Literary Analysis Paper Guidelines

Choose one of the following short stories: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” “Hills Like White Elephants,” “The Lottery,” or “Everyday Use.” Complete a close reading of the story. Examine the content of the text as well as its forms (see pp. 123–25 for more information).

Develop a 1,000 – 1,500 word critical analysis of the piece you choose.

Use your close reading as the foundation for your thesis statement. Your position must be insightful and arguable. In your essay, support your thesis with evidence from the text and from 5-6 scholarly research sources on your text. You will be limited to only library-based research for this project. Do not stop searching once you have found 2-3 research sources; find the most appropriate sources for the assignment.

Your classmates are your audience. You can assume that your classmates have read the literature you are writing about; however, you cannot assume that your classmates have considered the texts or concepts in the same way you have.

Make sure the final draft includes the following:

1. A narrowed theme. The theme should be narrowed based on your understanding of what the author is trying to tell us through the text.

2. Several examples in the text where the literary element you are tracing illustrates the theme. Keep in mind you must understand the theme of the piece you chose. That element could be a symbol, irony, metaphor, character development point, etc.

3. An effective introduction that ends with the thesis statement. The thesis statement should follow the “By examining X, readers can better understand Y” pattern. X stands for some literary element that pertains to the work of literature you are analyzing, and Y stands for the work’s theme. You don’t have to use that phrase verbatim, but your thesis must highlight both the theme and the literary elements you will use to discuss that theme in the paper.

4. Paragraphs that follow the MEAL plan. Keep in mind the topic sentences should highlight examples of X (the literary element) you plan to explore in the paper. The body paragraphs will consist of your analyzing each literary example in the thesis list, one by one, in separate paragraphs.

Remember this example: “Phoenix’s being named for the mythological bird of resurrection directly connects to her ability to overcome physical and mental disabilities in the story to bring medicine to her grandson.”The rest of the paragraph will cite instances in the story that illustrate this point, and credit will be given to the author through in-text citations.

5. An effective conclusion. The conclusion should begin with a reworded (not restated) thesis, followed by a return to a brief discussion of the work’s theme. Offer the reader a final thought at the end of the conclusion.

6. Effective use of your sources. Use evidence/examples from your sources as the “E” in the meal plan. Do not rely on direct quotes. Demonstrate you understand what you’ve read by translating information into your own words. You must give credit to your sources throughout the paper using in-text citations. Papers that do not offer this credit will be returned with a zero.

7. A Works Cited page that includes the primary source and all secondary sources used in the paper.

You must incorporate at least five (5) credible sources in your paper. All sources must come from the FTCC library (or another library you have access to).

The Works Cited page should have at least five (5) sources listed.

The paper should be formatted according to MLA guidelines. If your paper does not contain in-text citations and a Works Cited page, you will earn a zero on the assignment.

The paper must be written in 3rd person. The paper is not about you or the reader, so remove yourself and the reader from the text.

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