Critical Analysis Paper: Literature and Society



Critical Analysis Paper: Literature and Society

Final Draft Due March 2, 2006

Literature is not created in a vacuum. Authors are deeply affected by the cultural context in which they write, and often use their work as a means of exploring certain social issues.

For this assignment, you will write a 5 page (1500 word) critical analysis of one of the three short stories we have read, focusing on how it interacts with or comments upon a social or cultural issue. We’ve already read and discussed each story in class, and broached a number of possible topics. In completing a focused response to your chosen story, you’ve probably already discovered which topic interests you the most. How does the story reflect, or perhaps even take a stance on this issue?

Remember that the key feature of a critical essay is that it uses the text of the story as the primary source of evidence. Your paper should have a clear argument that is supported by directly quoting and discussing passages in the text.

Evaluation Criteria: (This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade)

Your paper should:

• Have a clearly stated argument

• Support this argument by directly quoting and analyzing the text

• Have focused paragraphs with meaningful transitions between ideas

• Have a clear introduction that introduces a central claim or thesis statement

• Consider whether or not the way the story is written affects its content

• Consider literary techniques such as characterization, point of view, tone, diction, setting, theme, irony, etc. in your discussion

• Assume that the reader has not read the story

• Be typed and proofread with name, date, and word count in the upper left corner

• Incorporate at least one outside source*

*Make sure this source is properly cited in MLA format. Whether you use a direct quote or paraphrase someone else’s thoughts, you must give the original author credit. I will probably look up your source if I am not familiar with it.

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