Edgar Allan Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart”
For this assignment, you will choose one of the short stories from the provided list below and analyze it through the lens of a particular literary theory or critical approach. Your analysis should go beyond just interpreting the story’s plot and characters; instead, you
will investigate how the author’s context, background, and stated
intentions intersect with the work’s central ideas, themes, and literary
elements.
You may draw from the supplemental materials (critical essays, author
statements, etc.) related to your chosen story to shed light on the
authorial intent and perspectives that informed the writing process.
Start your paper by crafting a thesis statement
that sets forth your argument about how this critical perspective made
you more aware of the assumptions that underlie your thoughts about the
story. Your thesis tells your reader your argument about the story, or
what your analysis will address.
Thesis statements must contain a subject and a predicate and be complex enough to sustain the length of the paper.
Develop your ideas carefully.
Don’t get sidetracked!
Concentrate on the details, quoting from the story to indicate your
understanding of how characterization, narration, or setting work in the
story. You must quote from the story and supplemental text — and include a complete and accurate Works Cited page.
Unless you pick biographical criticism, do not
concern yourself in this paper with the author’s life or times, this
paper should not be about the author (rather it is about authorial
intent and perspectives).
Do not spend time summarizing the plot. Summarizing
the plot is a common error of inexperienced essay writers. Limit any
summary to a single brief sentence or two, highlighting the character’s
role within any summary. Do not provide a chronological analysis of
primary plot points.
Your paper should address the following:
Introduce the literary theory or critical approach you have chosen,
explaining its main principles and how it can offer insights into the
interpretation of literary works.
Apply the selected theory or approach to analyze the story, using
specific examples and evidence from the text to support your analysis.
Explore how the author’s context and stated intentions align with,
contradict, or complicate the meanings and interpretations revealed
through the theoretical lens.
Conclude by reflecting on the value of utilizing literary theory and
authorial context in deepening our understanding of the story’s
significance and potential underlying meanings. Avoid a summary conclusion!
Your paper should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the story,
the author’s background and intentions, and the principles of the chosen
literary theory or critical approach. The analysis should synthesize
these elements to uncover new perspectives and make an original,
well-supported argument about the story’s deeper meanings and cultural
significance.
