Write a literary analysis of the short story, focusing on two or three connected elements like point of view, theme, symbolism, character, setting, tone, style, etc.
Making a connection between two or more elements will help you broaden your discussion.
This is a fairly short paper, though, so don’t try to tackle too much!
It is important to write purposefully and avoid simply re-telling the story. In other words, do not write a plot outline or summary! This assignment is to analyze:
What is the author “saying” to the reader?
What literary techniques and conventions does he or she use to say it?
What is the “point” of the story?
Does it show us anything worthwhile about people or about life?
Format
700 – 900 words
This equals approximately 3-5 pages of actual discussion
You can exceed the maximum word count as needed, but you must reach at least the minimum to be eligible for a passing grade
The word count does not include the heading and Works Cited page
Use a standard 12 point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins
Do not attempt to play with margins, font size, etc. to make papers appear longer!
The final draft must follow MLA 8th edition format
The Little Seagull Handbook pg. 119-169
For a heading example, see the syllabus
Include an appropriate title centered on the first line
Do not underline the title or put it in “quotation marks,” italics, or bold
The title should reflect your discussion, not the name of the assignment
Write in standard, formal English, avoiding slang and casual language
The use of the second-person perspective (“you”) is not appropriate or acceptable in this essay
You must include a Works Cited page listing both the short story selected and your literary criticism.
Your short story should be cited as a work in an anthology (see #19, pg. 144)
Your literary criticism should be cited as a journal article accessed through a database (see #11, pg. 141)