Composition II: Introduction to Literature
First Response Paper Assignment
Literary Analysis
You are writing a 2-3 page standard literary analysis that explains your interpretation of a short story or poem.
Your aim is to convince readers that you have a reasonable analysis based on a thoughtful and imaginative reading of the story. Make sure you tell the reader in your first paragraph which story you’re analyzing and who the author is. Use quotation marks to enclose whatever you quote. Use the MLA style of documentation. Do not make a separate Works Cited page for this assignment, since you are using only one source; instead, make a Work Cited entry at the end of your paper.
You must use one of the following questions to help you focus your analysis and come up with a thesis about one work.
How does Kate Chopin reveal characters (and how do these characters connect to larger themes) in “The Story of an Hour”?
What are the dominant images in “The Story of an Hour” and how do they connect to the themes of the story?
How is the title of the short story “Sweat” connected to the major themes of the story?
What is the significance of Chopin’s title and what is the point of the story?
What is Hurston’s story “Sweat” really about and what kind of larger ideas are represented by the individual characters?
Read the translation of the quotation in Italian from Dante’s Inferno that serves as our epigraph, and return to it once you have finished the whole poem. Why do you suppose T.S. Eliot wants to begin the poem this way? How is the damned soul speaking his secrets from the flames of hell in a similar situation to J. Alfred Prufrock? How is the audience of that damned soul (Dante’s persona) in a similar situation to the audience listening to J. Alfred Prufrock’s frantic confessions?
What is the significance of the title “Winter Dreams”? Why did Fitzgerald use winter instead of another season? How does the use of winter affect Dexter’s outlook on life?
What would the text of “Girl” look like if Dad narrated it? Or if the girl did most of the talking?
What kind of upbringing do you think the mother had in “Girl” and how might this girl break the generational cycle? Do you think she can?
Suggested Structure for Your Literary Analysis Paper
I. Introduction
A. Summarize what the story is about in one sentence if you can. Don’t forget to mention the title of the story you are analyzing and who the author is.
B. State the main point or thesis of your essay. Your thesis should answer a question about how an important element in the story works. Do you want to answer a question about the characters, theme, setting, symbols, point of view, or conflict?
II. Body
A. Support your interpretation about the element you are analyzing in the story using information and quotations from the story. Explain the effect of the author’s words, images, or descriptions.
B. Support your interpretation with another quote and discuss it. If you want to include your reactions, you can.
C. Discuss your most important idea. Explain your interpretation further and how it relates to the main point the author is trying to make.
(Note: If you want to just follow the story and explain it, you can; however, be careful that you don’t just re-tell the story without giving your interpretations. A better analysis would focus on your interpretation and on your thesis.)
III. Conclusion: You can summarize your main points, and give your reaction to the character and the story. What did you learn from the story? Can you relate the story to something in your own life? What is the effect of the story?
Jermaine Byrant
Nicole Johnson
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