Select ONE of the following topics for your analytical essay. Refer to the Essay
Guidelines posted at the Blackboard site and adhere to the rules and suggestions given
there. Your essay should be 3.5-5 pages (3.5 FULL pages…all the way to the bottom of
the page). You will not receive any credit for an essay that does not meet the three and a
half full page minimum. It should be written in MLA formatting. Submit your completed
essay back through the assignment. Your essay should be double spaced and no bigger
than 12 pt font.
Remember, you want to have a thesis for your paper (in the introductory paragraph).
Your thesis is the point you are trying to convince the reader to consider. You do not
want to just say, “In this paper the reader will….” You want to have a point to argue.
Make sure that you provide an argument by using your supporting points and ideas. DO
NOT just retell the story. Always assume that the reader knows the story, so there is no
need to retell it. If you have any questions as to if your thesis is an argument or if you are
“writing in the right direction,” please email me.
An example of a thesis (that is an argument) from my favorite novel ever would be,
“Atticus Finch was a man who would not compromise on what was right, even though
the community in which he lived did not want to hear the truth.” (To Kill a Mockingbird)
CHOOSE ONE TOPIC:
•
In Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, there are situations that point toward
dysfunctional families. Analyze the roles of the various characters in the
individual plays, and then compare and contrast the families in the two plays. You
do not have to analyze and discuss each character. Just look at the dominant ones.
You might feel that there is a child that needs to be discussed individually, or you
may just want to lump the children together. You want to create a strong
argument (aka thesis) in your introductory paragraph. Make sure you use citations
from the plays to support your argument. Please ask if you have questions as you
consider writing about this topic.
•
Both “A Modest Proposal” and Tartuffe address and satirize similar underlying
issues. Some of these issues were religion (the Church), politics, gender
equality, and familial roles. Analyze the use of satire in both pieces. Is it more
clear in one than the other? How does each author satirize the points that he is
trying to show the reader? Compare and contrast the authors’ viewpoints about
these issues mentioned and/or others you might see. Remember, as long as you
can use you can use the text to back your thoughts up, then you have a solid
argument, so don’t sell yourself short on this one. As a final thought, travel back
in time a bit and consider the consumers of this time period as they read these
pieces. Does one seem as if it would have gone over better with the public? Is
there one that might have made a stronger impact? You do not have to answer
these questions directly, but they are designed to get you thinking as you compare
and contrast how the public might have reacted to both of these pieces.
•
In “Confessions” we read about a man’s life and experiences from childhood
through adulthood. It is not difficult to see that Rousseau wanted to be
recognized, appreciated, loved, and needed. Based on your reading, discuss the
evidence of these needs that you have found. Share your thoughts as to whether
any of these desires were ever achieved. Support your thoughts based on the
reading. Read the brief biography of Rousseau in your textbook. You may cite
information here to support your argument in the essay. Make sure your argument
(thesis statement) tells the reader what you want him or her to consider while
reading your essay.
•
Your literary essay should analyze an aspect of the Appearance versus Reality
motif found throughout The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Make sure you develop an
arguable thesis. Don’t just state that Tolstoy uses an “appearance vs reality”
theme in his novel. That just tells the reader something. You want to make the
reader analyze your point or argument. Here are a few questions to get you
thinking (don’t just answer these and consider that your essay though). What does
he use the theme to accomplish? What is the message that he is trying to convey?
Does he succeed? The majority of your essay should be your thoughts and
citations from the text to back it up. If a situation today suddenly comes to mind
though, feel free to include a modern day example. Just make sure it is concise
and does not become the bulk of your essay.
Essay Guidelines
1. Length – Your essay should be approximately 3.5-5 pages long (3.5 FULL
pages…all the way to the end of the page). You will not receive any credit for an
essay that does not meet the three and a half FULL page minimum. To analyze or
discuss a topic sufficiently will require more than a brief paper. The main
consideration is: Did the discussion cover the topic adequately, or was it just a
superficial treatment? You have all had freshman composition courses and know
how to put a paper together.
2. Structure – Your essay should consist of an introductory paragraph which sets
forth your topic and an arguable thesis statement. Don’t just put forth a bland
presentation of material. The paper itself should argue a point. The introduction
should be more than just a sentence or two; its purpose is to interest the reader and
give some indication as to the focus of your discussion.
You will want to include several supporting points to explain your argument. You
may want to use brief quotes from the textbook to help support your argument,
but remember that this essay is at least 80% you!!
