Primary Objectives:
Write a two page (minimum) [2003 MLA formatted]
essay in
which
you analyze
either character, theme, or point of view in one
short story. You must provide
evidence from the story as support for your thesis
(this
is a subjective approach);
hence, you must include parenthetical citations, minimum of four (see
sample essays).
You may also
include the critical comments of other writers, but
these
are not mandatory.
If you
do
decide to use critical commentary, you are required
to (1) have an MLA formatted
Works Cited page and (2) submit a copy of any
page from which you borrow information
with the quoted passage(s) highlighted and numbered in
the order in which they appear.
These will be
submitted in a separate envelope,
much like you did for the other two essays.
You may use any story
from the text except "The Most Dangerous
Game,"
which is commercial fiction. If you use a story
that is from another book,
please make me a copy of it (if I do not have one), and
submit it with your essay.
Remember, you cannot use a novel for your
analysis.
To help you as you compose, I suggest the following
pages
from your
Story and
Structure textbook: (selected from the Appendix
entitled
“Writing about Fiction”)
"Analysis, not explication"
p. 492
"Focus on a Single Story"
p. 493
"Proving Your Point"
pp.
495-96
"Writing the Essay"
pp. 497-99
"Principles and Guidelines"
pp. 501-06 (using
quotations)
"Grammar, Punctuation,
pp. 518-22
& Usage"
If time permits, you might also read the sample
interpretive
essays
on 523-25 and/or 525-28, which may be valuable to you
even
though
they differ in purpose from yours. The first is
strong, but is an example of
explication; the second is
analytical.
For example: At the roadhouse, Frank makes Tub sit down at a table and
then requests
"[. . .] four orders of pancakes, plenty of butter and syrup
(40). Here the reader sees
Frank
as an enabler, allowing Tub his food indulgences--an act unconsciously
designed to
make Frank feel better about his sexual ones regarding the fifteen year
old Roxanne Brewer,
with whom he is in love. (all
boldface mine)
Do not use past tense as in the following:
Frank made [. . .] requested [. . .]. Here the reader saw [. . .] with whom he was in love
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