I have to write an essay about the relevance or significance of obsession in Edgar Allen Poe's “The fall of the house of usher”, and Nathaniel Hawthorn's “the birthmark”.

I don't know how to make it into an argument and how to avoid summarising the story?

Help with the thesis please?!

Oh and this is a university level paper

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Originally Posted by mystery

i have to write an essay about the relevance or significance of obsession in Edgar Allen Poe's “The fall of the house of usher”, and Nathaniel Hawthorn's “the birthmark”.

i dont kno how to make it into an argument and how to avoid summarising the story?

help with the thesis please?!!

oh and this is a university level paper

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If you are writing university level papers you will need to use capitals when required, and also use correct orthography. Careless work will be frowned upon and returned for correction,

You must isolate examples of obsession in each story and, unless the rubric directs you do do otherwise, merely demonstrate their presence. Argument may only be necessary in disputed incidents, such as what you believed to be evidence of obsession, where other essayists had interpreted it as something else. Sometimes the evidence will speak so loudly that all that is necessary is a summation of examples, leading inexorably - or otherwise - to a simple conclusion.

For example, Hawthorne's The Birthmark examines the obsession of human perfection. Georgiana, the beautiful woman in the story has a single hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek. Men are invariably attracted to Georgiana, and many find the birthmark attractive. However, her husband Aylmer, a scientist, is revolted at the sight of the birthmark. Eventually Georgiana comes to share his obsession, and the couple decides to try to remove the birthmark. Aylmer takes Georgiana to his laboratory, where he is assisted by his assistant Aminadab.

On Poe, see, for example, The Poe Decoder - I Have Found It!

Good luck.