You should end with a concluding paragraph. The paper should not end with a
discussion of your last point. Write an adequate conclusion that brings closure to
the paper.
You will also have a works cited page. Even though you are only using your
textbook, you will want to cite it in your essay and on the works cited page in
MLA formatting.
3. In analyzing or discussing your topic, make sure that you use specific details
from the work under consideration. Give evidence from the literary work itself to
support your topic. This means referring to the characters, events, settings, and
whatever else may be used to bolster your case. You tend to strengthen your
essay when you quote from the work itself. Papers that deal in vague generalities
will not receive high marks.
4. Be careful about writing plot summaries. A plot summary proves nothing except
that you know what happened in the work. ALWAYS assume that your reader
has read the stories. You do not need to retell the stories again. Your paper
consists of a statement or idea (thesis) which you are trying to prove to be a valid
analysis of the work. You may have to include a few details of plot summary but
remember: this is not a book report.
5. Do not use secondary sources. This is a paper containing YOUR ideas, not
those of another source.
6. AVOID PLAGIARISM!! Plagiarism is the attempt to pass off the words or
ideas of someone else as your own work. This is illegal and is a violation of
TSU’s Academic Honesty policy. It is very tempting to go to a website and
lift a paragraph or two, or even an entire paper. IF YOU PLAGIARIZE,
YOU WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF “0” ON THE ASSIGNMENT.
Blatant plagiarism could result in failure of the course and/or further
ramifications from the university. Please review the plagiarism policy in the
syllabus.
7. Use correct grammar and mechanics and write in standard English. This is a
college level course and you are expected to have the writing skills of a college
student. Grammar and mechanics (punctuation, style, sentence completeness,
spelling, etc.) will account for 10 % of the grade on the paper, BUT no paper with
significant and severe writing problems will receive a grade higher than 75 %.
8. In writing your essay, use only standard, formal English. This is a serious paper
and your writing style should reflect this seriousness. No cliches, no
colloquialisms (such as “fixing to”), no first person singular pronouns (“I”), no
second person pronouns (“you,” “your,” etc.), and no contractions (he’s, can’t,
didn’t).
9. Grading – Content = 40%; Structure = 30%; Grammar and mechanics = 20%;
Style, 10%.
10. Read your paper before submitting it so that you catch any careless errors. Keep a
hard copy of your paper and keep a copy on a flashdrive or some other storage
device. Submit your final version back through the Turnitin link provided in the
weekly assignments. I WILL NOT GRADE ANY LATE ASSIGNMENTS ON
THIS PAPER.
WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE:
1. Be objective. Use third person pronouns or first person
plural (“we”). No “you” or “I” point-of-view papers will
be stylistically correct.
2. Use present tense verbs when referring to the action,
characters, events of a story, or to the author’s intentions in
the story. Use past tense when writing about the author’s
life, the historical context of the work, or the work’s
history.
3. Book and play titles are underlined or italicized. Titles of
short stories, essays, or short poems are placed in double
quotation marks (“”).
4. Short quotations from a literary work are placed in double
quotation marks.
5. Long quotations (4 lines or more) should be doubleindented only—no quotation marks. Single-spaced.
6. Give a page number in parentheses following all quoted
material.
7. Make sure you use MLA formatting for your essay and
works cited page.
Essay Guidelines
1. Length – Your essay should be approximately 3.5-5 pages long (3.5 FULL
pages…all the way to the end of the page). You will not receive any credit for an
essay that does not meet the three and a half FULL page minimum. To analyze or
discuss a topic sufficiently will require more than a brief paper. The main
consideration is: Did the discussion cover the topic adequately, or was it just a
superficial treatment? You have all had freshman composition courses and know
how to put a paper together.
2. Structure – Your essay should consist of an introductory paragraph which sets
forth your topic and an arguable thesis statement. Don’t just put forth a bland
presentation of material. The paper itself should argue a point. The introduction
should be more than just a sentence or two; its purpose is to interest the reader and
give some indication as to the focus of your discussion.
You will want to include several supporting points to explain your argument. You
may want to use brief quotes from the textbook to help support your argument,
but remember that this essay is at least 80% you!!
You should end with a concluding paragraph. The paper should not end with a
discussion of your last point. Write an adequate conclusion that brings closure to
the paper.
You will also have a works cited page. Even though you are only using your
textbook, you will want to cite it in your essay and on the works cited page in
MLA formatting.
