Thesis: In literature there is an underlying message in every story. Sherwood Andersons short stories “Hands” and “Adventure” both have a lesson to be learned.
Research Question: What lessons were taught in these two stories that made them similar?
Make sure your thesis is an arguable one, something with which readers might actually agree or disagree. Don’t be afraid to take a leap and put forward a new, creative, and/or unique interpretation, provided you can support that claim with reasonable textual evidence and research.
Your paper must incorporate information from outside scholarly reviewed sources Remember that you have three methods for incorporating outside information into any paper: you can quote (use the source’s exact words), paraphrase (put the source’s words into your own words), or summarize (boil down information from a source to a 1-2 sentence summary in your own words). Also remember that each of these needs methods to be cited using correct MLA formatting.
Avoid unnecessary plot summary and/or biographical information. Assume that your reader has already read the work you are discussing– readers don’t need your help understanding what happens in a story; they need your help understanding why these things happened and what they might mean.
Remember that sources like Wikipedia, Sparknotes, and other open-web sources are not appropriate for this paper.
MLA formatting for style, in-text citations, and works cited entries is a significant part of this paper. Review grade feedback on past response papers for help with this!
Organize your argument to maximize its effectiveness. Your introduction should include a thesis. Each paragraph of your paper should include a topic sentence that references your thesis. Each sentence in each paragraph should directly support that paragraph’s topic sentence.
Finally, don’t forget the little things. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be perfect. Edit and revise your work. Manage your time efficiently to allow yourself the opportunity to read and reread your final paper multiple times.
