Choose one of two options to write an essay: Option A: Examine the differing attitudes toward marriage that Wilder shows in Act II.
Throughout this act, there are many attitudes displayed about what marriage is all about. "There are a lot of things to be said about a wedding; there are a lot of thoughts that go on during a wedding . . . there's a lot of confusion way down deep in people's minds and we thought that ought to be in our play, too." These different attitudes are demonstrated throughout the act by Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. and Mrs. Webb, George, Emily, Mrs. Soames, the baseball players, and the Stage Manager. Write an essay explaining how any three characters demonstrate differing attitudes about marriage. Include your perspective on how true or accurate these perspectives are on marriage today. Do not just quote their words; explain what "truth" each character tells about marriage. Remenber to document your evidence properly, using MLA format.

Option B: Interview a married couple about ideas on marriage that Wilder shows in Act II.
Interview a couple who have been married for at least 10 years. What can they remember about their first meeting? Was there anything special about their first meeting? What do they remember about their first date? Does one spouse remember more than the other? When or how did each realize that this relationship should become a marriage? Write this couple’s story. Include how their story is similar to or different from what Wilder shows in Act II. Be sure to indicate the couple's relationship to you and the number of years they have been married.

Either essay choice should be at least 500 words long.

2. read the excerpt from martin luther king, jr.'s nobel peace prize acceptance speech: i accept this award today with an abiding faith in america and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. i refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. i refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. i refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. i refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. i refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. i believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. this is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. i believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. i believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. i have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. i believe that what self-centered men have torn down other-centered men can build up. i still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of god and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "and the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." i still believe that we shall overcome! instructions: create an outline for a speech that connects a theme from this excerpt to your own life. in the first part of the outline, organize an explanation of what king's theme means. in the second part of the outline, organize your explanation of how this theme connects to at least one event from your life. the first and second parts of your outline do not need to be of equal length. throughout the outline, be sure to cite or describe specific evidence from the text or from your personal experiences. also, organize ideas appropriately, develop your argument with relevant information, and provide a concluding section. (15 points)