Be a Literary Detective—Essay #2—The Haunting of Hill House
Assignment: In a well-written and thoughtful paper, compose an essay that:
Critically analyzes TWO quotes from Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House. (photocopy/type these quotes and include them at the end of your essay).
Then, use these TWO quotes to make a larger, more complex deductive argumentative claim about the novel (either an analysis of a character, an examination of a choice or decision, or a commentary about societal meaning). The argumentative claim should be well-written and clearly stated.
Lastly, explain the impact or result of this claim? WHAT does this claim mean? What impact or result comes from it? What larger meaning or result comes from this claim?
Basic Guidelines for the paper:
First, select your two quotes carefully. Make sure there is some kind of connection or progression that links the two quotes. You might also want to choose quotes that we haven’t “beaten to death” in class.
Then, you will need to carefully and insightfully analyze the passages. Your analysis should be more than basic plot summary or a description of the work. You are dissecting the text to understand what it is implying/arguing, either about the characters, about the ethics of the situation, or about the choices made during this time. It might also be necessary to give the quote context/placement for your reader. Where does it appear in the novel? What is happening at that moment?
You should be asserting some larger argument through your essay. Lastly, after making your argumentative deduction/claim very clear, explore the larger significance or meaning.
Audience: Your audience has read The Haunting of Hill House once, but you know it better than they do!
Guidelines: Your essay should be approximately 6.5 typed, double-spaced pages and comply with MLA format. You MUST include a works cited page at the end AND the text of the TWO quotes you analyzed.
Additional Requirements:
— Have a clear, effective organizational pattern.
–Provide a clear thesis statement.
–Craft an engaging, effective introduction.
–Utilize specific evidence from the text.
–Provide clear, effective analysis (your own views and voice) on these quotes. This is not a simple plot summary. What point/argument can you provide through these quotes?
–Write focused, unified, coherent paragraphs.
–Construct clear, effective sentences.
–Incorporate powerful, effective word choice
–Edit your work.
–Cite your textual usage.
–Cite and document any outside or additional sources you use for background
information.
