Announcing the 15th Annual Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

Topic:

The Moonstone (Signet Classics)

Select one of the following five topics:

1. In the introduction to the Signet Classic edition, Alev Lytle Croutier states: "The themes of imperialism and sensationalism in Collins's writings challenged the prejudices prevalent in Victorian England. At the heart of his social critiques was Collins's contempt for abuses of power, whether at home in Britain or abroad in the British Empire." Cite examples of such criticisms and comment on them.
2. How do different female characters in The Moonstone embody or defy what we might think of as traditional Victorian or nineteenth-century values and expectations for women's behavior?
3. The Moonstone could have been told in the third person by one omniscient narrator, yet Collins chooses to tell the story from the point of view of eight different narrators. Do you believe the novel benefits from this approach? Why or why not? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Cite examples to support your responses.
4. Many characters in the novel are neither straightforward heroes or anti-heroes, and often seem to do insensitive things in service of what they feel is right. Some characters are attractive overall but exhibit behaviors that are unsympathetic, while characters like the Hindoos fluctuate between appearing villainous and victimized. Choose two figures who reveal different sides to their personalities, and discuss the way these characteristics help and/or undermine their roles in the novel. (For purposes of this question, the Hindoos may be regarded as a single figure.)
5. Religion and superstition cause many of the characters in The Moonstone to behave in ways the other characters cannot understand. Miss Clack's religious fanaticism, the actions of the Indians, and the superstitions of Gabriel Betteredge all strike other characters as odd. How do these personalities help you understand what is going on in the immediate environment that the characters inhabit? In what ways do they also comment on larger social issues of the period?

Eligible:

Open to 11th and 12th grade full-time matriculated students who are attending high schools located in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia, or home-schooled students between the ages of 16-18 who are residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia.

Awards:

$1000

Entry fee:

Not mentioned

Deadline:

All entries must be postmarked by April 14, 2011 and received on or by April 21, 2011

For More Information:

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/services-academic/essayhome.html  (source of the information)