Writing Homework Help

Assignment Sheet: Analytical Essay 1: Fiction

By the end of the fiction unity you have considered many elements of fiction and have familiarized yourself with terms associated with discussing works of fiction. The purpose of this essay is to give you the opportunity to write an analytical essay about one of stories you read in this unit.

Readings to choose from:

• “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, pp.28-38
• “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, pp.146-151
• “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri,pp.491-506
• “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, pp.568-570
• “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, pp.516 – 526
• ” Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor, pp.527- 540
• “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich, pp.643-657
• “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, pp.665-668
• Your story of choice

Supplementary Reading:

Chapter 31, “The Literature Essay,” pp.1918-55

Directions:

Choose one of the stories you read for class. Consider the elements of fiction we have explored (characters, plot, narration/point of view, setting, symbol/figurative language, and theme). Examine the way one of these elements, or some combination of these elements works within the text you’ve chosen to create meaning. If you choose to write about Flannery O’Connor, you may use both her stories (but you don’t have to) Make an argument about how examining one or more of these elements of fiction provides insight into your chosen text. Be specific both about how you are using the element of fiction as a way to analyze the text and what insight you will argue for (see bullet points below for more specific approaches).

You have a lot of choice in the way that you approach this essay. Be sure to read chapter 31 of the text (pp.1918 -1955). Pages 1922 – 1925 describe the characteristics of an effective thesis statement for a literary essay. Pages 1940 – 1944 can help you develop a topic and thesis. I would suggest spending some time on the first two bullet points on pages 1941 (Analyze your initial response and Think through the elements). Consider spending some time freewriting to explore your ideas about the text. Here are some suggestions about how you might approach this assignment (The questions on pp.1941-1942 can help with this).

• Consider focusing on a part of the text (for example a character, object, image, event, etc.) that may seem insignificant, but that you would argue is significant. This approach sets you up for a clearly argumentative approach (While a casual reader would likely ignore X….)
• Consider focusing a likely interpretation of the text (analysis of a character, central theme, significance of the setting, etc..) that you would argue is in accurate or incomplete in some way. Again – this clearly sets you up for an argumentative position. (While many would argue that…)
• Consider the way a character’s worldview changes and the consequences of that change
• Consider how a particular character embodies a particular worldview of value system and/or how and why a character suffers a particular problem or dilemma (because of their worldview or value system). Again – in order to make sure this is argumentative, consider what a casual reader might expect the character to represent, and how that character defies such readerly expectations or interpretations (the character seems to be x, but really is y).
• Argue the way a central conflict in the story is dramatized through the comparison or/or opposition between multiple characters.

This essay is argumentative, which means that your thesis should be arguable and should be driven by analysis. Assume that your audience has read the story but has not thought as deeply about it as you have

Choose specific examples from the story that are relevant to your argument, and remember to make sure that your quotes are introduced, analyzed/explained, and properly cited.

You should not consult outside sources for this paper. Your task here is to provide your own in-depth analysis. If any of the readings in text about the authors or the cultural and historical context of the text (for Flannery O’Connor or Kate Chopin, for example) are relevant to your analysis, you may use those sources, but do not go outside of the text for additional sources.

Guidelines:

• This essay should be 3-4 double-spaced pages and include a Works Cited page. (Follow the MLA format for citing a work in an anthology.)
• This essay should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• This essay should follow MLA format for in-text citations.
• Make sure the essay has a title that captures the essence of the essay