•  Read Sartre’s Nausea and write a compare and contrast essay on the hero of the Sartre novel and Jeff. Analyze each character’s behavior and motivations and how each displays existential angst.

•  Imagine what would happen if Jeff had survived the accident. What would it take for him to find the courage to live? What kind of life do you think he would have ten years after the story ends? Add a few pages to the end of the story, describing Jeff ten years later.

•  Patricia Highsmith had a very troubled life, as documented in the biography, Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith. Read the biography and present a PowerPoint demonstration that traces the influences that her life had on her work.

•  Investigate the causes of...