Essay 2 Prompt
Prompt: Write a 1,200 word essay on ONE of the short stories that we have read for class:
“The Cask of Amontillado” pgs. 81-87
“Recaitatif” pgs. 101-115
“The Lesson” pg 248-253
“Volar”, pg. 145-146
Your essay should focus on only ONE of following literary elements:
Chapter 2 “Plot” pgs. 48-55
Ch. 3: Narration and Point of View pgs. 77-80
Ch. 4: “Characters” pgs. 94-101
Ch. 5: “Setting” pgs. 122-125
Ch. 6 “Symbolism & Figurative Language, pgs. 147-151
Ch. 7: “Theme” pgs. 184-188
Your thesis statement should reflect what you will be arguing about in your essay. It should be specific and narrow in focus and clearly tell the reader the purpose of your essay. Make sure your thesis includes the theme you will discuss in the short story as well as the literary element.
You should use specific textual references and provide commentary and analysis of the ideas you present in support of your thesis argument.
You will NOT use outside sources for this paper.
****Be careful to avoid plot summary. Assume the reader has read the story, so you do not need to summarize story points.
Do set up your quotes with a brief phrase that sets up the context of the quote.
Do provide insightful analysis as to how the author expresses his ideas through one of the elements of fiction listed above.
Minimum Criteria (to earn a C or higher): (Essay worth 150 points)
Minimum word count: 1,200 words – essays not meeting the word count will automatically receive a D or lower.
Thesis statement. This should be a statement that clearly offers some argument regarding specifically what you will address (character, symbolism, setting, etc.). Your thesis should come at the end of the introductory paragraph. Make sure you include the theme and literary element that you will use to argue your ideas about this short story. DO NOT ANNOUNCE: “In this essay I will…”
Don’t go beyond the short story to discuss the topic ideas in general or to make an application as to how the reader should apply the ideas. Keep your focus on the short story ideas only. To help you to stay focused on the author’s argument, avoid phrases or words such as “the reader…” or “you, we”, etc.
Well organized argument with . . .
Clear and logical paragraphing. This includes how the ideas are divided into paragraphs, the order of the ideas, the correct use of topic sentences and transitions. Each paragraph should focus on just one idea, and the line of thought should be easy for a reader to follow.
Clearly focused topic sentences that are argumentative, clearly identify the main point of the paragraph, and in some way argue the thesis.
Note: Don’t use a quote for a topic sentence; your topic sentence should clearly connect to the thesis idea in some way.
Supporting quotes from the story. Make sure to use 2-3 direct quotes per paragraph to help you stay focused on analysis of the theme and literary elements. In other words, why does the author use that particular idea/literary element to argue the theme? Make sure to read through the announcement boards for additional help.
Error Free sentences. At this stage in your writing, your sentences should be free from errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure you leave enough time to proofread for typos as well.
Correct MLA in-text citation & document formatting – Note: This paper does not require outside research, so you do not need a works cited page.
