Your literary analysis essay will be on the novel Sula by
Toni Morrison. You can
choose from any of the topics listed below (recommended)
or explore further topics in the chapter on Sula, in the book How to
Write about Toni Morrison (linked
here for your convenience).
Your literary analysis should be between 2 ½ and 3 pages (600
to 750 words), not including the Works Cited page, should be double spaced in
Times New Roman 12-point font and must meet the following criteria:
· A
clearly articulated thesis that states, somewhere in your introduction, the assertion
(position, interpretation) that your paper will prove
· An introduction,
a minimum of 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion
· At least
two quotes from the novel itself that are integrated into your discussion
· At least
two citations of outside sources (such as literary criticism on the novel). At least
one source should come from the MDC databases (https://libraryguides.mdc.edu/az.php) . All sources must be academic.
· Topic
sentences that focus the discussion of the body paragraphs
· Examples,
details, explanations in the body paragraphs that clearly support your thesis
· Clear
connections between ideas from paragraph to paragraph and within paragraphs
· Proper
MLA style format in the heading, in the in-text citations, and in the Works Cited
page (see the template for the heading and margins in this lesson)
· Works Cited
page includes articles from two sources and from the novel for a minimum of
three total listed sources
· Standard
usage, grammar, and mechanics
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Ø You will
submit your final draft through the Turn-it-in drop box designated for this
purpose in the course. Please be aware, that although Turn-it-in does allow for
similarities for quotations up to 24% of your paper, any similarity above 24%
is considered too high for an original paper and will be flagged as plagiarism.
Ø You can
get help with your paper at any of the campus writing centers (see the link in
the course with this information), and you can also receive online help via
SmartThinking, the online tutoring service provided by the College. This
service is available by clicking on SmartThinking in the left-hand menu bar of
the course under Tools & Resources.
This is the following topic:
1.
Analyze the ending of the novel. What are the
“circles of sorrow” that Nel experiences? Is the ending pessimistic,
optimistic, or something else altogether?
