Ed McBain (e.g. as examples of police procedure, or of social commentary, or representations of American society, or for examples of his writing style/literary devices). 10. Compare the works of Ed McBain and Ian Rankin (e.g. as examples of police procedural genre or as examples of crime fiction with a social message). 11. Compare The Wire, Luther, Homicide, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, OR Law and Order to either McBain's or Rankin's works. 12. Discuss one of the above TV shows OR one or more of Ian Rankin's novels and/or two to three of his stories as an example of the police procedural genre.

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