Instruction
write an argumentative literary analysis; it should be absolute minimum
word count of 1200 words – the Works Cited Page does not count in this total) , presented
in 8th edition MLA format. All essays must cite at least two scholarly articles ; this research will be incorporated into and strengthen the analysis of the literature.
this essay will compare two literary works (essays, poems, stories, etc. – but not the “informational” segments written as
part of the textbook itself) In essence, this is a standard comparison essay. You will choose the two works and the literary theme that connects them.
This must be more than a simple 5 paragraph essay. Each paper should open with an introductory
paragraph hooking the reader, introducing and explaining the background of the issue and literary theme
being discussed, only quickly noting each work; do not spend space in the intro discussing the texts – the essay
body will do this. The intro should include an argumentative thesis. Example: “Looking at literary works such
as “Title” by Author and “Title” by Author, readers can learn how [insert theme].” Please do not merely copy
this thesis format; this is just an example. Construct your own.
The bulk of the paper should be devoted to each individual work – specifically, how they share a literary
theme. You should assume your reader has read each text. So do not summarize the plot of each work, as this
is not a “book report”; highlight only how it fits into your thematic designation. You will need to reference
specific points of action, plot, dialog, symbols or other elements, or descriptions (textual analysis). If you
quote from the texts, and you should very much do so, you will use MLA format in-text citations.
The essay will conclude with a properly formatted MLA Works Cited page. Important: At minimum, you must
include on the Works Cited page the citations for each of the 2 course readings and the required 2 articles of
research.
Thus, if you do employ bonus research (see below), make sure that you are properly using MLA format both
in-text and on the Works Cited page, or you may lose more points than you gain if this is done sloppily and
incorrectly, or even fail, if you plagiarize research materials (remember that plagiarism need not be
intentional; it can result from incorrect or unintentionally missing citations). For more on citing and plagiarism,
see our library’s website and other links in Blackboard.
No websources will count for bonus, and most, such as general reference (like Wikipedia), dictionary, or
encyclopedia type entries, as well as “spark notes” type online websites (Shmoop, etc.), should be
avoided entirely
Note that any database may be helpful; they do not need to be literature-based. For instance, in an essay suggesting that your readings are each examples of some
specific psychological phenomena guiding the narratives, you could search psychology or even general
reference databases to find good information. In general, A-level essay will not use the minimum
research.
For an extra 10 bonus points, you may include a third work in your comparison. That is, the essay will,
from the start and in the thesis, argue that 3, not just 2, works all share the same literary theme. All of
the above directions will remain (the works must all come from different units, etc.), only the essay will
cover 3 works instead of 2. The benefit here is having a third work to explore to generate content; the
challenge is ensuring that all three works exhibit the same literary theme. Using a broader theme in
order to cover all 3 would result in significant deductions; the goal is still to write to the depth of a true
literary theme, whether comparing 2 pieces of literature or 3.