3. In analyzing or discussing your topic, make sure that you use specific details
from the work under consideration. Give evidence from the literary work itself to
support your topic. This means referring to the characters, events, settings, and
whatever else may be used to bolster your case. You tend to strengthen your
essay when you quote from the work itself. Papers that deal in vague generalities
will not receive high marks.
4. Be careful about writing plot summaries. A plot summary proves nothing except
that you know what happened in the work. ALWAYS assume that your reader
has read the stories. You do not need to retell the stories again. Your paper
consists of a statement or idea (thesis) which you are trying to prove to be a valid
analysis of the work. You may have to include a few details of plot summary but
remember: this is not a book report.
5. Do not use secondary sources. This is a paper containing YOUR ideas, not
those of another source.
6. AVOID PLAGIARISM!! Plagiarism is the attempt to pass off the words or
ideas of someone else as your own work. This is illegal and is a violation of
TSU’s Academic Honesty policy. It is very tempting to go to a website and
lift a paragraph or two, or even an entire paper. IF YOU PLAGIARIZE,
YOU WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF “0” ON THE ASSIGNMENT.
Blatant plagiarism could result in failure of the course and/or further
ramifications from the university. Please review the plagiarism policy in the
syllabus.
7. Use correct grammar and mechanics and write in standard English. This is a
college level course and you are expected to have the writing skills of a college
student. Grammar and mechanics (punctuation, style, sentence completeness,
spelling, etc.) will account for 10 % of the grade on the paper, BUT no paper with
significant and severe writing problems will receive a grade higher than 75 %.
8. In writing your essay, use only standard, formal English. This is a serious paper
and your writing style should reflect this seriousness. No cliches, no
colloquialisms (such as “fixing to”), no first person singular pronouns (“I”), no
second person pronouns (“you,” “your,” etc.), and no contractions (he’s, can’t,
didn’t).
9. Grading – Content = 40%; Structure = 30%; Grammar and mechanics = 20%;
Style, 10%.
10. Read your paper before submitting it so that you catch any careless errors. Keep a
hard copy of your paper and keep a copy on a flashdrive or some other storage
device. Submit your final version back through the Turnitin link provided in the
weekly assignments. I WILL NOT GRADE ANY LATE ASSIGNMENTS ON
THIS PAPER.
WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE:
1. Be objective. Use third person pronouns or first person
plural (“we”). No “you” or “I” point-of-view papers will
be stylistically correct.
2. Use present tense verbs when referring to the action,
characters, events of a story, or to the author’s intentions in
the story. Use past tense when writing about the author’s
life, the historical context of the work, or the work’s
history.
3. Book and play titles are underlined or italicized. Titles of
short stories, essays, or short poems are placed in double
quotation marks (“”).
4. Short quotations from a literary work are placed in double
quotation marks.
5. Long quotations (4 lines or more) should be doubleindented only—no quotation marks. Single-spaced.
6. Give a page number in parentheses following all quoted
material.
7. Make sure you use MLA formatting for your essay and
works cited page.
Select ONE of the following topics for your analytical essay. Refer to the Essay
Guidelines posted at the Blackboard site and adhere to the rules and suggestions given
there. Your essay should be 3.5-5 pages (3.5 FULL pages…all the way to the bottom of
the page). You will not receive any credit for an essay that does not meet the three and a
half full page minimum. It should be written in MLA formatting. Submit your completed
essay back through the assignment. Your essay should be double spaced and no bigger
than 12 pt font.
Remember, you want to have a thesis for your paper (in the introductory paragraph).
Your thesis is the point you are trying to convince the reader to consider. You do not
want to just say, “In this paper the reader will….” You want to have a point to argue.
Make sure that you provide an argument by using your supporting points and ideas. DO
NOT just retell the story. Always assume that the reader knows the story, so there is no
need to retell it. If you have any questions as to if your thesis is an argument or if you are
“writing in the right direction,” please email me.
An example of a thesis (that is an argument) from my favorite novel ever would be,
“Atticus Finch was a man who would not compromise on what was right, even though
the community in which he lived did not want to hear the truth.” (To Kill a Mockingbird)
CHOOSE ONE TOPIC:
•
In Tartuffe and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, there are situations that point toward
dysfunctional families. Analyze the roles of the various characters in the
individual plays, and then compare and contrast the families in the two plays. You
do not have to analyze and discuss each character. Just look at the dominant ones.
You might feel that there is a child that needs to be discussed individually, or you
may just want to lump the children together. You want to create a strong
argument (aka thesis) in your introductory paragraph. Make sure you use citations
from the plays to support your argument. Please ask if you have questions as you
consider writing about this topic.
