Essay Two: Literary Analysis

• Choose any short story or poem in your textbook or online anthology that will not be covered in class. You may choose one outside the book, but it’s recommended that you get instructor approval to ensure that you know how to cite it.
• After having carefully read the work, determine an argument that the work presents. Use the Chapter 6 or 7 as well as the Literary Analysis Thesis handout you’ve been provided to help you formulate your argument. Examine what evidence in the story supports that argument. Ordinarily, such arguments are not explicitly stated in the text.
• Write a 750- to 1000-word essay in which you present the argument you have determined and discuss what evidence and literary devices the author employs to support that argument. Provide textual evidence for each example, which can be quoted or paraphrased. Use quotes sparingly. Should you use quotes, make sure that you provide a thorough analysis for each.
• Format your essay to conform to the MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition. All examples you provide from the text must include properly formatted in-text or parenthetical citations in order to meet minimum standards. Use the Parenthetical Documentation handout to help. Never just guess.
• Include a correctly formatted Works Cited page. Entries must have hanging indents. For this essay, you need only cite the story you are analyzing. An Essay submitted without a Works Cited page will receive a grade of F.
• Seek instructor, librarian, or Center for Reading and Writing assistance if you are not 100% certain that you are citing correctly.
• Proofread your work for grammar, usage, spelling, and clarity before submitting it.
• Essay standards for the course are outlined in the syllabus.
• Refer to the rubric for grading standards.