Purpose
This assignment will enable you to discover a short story’s or creative non-fiction essay’s use of elements, such as imagery, diction, characterization, irony, metaphor, and symbolism, to convey a theme within the text. Applying a close reading and composing a literary analysis will prepare you for the many texts that you will read, summarize, and discuss in your future studies and even the workplace.
Skills
In this assignment, you will analyze a short story or creative non-fiction essay through a close reading. You’ll explore how the author uses literary devices to convey a theme and to develop the story or essay. You will practice:
- Close reading and critical thinking skills
- Identification of literary devices
- Identification of a theme
- Analysis of literary devices and connection to a theme
- Composition of a literary analysis
- Use of specific quotes and examples from the text to support claims and insights
*Learning Objectives: LO4, LO5, LO9, LO10, LO13
Task
After your practice developing an outline in Unit 2, this assignment allows you to continue working with your pre-writing skills; specifically, you will organize and outline your composition of a full literary analysis essay. For this essay, you will discuss how the author’s use of a specific literary device (or devices) functions to convey a theme within that text. Keep in mind: Your thesis statement defines for the reader the content of the essay, so be sure your thesis is a strong, concise argument. The content of your essay will provide evidence to support that thesis through strong, well-developed body paragraphs.
Part 1
Select one of the short stories from this unit, or reflect back to a work of creative nonfiction from Unit 1, and conduct a close reading, being mindful of literary devices present within the text. Through annotation, or note taking, be sure to note important textual evidence and examples that might be useful to your essay composition.
NOTE: Do not use any of the texts used in sample assignments or instructional videos in this course.
Part 2
Upon identifying the device or devices you will write about, consider which theme from Unit 1 (Dystopia, Alienation/Otherness, Redemption, and Quest for Identity/Coming of Age) these devices best illuminate. In your consideration of the theme, be sure to examine HOW the devices support your selected theme and WHY that is significant to the text as a whole. The answer to this question will be the material used for your thesis. Don’t forget to use our free tutoring service for help throughout the writing process!
Part 3
Using your answers from Part 2, compose your thesis statement for the essay; be certain that your thesis is specific and concise. Be sure your thesis:
- Identifies the theme conveyed and
- Offers how/why that is important.
Keep in mind your thesis is the “road map” or “preview” to your essay; it informs the reader of what to expect.
Part 4
Using your annotations and working thesis, begin drafting your essay. Although it is not required, composing an outline prior to drafting full paragraphs can be both highly beneficial and effective in terms of your final product. Be mindful during drafting to ensure that all body paragraphs are well-developed and have a direct connection back to your thesis. (Review the MEAL Plan tutorial for help!)
Part 5
Once you have completed your essay and conducted a thorough proofreading, submit your final draft to the appropriate assignment folder: Unit 3 Essay: Short Story or Essay Analysis.
File submissions: Please submit your file as a .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF.
Grading Criteria
- Your ability to communicate a thesis: The clear articulation of your argument and the specificity and development of your thesis;
- On the development and support of the main ideas in your paragraphs: Your supporting claims, logic, and organization;
- The quality of your writing, to include paragraph development and organization: Topic sentences, conclusions, transitions, etc.;
- Your engagement with the text and how you explain the significance of your examples; your choice and synthesis of supporting quotations;
- Format: You are required to use the current MLA style for all writing assignments. This includes proper MLA citation and a correctly-formatted Works Cited page (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spacing, last name and page number in the header on each page, etc.). Please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab for the MLA Style guide. Also, view the sample essay in this module to see an example of a correctly formatted document;
- Academic Honesty: NO secondary sources are needed or encouraged; however, if any external sources are used, they MUST be appropriately cited using MLA 9th edition format. As always, plagiarism is not tolerated. Please ask if you have questions about citation or academic honesty. Use of an AI generator to complete any portion of this assignment is prohibited.
- Length Requirement: 750-1,000 words