•
Both “A Modest Proposal” and Tartuffe address and satirize similar underlying
issues. Some of these issues were religion (the Church), politics, gender
equality, and familial roles. Analyze the use of satire in both pieces. Is it more
clear in one than the other? How does each author satirize the points that he is
trying to show the reader? Compare and contrast the authors’ viewpoints about
these issues mentioned and/or others you might see. Remember, as long as you
can use you can use the text to back your thoughts up, then you have a solid
argument, so don’t sell yourself short on this one. As a final thought, travel back
in time a bit and consider the consumers of this time period as they read these
pieces. Does one seem as if it would have gone over better with the public? Is
there one that might have made a stronger impact? You do not have to answer
these questions directly, but they are designed to get you thinking as you compare
and contrast how the public might have reacted to both of these pieces.
•
In “Confessions” we read about a man’s life and experiences from childhood
through adulthood. It is not difficult to see that Rousseau wanted to be
recognized, appreciated, loved, and needed. Based on your reading, discuss the
evidence of these needs that you have found. Share your thoughts as to whether
any of these desires were ever achieved. Support your thoughts based on the
reading. Read the brief biography of Rousseau in your textbook. You may cite
information here to support your argument in the essay. Make sure your argument
(thesis statement) tells the reader what you want him or her to consider while
reading your essay.
•
Your literary essay should analyze an aspect of the Appearance versus Reality
motif found throughout The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Make sure you develop an
arguable thesis. Don’t just state that Tolstoy uses an “appearance vs reality”
theme in his novel. That just tells the reader something. You want to make the
reader analyze your point or argument. Here are a few questions to get you
thinking (don’t just answer these and consider that your essay though). What does
he use the theme to accomplish? What is the message that he is trying to convey?
Does he succeed? The majority of your essay should be your thoughts and
citations from the text to back it up. If a situation today suddenly comes to mind
though, feel free to include a modern day example. Just make sure it is concise
and does not become the bulk of your essay.
Paquette 1
Your name
ENG 2206
Date
1. Introduction to your paper
a. This will give the reader an overall view of your paper.
b. It will also include a thesis that tells the reader what you will be trying to
convince him or her in the paper.
2. Body of the paper
a. You will select several points to use to defend your thesis/argument. You
will discuss those points and then use the sources to support the
information you have provided for these points.
b. I would suggest at least 3-5 points.
c. You do not have to use this many letters.
d. Make sure you use inner citations when you use information from sources
to support your major points.
3. Conclusion
a. Give the reader a “wrap-up” or summary of your entire paper. You do not
have to repeat everything, but you want to give the paper closure.
b. Make sure you don’t introduce any new thoughts in the conclusion. It
leaves the reader hanging.
4. Works cited
a. Make sure that it is in MLA format.
b. Make sure that you cite from your textbook.
c. If you use the Word 2007 documentation system, make sure your font and
color match what is in the rest of the paper.
Paquette 2
1. Death is something that happens often, but it is rarely a topic of a party
conversation. Many people do not want to accept that his or her life might one day
end, although everyone knows that it is inevitable. In the time that Tolstoy wrote
the story, “The Death of Ivan Illyich,” many people were seeking to gain power in
the workplace and were often living beyond their means. This desire to be “better
than the rest” in business often had a major impact on familial relationships and
concerns. In this story, Tolstoy addresses the rejection and acceptance of death
and the losses that may be associated with power and ambition.
2. Body of the paper
a. Ivan sought “surface” relationships for social benefits.
b. Ivan chose to allow his job to distance him from his family.
c. Ivan felt neglected and pitied himself when his family did not
acknowledge he was dying.
d. Because of his attitude and response to his family, Ivan felt as if he were
dying without even God.
e. Because Gerasim was open to accepting Ivan’s upcoming death, Ivan
appreciated having his nurse with him until closer to the end of his life.
f. In the end, Ivan had a better understanding of his situation, but by then it
was too late.
g. The ideas of this story can still be used as a lesson for today’s readers.
3. Because of choices he made in his life, Ivan faced death alone. Although his family
was always nearby, they did not accept or acknowledge his death. In the end, Ivan had a
moment of realization about the way he had chosen to live his life, but it was too late. He
could not express his remorse to his family. This same lesson can be learned by others
today. The idea is to embrace each day and relationship to the fullest so that one has no
regrets when his or her time to die comes.
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