Assignment Sheet for Literary Analysis of Fiction

ENG 102 Bernard
Assignment Sheet for Literary Analysis of Fiction
Overall Objective:
Look back through the short stories we’ve read in class and pick the one you have the most to say about. Pick at least one element of fiction such as character, point of view, setting, irony, or symbolism and explain how your choice(s) convey an overall message or theme in the story. Use at least two sources from SC4’s library. You may use material from any of homework assignments or the short essay in your Literary Analysis. Your Literary Analysis should be 4-5 typed pages in length plus the Works Cited Page.
Goals:
• Include a thesis statement that makes a claim about the story. Basically, state your point directly in clear, plain English. Be sure your thesis statement makes a claim rather than an opinion or fact about what you’re saying without saying something like “In my opinion…” or “I think / feel / believe…”. Your thesis statement may look something like this: The use of irony throughout “Harrison Bergeron” clearly creates the theme that equality at all costs is far worse than inequality. Another example might be something like: In “Everyday Use,” the use of objects like the quilts, the butter churn, and the bench that were created and used for a practical purpose creates powerful symbols that show the true meaning of tradition as something that is appreciated and felt rather than just displayed.
• Give examples and provide details that support your assertions instead of summarizing. Provide specific examples and details from the story to demonstrate your point.
• In each paragraph, include a strong, specific topic sentence that relates to the thesis and groups the examples.
• Don’t forget to explain how your examples and details prove your point. Don’t take the relevance of your example for granted. Use your sources as appropriate support for your explanation.
• Organize your paragraphs according to your purpose. For example, organize characterization around major traits, types of traits, or changes in character. Organize an explanation of symbolism or irony around specific symbols or types of irony. Organize an explanation of an idea around characterization, examples of symbolism or irony, elements of setting and atmosphere, or a combination of all of these.
• You’ll need to expand beyond a five-paragraph formula for the scope of this assignment.
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Other Specific Requirements:
• Include basic information, such as title, author, and names of characters (if relevant) in the introduction. Set the stage and remember to draw the reader in with your intro.
• Be sure paragraphs connect to one another through transitions and that they all support your thesis.
• Be sure each detail and explanation is relevant to the main idea of the paragraph.
• Proofread carefully for grammatical errors, and use spell check.
• Avoid contractions, first person other than “we the reader”, and words and phrases such as “I think…,” “I feel…,” or “I believe…”.
• Include a title that shows your take on the chosen topic. Your title should not be just the title of the story or a statement of the topic.
• Be sure titles, authors’ names, and the names of places and characters from the story are spelled correctly.
• Put the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence whenever you refer to something specific from the story or quote or paraphrase a source. Be sure to place quotation marks around all directly borrowed words and phrases. (MLA 2)
• Use your outside sources to support your explanation of the story. The primary explanation should come from you.
• All essays must be formatted as shown in WR 511-516. The font size must be 12 Arial or Times New Roman. All essays must be double-spaced with one inch margins. Your name, Ms. Bernard, ENG 102, and the date must be listed in the top left corner of the first page. Use a header to place your last name and the page number in the top right corner of each page. A descriptive and/or creative title must be centered above the first line of the essay. You must indent one-half inch for paragraphs. Do not use any bolding.
• Be sure to include a Work(s) Cited page with the story cited as shown on your Short Essay Guidelines and WR 4b.