Prompt for Paper: In an MLA formatted paper of at least 1000 words of content, analyze a character, theme, symbolism, imagery, or other literary device used in one or more literary works assigned for weeks 1-5.

Choose ONE of the above topic areas to explore, and unless you are focusing only on short works, limit yourself to discussing no more than two works in order to achieve depth of discussion and to avoid a superficial or overly general paper.

DETAILED PAPER REQUIREMENTS:

• Choose your source text(s) only from the assigned literary works from weeks 1-5. (Use only literary works, not headnotes or editors’ notes.)
• Do not use any sources other than the literary works you’re writing about. This is not a research paper! Your insight, interpretation and argument are what matter. This paper must consist only of your writing supported with evidence from the selected literary work(s).
• Ensure that your paper’s thesis is an arguable (debatable) thesis. (The resources for writing a literary analysis explain this and provide examples.)
• Structure the paper with an introductory paragraph that ends with the thesis statement. Use the topic of each body paragraph to present a point that directly supports the thesis.
• Within each body paragraph, use logical reasoning and evidence from the literary text to prove your point of argument.
• Include (and cite within the paper) at least three quotations from each literary work you’re discussing, but don’t overdo it—most of the paper needs to be your own writing.
• Use signal phrases to integrate all quotations.
• Include a works cited page that cites each literary work you use as a work in an anthology or as a work from an online source, as applicable.
• Use MLA document format for the paper and MLA style for the citations and works cited page.
• Edit and proofread: In addition to content, clarity, organization, grammar and spelling do count.

Thought starters towards developing a topic and thesis idea:

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the use of the supernatural in one or more works.

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the heroic and/or villainous qualities of a character in one or more works.

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the use of light and/or darkness in one or more works.

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the use of particular imagery (imagery can be anything that appeals to the five senses–sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste).

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the use of a particular symbol (or type of symbols) in one or more works.

Analyze (or compare/contrast) a theme, such as the power of filial (or other) love, the success (or failure) of justice, the importance (or not) of ethical behavior (many other themes could be used beyond these few examples).

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the nature of a character in one or more works (remember that character analysis is not limited to a protagonist).

Analyze (or compare/contrast) the role of women (or children or other not-traditionally-empowered character) in one or more works.

Analyze in depth (explicate) one or more short poems.

Rubric

Download a PDF of the Rubric here.