Your essay should include an
introduction paragraph in which you present a clear thesis. Because you are
discussing a story or stories, you should also mention the title and the author
of each in the introduction, with the titles of short stories in quotation
marks. The essay should have two to three well-developed body paragraphs, with
your observations supported by well-chosen quotations and specific
details from the literature. After all direct quotes,
cite the page number of the quote parenthetically at the end of the sentence.
Finally, the conclusion paragraph should adequately summarize the paper without
being repetitive.
Remember
that a solid analysis requires moving beyond surface-level
“who-what-where-when” information to provide answers to “why” and “how”.
You will be graded on how solidly your
paper is developed and organized, how well you use specific details to support
your thesis by employing adequate quotations and paraphrases from the
literature, how effectively you use literary terminology from your fiction/drama terms sheet,
and how precisely you use standard grammar and punctuation. See the handout on writing about
literature and handout on literary analysis
for additional guidelines.
Topic choices:
-How does setting affect
the plot and character development of Updike’s “A&P” or of Faulkner’s
“Rose for Emily”? Remember that setting refers to many elements, including both time and place, as well as historical and social
contexts.
-Despite their obvious
differences, how are the characters of John from Gillman’s “The Yellow
Wall-paper” and Leroy from Mason’s “Shiloh” alike? Discuss how these
similarities affect the characters’ actions and literary development.
-Examine the similarities in the
characters of Mrs. Mallard from Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” and the female
protagonist in Gillman’s “The Yellow Wall-paper”. In the process, discuss how the historical/cultural setting of
the stories affects the development of these characters.