Essay #3: Literary Analysis

Directions:

In a six-paragraph, academic essay, please examine the novel “1984” by George Orwell. Choose one type of critical theory from the list below titled Theory (Choose 1) and apply it to several different parts of the literary work. Consult several academic essays from the Pierce College Library Databases. The information to the database is provided below.

The website to the database is: https://library.piercecollege.edu/az.php

The login information for the database is:

username: 887098292

password: 0709

Research:

1) Find and quote at least 4 academic sources from the Pierce College databases. Choose articles specific to the work you chose, critical theory you chose, or both. Try databases like Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Literary Criticism Online, and others.

Thesis:

Your thesis must give:

1) Overall meaning or message of one literary work that the author attempts to make

2) Which critical theory (from list) you will use to evaluate the text

3) How using that specific critical theory highlights the author’s successes or failures at making the overall meaning clear.

Sample Thesis: (Title) attempts to explore (the overall meaning or message of the book). However, through the lens of (specific critical theory), we can see that the author is (either successful/unsuccessful) because (reasons why/how the authors meaning works or doesn’t work)

Sample Thesis: Watership Down attempts to explore the value of myth-making to human survival. However, through the lens of cultural analysis, we can see that the author is unsuccessful at making his meaning clear because he has neglected to consider myths from cultures other than his own.

Required Elements

1) An introductory paragraph 6-12 sentences long that includes:

An introductory strategy

A thesis with a topic, argument, and opinion

2) 4 body paragraphs of 8-12 sentences each that have:

Topic sentences

2 quotes from the required sources

A minimum of 4 sentences of analysis

Concluding sentences

3) A concluding paragraph of 6-12 sentences that includes:

A concluding strategy

A restatement of the thesis with different words

4) The essay must demonstrate a mastery of MLA style parenthetical citation

5) The essay must be in MLA format

6) The essay must include a works cited page (4 sources total) in MLA format

Tips

A successful search depends on your use of keywords. Try many different combinations of general and specific, or problem and solution. Be patient! It may take many attempts to find what you are looking for! Remember, you are not looking for essays that necessarily have the same thesis as yours. You are looking for essays that contain quotes to prove your conclusions.

Theory (Choose 1)

ï‚· New Criticism

ï‚· Biographical

ï‚· Formalist

ï‚· Historical

ï‚· Psychological

ï‚· Gender

ï‚· Reader Response

ï‚· Cultural Studies

ï‚· Archetypal

ï‚· Reader Response

ï‚· Queer Theory (renaming)

ï‚· Marxism

ï‚· Structuralism

ï‚· Poststructuralist

ï‚· Deconstructionism