Learning Goals Analyze a short story through the lens of a secondary source.
Write a literary analysis paper that states a clear, arguable thesis supported with evidence from the story and article.
Integrate textual evidence from the story and article using the techniques of paraphrasing, quoting, and/or summarizing.
The article “Does Reading Fiction Make Us Better People?” examines the idea that reading fiction enhances our compassion and empathy—that is, our ability to identify with other people’s experiences and relate to what they feel and think in their “interior lives” (Hammond). A story may introduce us to human concerns and emotions by painting a picture of characters’ lives. The article’s studies present a few events that have been used to gauge people’s empathy. For instance, how does reading a novel about a man suddenly going blind help us empathize with people who are visually impaired? Remember in “Week 1: What Are the Benefits of Literature,” you were introduced to some of the scientifically proven benefits of reading literature. From Week 1 Insights: No matter the reader, no matter the writer, no matter the genre, literature is a cultural artifact—a manifestation of the human experience. Thus, it can teach us about our society and about ourselves. It enables us to experience alternate lives from the safety of our armchairs, to project ourselves onto characters and environments, to explore worlds we would otherwise never experience. Studies show that reading literature benefits us in profound ways. It promotes empathy and social skills (Castano and Kidd).
It alleviates symptoms of depression (Billington et al.).
It helps business leaders succeed (Coleman).
It prevents dementia by stimulating the mind (Thorpe).
This paper assignment will circle back to those benefits as you see them at work in the literature we have read and analyzed for this class. Works CitedHammond, Claudia. “Does Reading Fiction Make Us Better People?” BBC Future. 2 June 2009. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190523-does-reading-fiction-make-us-better-peopleAssignmentFor this paper, choose another story (Week 2 Content/Short Story Selections) and consider the following question: What does this story have to teach us about empathy for others? In responding to this question, your focus will be on the themes that arise from your close readings of the story. You will develop an argument on what the story teaches us about empathy and how it is conveyed.Alternatively, you may choose to argue that the story does not teach us about empathy. In either case, you will use elements from the story to support your argument. In addition, you will use evidence from at least one (or more if you wish) of the following articles to support your argument: Hammond, Claudia. “Does Reading Fiction Make Us Better People?” BBC Future. 2 June 2009. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190523-does-reading-fiction-make-us-better-peopleSchmidt, Megan. “How Reading Fiction Increases Empathy and Encourages Understanding.” Discover Magazine. discovermagazine.com. 28 Aug. 2020. Castano, Emanuele and David Kidd. “Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind.” Science. www.sciencemag.org. 18 Oct. 2013; 342 (6156): 377-80. Coleman, John. “The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals.” Harvard Business Review,2012. https://hbr.org/2012/11/the-benefits-of-poetry-for-pro Thorpe, J.R. “Why Reading Poetry Is Good For Your Brain.” Bustle, 20 Apr. 2017. https://www.bustle.com/p/why-reading-poetry-is-good-for-your-brain-51884 Most of the articles in this list were referenced in the Week 1 Insights (see above). You should also refer to “Week 6 Insights: Integrating Sources Using Your Own Voice” for guidance on working with your chosen article. CRAFTING YOUR THESIS FOR PAPER 2 As you used three discrete literary elements in Paper 1 to support your thesis, you have learned that literary elements such as plot, characterization, setting, and theme are not always separate and distinct. Rather, these elements tend to inform each other, making the story a cohesive narrative. For Paper 2, you will focus on a significant theme from the story that can be extended to a real-life issue or concern. Your analysis of the story’s theme, and the dimensions of that theme, will have affected or even changed how you think about a real-life issue. In other words, your argument will prove that reading and analyzing the story has shown you different viewpoints and thus can increase empathy in readers. Some issues or concerns to consider: Gender roles (“Jury of Her Peers,” “Bloodchild,” “Miss Brill”)
Sexuality (“Giovanni’s Room,” “Bloodchild”)
Relationships (“Bloodchild,” “Giovanni’s Room”)
Marriage (“Jury of Her Peers”)
Race (“Giovanni’s Room,” “Recitatif,” “Bloodchild”)
Parenting (“Recitatif,” “Bloodchild”)
Class (“Recitatif,” “Giovanni’s Room”)
Remember that your Writing Process is recursive and iterative. You should refer to your earlier writing work in this class as well as the learning resources. The Thesis Statements handout and Learning Resources from Week 3 will be helpful. Your thesis for this paper may vary from the boilerplate, but it must still include a claim and three warrants. Sample thesis structure: [Story X] by
Provide a brief overview of the story (2 to 3 sentences)
State the thesis: [Story X] by helps us to understand [theme/issue Y] by promoting empathy through [warrant 1], [warrant 2], and [warrant 3]
Body paragraph #1: Warrant 1 Supporting evidence from story
Analysis: How does the story help us understand the issue/theme?
Body paragraph #2: Warrant 2 Supporting evidence from story
Analysis: How does the story help us understand the issue/theme?
Body paragraph #3: Warrant 3 Supporting evidence from story
Analysis: How does the story help us understand the issue/theme?
Conclusion Return to the thesis (re-emphasize thesis but use slightly different diction so that it does not appear exactly as was presented in the introduction).
Reflect on the connection between the article and the story. What have we learned from your analysis? Does fiction and, in particular, your selected story, really promote empathy?
Quoting from the story: Follow the integration strategies for presenting textual evidence from your story that was used for Paper 1. Recall that examples of quote integration were given in Paper 1 directions.Quoting from a selected article: Be sure to smoothly introduce and integrate any extracted quotes from your article with, ideally, a clear signal phrase. See the following hypothetical examples:According to John H. Smith, author of “Benefits of Literature,” “type direct quote here.”John H. Smith, author of “Benefits of Literature,” asserts that “type direct quote here.”Your Works Cited should contain an entry for your selected short story as well as one for the article or articles used within the essay. If you need assistance with this format, please contact me.Hints: Remember that your reader has read the story and is familiar with it; extensive summary is not useful. Rather, explain and analyze how “meaning” is derived from the story by the author’s implementation of literary elements. Note that the focus should be on the story, not the author, so repeated references to the author are unnecessary. Summary vs. Analysis: Be aware that a paper analyzing a piece of literature is not a plot summary. Summary should provide only brief details necessary to identify parts of the story required to develop the paper. Length and Format: Minimum five-paragraph literary analysis paper
1000–1200 words for the paper (approximately 3–4 pages, double-spaced). You may go over the maximum length only if it enriches the analysis.
MLA style for document format and Works Cited. See this MLA Style Demo video for how to set up your document.
