Length: no fewer than 4 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, in MLA format, regular margins Prompt: The paper needs to contain a central argument or thesis. Your thesis should encourage us to understand the meaning(s) of the text in a particular way. Further, the argument will need to rely on analyzing specific passages and language from the text, as you do in your daily responses. Almost every paragraph in the paper should cite and analyze an actual passage from the text to help make your points. When you directly cite the text, please put the page # in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advice to get started: In coming up with your thesis, you might consider brainstorm with questions like: Are there confusing/surprising moments in the text that seem to need closer analysis? Are there subtle patterns at work in the text that a casual reader might miss? Do you have an interpretation of some text/moment that differs from or expands upon what was said in class? Does the text seem to be responding to another one of our readings in some way? Why does the writer discuss certain events and not others? How does the writer use individual characters to represent larger themes/groups/issues? How does the WAY the story is told relate to the events depicted? Are there symbolic moments in the text? Do certain objects carry a deeper meaning? How does the writer use setting to make his/her points? How does the text represent the classic problem of the relationship between an individual and his/her society? Does the text (or author or narrator) make puzzling decisions at times? Do some ideas get more emphasis than others? Does the text seem to go off on tangents? Are they really tangents? How does the texts beginning relate to its ending? Are we supposed to root for a particular character? Do we always feel allegiance to that character? How do certain passages in the text tell us a great deal about the texts original audience? How do our interpretations differ from what the texts original readers would have thought? How does the text relate to what was happening at the time it was written? What techniques does the writer use to engage or persuade the reader? Whats the function of [ X ] in this narrative? (X could equal religion, race, money) What questions are raised and remain unanswered in the text?

Length: no fewer than 4 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, in MLA format, regular margins Prompt: The paper needs to contain a central argument or thesis. Your thesis should encourage us to understand the meaning(s) of the text in a particular way. Further, the argument will need to rely on analyzing specific passages and language from the text, as you do in your daily responses. Almost every paragraph in the paper should cite and analyze an actual passage from the text to help make your points. When you directly cite the text, please put the page # in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advice to get started: In coming up with your thesis, you might consider brainstorm with questions like: Are there confusing/surprising moments in the text that seem to need closer analysis? Are there subtle patterns at work in the text that a casual reader might miss? Do you have an interpretation of some text/moment that differs from or expands upon what was said in class? Does the text seem to be responding to another one of our readings in some way? Why does the writer discuss certain events and not others? How does the writer use individual characters to represent larger themes/groups/issues? How does the WAY the story is told relate to the events depicted? Are there symbolic moments in the text? Do certain objects carry a deeper meaning? How does the writer use setting to make his/her points? How does the text represent the classic problem of the relationship between an individual and his/her society? Does the text (or author or narrator) make puzzling decisions at times? Do some ideas get more emphasis than others? Does the text seem to go off on tangents? Are they really tangents? How does the texts beginning relate to its ending? Are we supposed to root for a particular character? Do we always feel allegiance to that character? How do certain passages in the text tell us a great deal about the texts original audience? How do our interpretations differ from what the texts original readers would have thought? How does the text relate to what was happening at the time it was written? What techniques does the writer use to engage or persuade the reader? Whats the function of [ X ] in this narrative? (X could equal religion, race, money) What questions are raised and remain unanswered in the text?