Short Story Essay for “Hills Like White Elephants” to analyze. Using close reading techniques, develop an argumentative thesis for your analysis. Write a three-four-page paper that supports your thesis. You are required to reference and use material from one secondary source in this essay. The essay should be formatted in MLA style, include a Works Cited page and an annotated bibliography. Specific instructions for the annotated bibliography portion follow. At the end of the essay, provide a Writing Process Summation by responding to the following questions. Due Sunday.

Writing Process Summation:

• Why did you choose this story?
• How did you arrive at your understanding and assertion about the poem?
• What were the points you made in this essay?
• How did you revise this?
• What do you want your reader to see from your essay?

You are required to reference and discuss one secondary source in this essay. An annotated bibliography of this secondary source must be included in the essay along with a Works Cited page. The essay should be formatted in MLA style and be 3-4 pages in length, not including the annotated bibliography.

The essay presents clear, fully developed, distinct thesis statement that reveals stance on one of the short stories and direction of analysis. Fully-developed points analyzing short story presented. Points fully developed. Good use of quotes and close reading toward analysis with follow-through on demonstrating thesis. Includes excellent secondary source into discussion effectively. Meets page requirement. Contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Points follow a clear progression and flow in distinct body paragraphs, and are thoroughly explored in body paragraphs. Points logically lead into each other. Strong use of transitions. Quotes and sources are properly formatted and cited. The document contains all of the following MLA formatting details: double-spacing, headers with page numbers, paragraph indents, correctly cited and formatted works cited page. Perfectly polished and clear writing observing correct grammar, effective and clear style (concise and formal, use of third person only), with no typos. Meets all: Offers thorough descriptive summary of the source used in essay in 4-5 sentences; explains how it follows criteria for academic research. Provides correct citation following MLA guidelines. Correctly formatted, with a hanging indent, double-spacing. Summation offers developed and clear insight into writing process and analysis. 1 paragraph long.

EXAMPLE

Ernest Hemingway, “Hills Like White Elephants”

Answers to questions which could be asked about the story could be the basis of your thesis:

• What is the effect on the reader of not ever reading the word “abortion” in this short story?
• What are the motivations of the two characters? Does either character change in this story?
• How does the setting of the story affect or help reveal the meaning of the conflict between the man and the woman?

Prototypes of thesis sentences:

• Although the story doesn’t say for sure, the woman in the story, Jig, will probably ___________________ when she gets to the city as can be seen from her actions and dialogue in the story when she ___________________________.
• The American is very focused on persuading Jig to have an abortion, but if she chooses not to, he will probably _____________________________, as we can see from his actions and dialogue.
• The train station represents __________________________, while the landscape on one side with the river, trees, and fields show ________________________________ and the landscape on the other side with the hills like white elephants reveal __________________________.

Of course, I would recommend that you come up with your own thesis sentence so that you say exactly what you want your reader to know about the story and the topic raised in it. Use examples from the story to develop and show the points you are making. Look at your thesis to make sure you are taking a stance, making an assertion about the story which is a debatable point, and make sure you introduce your key points which will be covered in the essay.

Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography must be added after the Works Cited page. The annotated bibliography will consist of both your primary and your secondary source.

For the secondary source, search the library catalog (a link to library resources is on the course home page), and find an article on the short story you are analyzing, or on the topic you are analyzing about that short story. Provide the MLA-formatted citation. Under that, give an annotation with the following elements:

• Write a summary statement of the source, followed by an in-text, parenthetical citation (author’s name).
• Give a statement of why the article is useful in your analysis.
• Finally, give a statement about why your reader should trust that this is an academically credible source.

The annotation for the primary source (the short story) may just be a statement that it is the primary source for this paper (Hemingway). The list of citations must in alphabetical order, according to the authors’ last names. Ex. Hemingway then Massman