A.

Jacobs ENG 132

Fiction Analysis Essay Assignment

Introduction

One of the most important skills a burgeoning college-level writer must accomplish is the art of analysis.
Being able to understand the nature of a written work--what, how, why, and when--is important to
developing critical thinking and critical writing skills. Now that youve completed a genre unit, its time
to put your analysis skills to the test. Every genre essay you write, including the critical approach essay, is
designed to help you, not only analyze, but to practice the writing process, with a special emphasis on
revision. Each essay is one small step closer to creating the final portfolio, where youll be given the
chance to make revisions and make each essay stronger.

Essay Parameters

As a reminder, here are the short fiction stories you can analyze for this assignment:
Sonnys Blues - James Baldwin
Girl - Jamaica Kincaid
A Rose For Emily - William Faulkner
Recitatif - Toni Morrison
The Lady with the Dog - Anton Chekhov
The Birth-Mark - Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket - Yasunari Kawabata

Here are the elements you can use to analyze your selected story:
Plot (see pg. 66 in Norton text)
Narration and Point of View (see pg. 114)
Character (see pg. 138)
Setting (see pgs. 170-171)
Symbol and Figurative Language (see pg. 213)
Theme (see pg. 249)

Essay Prompts

Option 1: Select one of the stories above and analyze it using two elements above, making sure
that the elements relate in some way.
Option 2: Select two stories above and analyze them using one element that is related to both in
some way.

Essay Guidelines

Selecting one of the options above, write a three page essay in MLA format, complete with a Work Cited
page (separate from page requirement). This essay should carefully and clearly analyze the story or stories
of your choice via the element(s) of your choice, showing how they are linked/related. To aid in your
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analysis, your essay must include at least two quotes to back up your analysis, but not more than four
quotes. No quotes should be longer than three lines long, making sure to properly explain each quotes
use in your analysis. In other words, dont just use a quote, then walk away from it (metaphorically
speaking). Explain to the reader the importance and significance of each quote and how it relates to your
analysis. Only use our text for this essay. No outside sources are allowed and will count against your
grade.

In terms of the content, your analysis must include the basics of essay construction: introduction, body
paragraphs, and conclusion. However, it should not conform to the stereotypical five-paragraph essay.
Keep in mind that analyses can take several more paragraphs to get your point across. In the introduction,
be sure to include the name(s) of your story/stories and the author(s), the element(s) youre using for your
analysis, and even a short summary. End the introduction with your thesis statement, which focuses on
the main idea of your essay. The body paragraphs consist of your analysis and should flow smoothly from
one point to another via clear and effective transitional words or phrases, such as Furthermore, Also,
Another example is, or even In conclusion. The conclusion, other than wrapping up your main ideas,
should also include some form of implication, evaluation, or area of ambiguity/unanswered question from
the text. This is addressed in our text on pages 1268-1269. This will add depth to the conclusion and your
analysis as a whole.

Essay Assessment

Because this course has a portfolio requirement at the end, the grades for each genre essay will consist of
two parts: the basic requirements grade and the final grade. The basic requirements grade consists of
whether or not the essay meets basic formatting and submission requirements, with feedback on how to
improve your essay for later revision. This portion of the grade consists of half the essay grade. The final
grade will consist of the remainder of the essay grade and will take into account the revisions youve
made to improve the essays quality, as well as submission requirements. Please note that plagiarism
penalties will apply to this assignment (for both parts), so make sure this essay is original to you for this
class in this semester. Borrowing old assignments is not permitted.

Due Dates and Submission Requirements

The initial due date for the first part of this essay is due Week Six. Check the course schedule for the
exact date. There will be small group conferences and peer review to aid with the writing of this essay. In
terms of submitting this essay, you will submit the paper copy in my office (80% of the grade) and via
Blackboard dropbox (20% of the grade) on the due date. The first part of this essay grade is worth 50
points and the late policy (-10%) will apply for submissions provided one class period after the due date.
No submissions will be allowed afterwards.