Course Description: English 111, the
second semester of freshman composition and a foundational writing course,
introduces students to techniques for close reading of literary texts.
This course develops students’ critical thinking skills through the study of
literary elements such as plot, character, setting, point of view, symbolism,
and irony. Additionally, students will learn the Modern Language
Association (MLA) system of parenthetical citation and how to incorporate quotations
into their analyses of literary texts; they will also complete a research paper
by consulting both print and on-line sources. By the end of the semester,
students will be able to interpret and write critically about each of the three
major genres: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
NOTE: In this online course, there is no
required text. However, many of our readings will come from the following book
and you may want to get a copy:
1) Janet
B. Gardner, Beverly Lawn, Jack Ridl, and Peter Schakel. Literature:
A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2013. ISBN 978-1-4576-0650-2.
2) Notebook
Writing Requirements:
All work must be typed/word-processed and double-spaced, with a font size of
12; margins should be of normal size. The student’s name, the date, the title
of the assignment, and my name must be at the top of the page.
Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of anybody else’s material (words or
ideas). Any paper with your name on it signifies that you are the author—that
the wording and the ideas are yours, except where indicated by quotation marks
and appropriate citations. Plagiarism is subject to the highest penalties,
including failing the course..
For Thesis :
By Looking at car as a symbol ….
We can see a re.presentation of of brotherhood relationship
This is important because it illustrates the theme the horror of war dcan destroy brotherhood.
Body:….Can destroyed the bond of the brother relationship
Conclusion: Lymans’American……
Theme
Argumentative
Elements of Fiction contains the following in order:
Character
Symbols
Setting
Point of View
Style
Plot
Theme
Introduction Paragraph: (ESSAY)
1.
Introduce
the story/poem/play you’re writing about.
Ex. “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston tells the
story of a Black washerwoman named Delia in 1920’s Florida who must contend
with an abusive husband.
2.
Introduce
your topic. For example, if you want to talk about the snake as a symbol, talk a little about how the snake appears in
the story.
Ex. One of the ways in which
Delia’s husband humiliates and frightens her is by bringing a snake into their
home. Delia, a meek, churchgoing woman is deathly afraid of snakes, as they
stand for everything which she and her religion oppose.
3.
Conclude
your introduction with the Magic Thesis Statement (MTS)
Ex. By looking at the snake as a symbol, we can see a representation of an
evil that ultimately devours itself, which most readers don’t see. Although
the snake begins as a means for Sykes to intimidate Delia, it soon gets free
from it’s holding box, enters her laundry basket and, in the climax of the
story, bites and kills Sykes rather than Delia. It is important to look at this aspect of the text because it
illustrates the theme that karma will ultimately destroy evildoers.
NOTE: Theme should not include mention of the characters in
the story. This is because the theme is where the story opens up to apply to
everyday life, not just the text. Therefore, your theme should be what an
author has to say about a big idea (karma, in this case) generally, NOT AS IT
APPLIES ONLY TO THE STORY.
NOTE: Be as specific as possible. You don’t want the title
or an element of fiction (alone) or the character’s name to go in the first
slot ever (By looking at “Sweat”…. By looking as Delia…. By looking at symbolism….). Tell us what
symbol specifically you’ll be looking at. It should be one symbol (the frying
pan as a symbol) or one group of symbols (domestic items symbolically). It
should not be multiple, unrelated symbols (By looking at the snake, the house
and the frying pan symbolically…)
Body Paragraphs (at least 3):
1.
Situate
us in the story and introduce your topic
Ex. In the beginning of the
story, Sykes brings a snake into Delia’s home while she is separating laundry
by light colors and dark colors. This is the first time Hurston introduces the
snake and through her descriptive language we can see how the snake is symbolic
of Sykes’ evil.
2.
Bring
in a quote as evidence to back up you point (in this case that the snake is
symbolic of Sykes’ evil)
3.
Analyze
the quote. Explain how it does indeed go to show that the snake is
representative of Sykes’ evil. Do not end a paragraph on a quote. You need to
explain/analyze your quotes each time.
Conclusion Paragraph:
1. Restate your
thesis (in different words)
2. Summarize your
main points (in different words)
3. End with a
personal comment/suggestion for further inquiry
To further our understanding of Hurston’s use of the snake
as a symbol, we may want to do a comparative analysis between the snake in the
Book of Genesis and the snake in “Sweat”.
NOTE: Do not
write “In conclusion….” Or “In summary….” Or anything like that.
NOTE: Short
stories are always in quotations: “Sweat” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
NOTE: If a
quotation is long and you only need certain sections you can do this to shorten
it and get to the point:
“glkrsajgeijgigrqiljglirgiqng … gasijrgnqeignijgrnq … ljgnqilgnqlin” (23).
NOTE: The above
citation structure. Quote, end quote, parenthesis with page number, period.
