Description of Assignment:
For this essay, you will select one of the short stories we read in class to analyze. Then choose four or five of these literary devices: plot, setting, theme, character, mood, symbolism, conflict, imagery, dialogue, allegory, and irony; and analyze how they work in your chosen piece and to what effect. Choose literary devices based on how important they are in the plot and character development of your short story and evaluate the chosen piece of literature. You will be required to support your interpretation and analysis with research. You will also be required to incorporate elements of the author’s biography and how their history affected their writing.
Organization:
The introduction should give some key background on the story and where it fits in the canon of the author’s works. Any historical details concerning the author or the circumstances surrounding the story’s creation should remain in the introduction or conclusion. The thesis should indicate which elements of the story you will analyze and what is gained through such analysis. Your introduction should include an underlined thesis.
The body will identify where, how, and to what effect your chosen literary devices work in your short story. Use quotes (but none longer than 2-3 lines at a time), paraphrasing, and outside sources to root your essay in textual analysis. Organize the body so your analysis builds on each previous paragraph, giving us the basics first and ending on whichever element you feel is the culmination or unifying element of all the rest.
The conclusion should restate your thesis and examine any new understandings about the literary devices and themes that arise from analyzing the short story. What should we take with us about this subject? What have you uncovered in the short story that is worth remembering?
Essay Requirement Checklist
Did I include biographical information about my author?
Do I have an underlined thesis?
Is each body paragraph about a literary device used in the short story or poem?
Does my conclusion examine new understandings of the pieces of literature?
Did I use four academic sources in addition to my primary source?
Is my essay at least four pages of text?
Requirements:
MLA formatted with in-text citations and a works cited page
4+ pages (plus a works cited page), typed, double-spaced, 12pt font, Times
Four academic sources in addition to your primary source
