ENG 255 Critical essay connecting idea(s) in three or four stories

ENG 255 Writing Assignments | Possible Sources

• Length: 1100-1200 words.
• Due: See schedule
• Post topic to this lesson's discussion forum
• Email the essay to me as a Word (or RTF) attachment.
• Remember the interpretation, explication, and this essay together must cover 4 different course stories.
• This paper is 20% of your grade. See criteria for evaluation at the end of this document.

TOPIC

Choose 3 or 4 works from the course which appeal to you and which have similarities in ideas. In addition to comparing ideas (see themes), you may examine character development or setting. Use the thematic index to review themes and focus on your own interpretations based on close reading of the texts. No outside readings are required but those I've listed in the lessons may be used. Remember in your explication, interpretation, and critical essay you must cover at least 4 different stories.

AUDIENCE

Think of your audience as people who are familiar with the selections (know the plot) but need a new or deeper understanding of the stories. Think of your paper as an argument to convince your reader to accept your interpretation. You need to present evidence from the work to prove your analysis. 

Writers generally use present tense when referring to the ideas and characters in a literary work; if you refer to actions that happened before the main action of the story, use past tense. Be sure that the meaning is clear if you need to shift from one tense to another.

REQUIREMENTS

Introduction

State titles of stories, the authors, and ideas you are interpreting; then explain the focus of your analysis. You may begin with a question about the work, a reference to a scene, or a statement by a character. Your thesis, argument, or controlling idea is the point you will prove; it identifies what can be learned from your paper. This may be stated here or as the conclusion to your essay.

Supporting evidence

• The body of your essay depends on the points you have chosen for comparison. If you are comparing characters, you might examine their mental and spiritual qualities and their capacity to learn and change.
• Use each paragraph as a unique section that supports your central idea.
• Include supporting examples from the works and use at least one carefully selected quoted passage (with parenthetical citation) for each story.
• Be sure to avoid "dropped quotes." That is, each quotation must be correctly introduced and integrated within the text of your essay, not just inserted.
• Remember, your main purpose is to explain what you have learned by connecting and analyzing the works, not just to list similarities and differences.

Conclusion

In this section state the results of your analysis. Your final paragraph may echo your thesis or frame the essay by referring to a statement or image in your opening section.

Document format, citations and Works Cited page

• Use Calibri, 12 pt. or Courier 11 pt, line spacing at 1.5  with indented first line of paragraphs and one inch margins on all sides.
• Heading should include your name, English 255-B1, date, instructor
• Compose a descriptive title that reflects the thesis of your paper; center the title at the beginning of your opening page.
• Use parenthetical citations according to MLA documentation.  List author's last name and page following a quotation or reference. For example:
  (Gilman 25).
• On your Works Cited page (last page of paper) list the stories analyzed and any critical commentaries you referred to (quoted, paraphrased or summarized) in your essay.  List the works in alphabetical order according to the author's last name (or first word of title if no author is listed). The articles a, an, the are omitted when alphabetizing. For a guide to MLA citations, see http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_s2.html
  Following is a sample bibliography.

Works Cited

Chopin, Kate. "Desirée's Baby." Syllabus ENG 255: American Short Story. 2009.  <http://www.qcc.mass.edu/booth/255/chopindesiree.html>

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper."  American Short Stories. Eighth Edition. Ed. Bert Hitchcock, et al. New York: Longman, 2008. 186-198.

O'Connor, Flannery. "Revelation." American Short Stories. Eighth Edition. Ed. Bert Hitchcock, et al. New York: Longman, 2008. 472-487.

C. Criteria for evaluating written assignments

• clear controlling idea or thesis
• sufficient evidence (supporting details) including selection of quoted passages
• effective organization of paragraphs and supporting ideas and clear transitions as needed
• proper grammar (sentence skills), spelling, and word usage
• correct documentation of sources (according to MLA)
• thoroughness in analyzing and following directions of assignment