“The Theme’s the Thing”: Interpreting and Arguing an Important Theme
in Ocean Vuong’s Novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous
Essay # 2/Option # 2 – WR 1/ K. Meyer

Prompt: When reading, interpreting, and analyzing meaning in fiction, the most important literary element in a work is theme.
Theme is broadly defined as “the central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work.” The theme is not merely a subject in a work, but rather “an abstract concept made concrete through the images, characterization, and action of the text.” In these ways theme “provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized.” In short, theme is an important idea, message, or truth about a subject.
In his novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, author Ocean Vuong examines numerous subjects about which he establishes and develops distinct themes.
Directions for Writing: Interpret and argue one important theme in Vuong’s novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
Include in your thesis statement both the distinct theme and two-to-four ways Vuong establishes and develops this theme.
State and support your thematic argument (i.e. your thesis) by providing relevant and sufficient evidence from the text. In doing so, analyze and argue how Vuong uses details of plot, character, setting, point of view, symbols, imagery, and/or other important textual elements/literary devices to advance this theme.
Suggestions:
• Draw from and expand upon our class discussions, “Find Five” class presentations, and on our Discussion posts and other materials on Canvas as you explore, select, and develop a distinct theme.
• Draw from and expand upon your prewriting, including the graphic organizers you filled out in which you explored how Vuong—through his narrator and protagonist Little Dog—uses plot, character, conflict, point of view, setting, symbol, and other textual elements/literary devices to establish and develop distinct themes.
• Think inductively: examine how related important textual elements and details from the novel suggest and reveal important themes.
• Think deductively: if you have a working idea on a distinct theme you’d like to write about (i.e. a preliminary thesis), then look for related important textual elements and details from the novel that support that theme.
• Reread relevant parts of Vuong’s novel in order to find your focus, thesis, and textual evidence.

Weight: 25% of final grade.

Length: Approximately four-to-six pages, typed and double-spaced.

Due: Suggested Deadline Weds., Nov. 3.

Criteria for Evaluation: Your essay will be evaluated based on the strength of your text-based arguments, evidence, and overall analysis according to a standards-specific rubric based on the following:

 Unity/Focus (controlled by your thesis statement and topic sentence claims).

 Development/Support (elaborates response with well-chosen examples primarily from the text and persuasive reasoning).

 Coherence/Organization (organizational pattern facilitates reader understanding, demonstrates relatedness of ideas, and enhances power of argument).

 Style (displays a sophisticated style, strong and precise diction, and rhetorically effective sentence variety).

 Conventions of Standard Written English grammatically and mechanically correct.

 Adheres to all conventions of MLA document citation and manuscript format.