In what ways might analysis of the text (its various literary parts or compositional form) support your interpretation?

Literary Analysis Essay
Analysis and interpretation are the primary ways that scholars across academic disciplines understand various phenomena. The methods used to execute analysis or formulate interpretative meaning vary depending on the discipline. In the case of literary studies and across the humanities, scholars have retooled some methods from the social sciences, philosophy, as well as invented their own. The various ways of examining literary works and producing interpretative meanings are essentially reflections of the cultures that produce them, but can also be understood to reflect the individual concerns and interests of the readers as well.
Prompt: Making use of the various analytic approaches and interpretative frameworks introduced in the course to-date, compose a literary analysis essay wherein you introduce an original interpretation of Ling Ma’s Severance, referring back to the source text for support of your claims.
Questions to Consider: Refer to the questions below to orient to this project.
• Which of the interpretative frameworks most appeals to your interests and intellectual inclinations?
• How might you adapt an interpretative or analytic approach to engage with the novel in ever more refined, insightful and critically engaged ways?
• In what ways might analysis of the text (its various literary parts or compositional form) support your interpretation?
• How can academic essay form support the development and organization of your ideas in writing?
• How can your interpretation of this literary work inform your sense of self, your place in the world, or other relevant situations at-large?
Evaluative Criteria: Successful essays will include the following.
• Thesis statement reflective of the prompt
• Analytic references from the novel
• Interpretation reflective of the critical approaches introduced in the course
• Well-organized body paragraphs (TEA/PIE, etc.)
• Consultation with at least one supplemental theoretical text
• 4-5 pages of double-spaced, MLA formatted academic prose

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