Develop a cohesive critical analysis of one central question or observation in Lorraine
Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun using one of the Literary Critical Approaches. A critical
essay requires focusing on a specific idea about the text and carefully building an
argument (THESIS) to prove this idea with the identification and analysis of textual
elements. Your analysis must use textual evidence to support your thinking. You will
apply the analytical tools and literary/critical terms employed in class discussion to
establish, structure, develop, and prove your argument. Remember, your THESIS should
be specific and focused, and all of your thinking and evidence will work to support it in a
unified and well-developed fashion. Use your voice and own style. Please be original and
creative. Think deeply about the text(s) and your ideas to avoid general observations or
claims.
and focus on the psychoanalysis of one or two characters and ideas expressed within the novel) (Psychological Approach)
Use 1 source of historical context (pages printed before or after the play A Raisin
in the Sun) from An Introduction to Literature. You can also find the same
readings published in Week 12 Module.
● Use 1 source from EBSCO on any of the above research topics
● Use the play as the primary source.
● Essay must be exactly 3-5 pages in length (no more and no less)
● Essay must be argumentative (persuasive) in nature
● Essay must use a sufficient number of textual examples–quotations followed by
explanation and interpretation–as argumentative support
● Essay must adhere to MLA standards and guidelines
● Essay must contain a “Works Cited” page
Your essay should contain a well-argued thesis statement (claim)
● The “body” of your essay should work to support your thesis statement (claim)
● Your essay should be free of grammatical and punctuation errors.
Include the title and the author you are discussing in the first paragraph of your paper
● Assume your reader has read the story you are discussing but does not remember it in
detail. In other words, be sure to provide your readers with enough information
(textual examples, etc.) so he or she can follow your analysis
● When you directly quote something, make sure you incorporate the quote into your
own analysis. Do not simply stick the quote into the middle of your writing
● Use quotation marks around the title of a story
● Don’t plagiarize. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the class and for possible dismissal
from the college
An alphabetized list of works cited, which appears at the end of your paper (on its own page),
gives publication information for each of the sources you have cited in the paper
