Literary analysis essay
Assignment:
Create a literary analysis essay built on close readings of 1-2 fictional texts.
Consider the elements of fiction and vocabulary terms you have learned this semester, and then choose one specific aspect of the text(s) to analyze, such as plot, point-of-view, characterization, setting, style, theme, tone, symbolism, irony, or use of a specific figurative language device.
After you have selected one aspect of the text(s), reread the text(s), looking for patterns.
Think about how and why the author uses the elements of fiction to create meaning. Try to be specific. A statement like “Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ uses foreshadowing” is a fact, not a main statement.
You will have to think about how and why she uses foreshadowing. Then you have an interpretation that will need proof, which is much better.
If you select two fictional texts, you should choose ones that have a significant similarity in the element you wish to discuss.
For example, if you wish to discuss how Tessie Hutchinson serves as a scapegoat for her community in Jackson’s “The Lottery,” you could connect that to another story with a scapegoat character, like the child in LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” or if you wish to examine symbols of isolation in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” you could pair that with another story with significant symbols of isolation, like Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” or Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” Then you can compare and contrast the texts to find patterns and come up with your thesis.
You may wish to consider a topic that you have already thought about or something mentioned on the course Content. If you need inspiration, the Analysis and Commentary sections in Modules 1-6 provide many different possible topics and questions for you to consider.
