Short Story Essay Assignment
Objective: to write a paper analyzing the specific elements of a short story and how they illustrate one of the major themes of the story.
Choose one of the following stories for your analysis:
“A Pair of Tickets” “A Rose for Emily” “A&P”
THEN choose one of the topics below:
1. Analyze at least three literary elements (point of view, setting, symbolism, etc.) and how the author uses them to demonstrate one of the major themes of the story.
OR
2. Pick a character. Discuss how the writer uses at least three short story elements (point of view, setting etc.) to develop this character and give readers insight into his or her motivations.
General Requirements:
Must be at least 500 words.
Must be formatted in MLA style (See MLA Resources folder).
Must include separate introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs (at least five paragraphs total).
Must include discussion of at least three short story elements.
Must include specific examples and quotes from the story.
Must include quotation marks for the exact words from the story and properly-formatted in-text citations for all quotations and specific details from the text.
Must be typed in MS Word and submitted to the drop box in Blackboard as an attachment.
Must properly cite any secondary sources used (See MLA Resources folder and Chapters 23 and 24 of your textbook). Only articles from GALILEO are allowed as secondary sources. Do not use any information from a website!
*Failure to follow instructions and meet assignment requirements described above may result in a failing grade on the assignment.
Important Reminders:
1. Be sure to give your essay an appropriate title (not Short Story Essay, Essay 1, or the title of the story). You need a title of your own words that reflects the narrow focus of your essay.
2. Assume you are writing the paper to an audience who has already read the story. You may need to remind your audience of specific details from the text, but your paper should not be merely a plot summary of the story. Your goal is to help them develop a deeper understanding of the story, not to retell it.
3. Be sure to include the author’s full name and the title of the story in your introduction paragraph. Use the author’s last name thereafter.
4. Don’t confuse the author and the narrator. For example, Amy Tan wrote “A Pair of Tickets,” but the narrator of the story, Jing Mei, is who takes a journey to China.
5. If you are only using the primary source for this assignment, using the author’s name in your in-text citations is unnecessary. Only the page numbers are needed in your citations in this case. If you use a secondary source, use the author’s last name and the page number in your citations for each source.
6. Proofread your essay! This is a writing course, and standard English grammar and punctuation are expected. You will catch more errors if you will read your essays aloud. You can also get help with grammar issues from the Tutoring and Mentoring Center or online via Tutor.com under the Course Menu in Blackboard.
