Analysis of a creative non-fiction essay

Topic: Analysis of a Creative Non-Fiction Essay
Format: You are required to use MLA style for all writing assignments.
Please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab for MLA formatting and style guide
Length Requirement: 450-550 words
All sources must be cited
Your Process:
Using one of the creative non-fiction essays we read in this unit, write an essay that demonstrates how and why that particular non-fiction text utilizes one or two of the literary themes discuss in this unit. What is the author saying about it? Why do you think he or she is saying it in this way? What surprises us about the text’s depiction of the theme? Also, address how and why the fact that the text is non-fiction influences its impact relating to the theme.

Some suggested literary themes could be love, alienation/otherness, the quest for identity, or conformity/rebellion, etc.

In addition to discussing at least one of these themes, feel free to also explore other noticed literary themes. Be sure to use specific examples, details, and quotes from the text (use the author’s name in parenthetical citation).

Essays to Choose From:

Gretel Ehrlich’s “About Men” —— I will choose this one, I attached the article
Annie Dillard’s “Living Like Weasels”
Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

In order to start brainstorming for this essay, please see the following examples:

Ehrlich and Conformity: The premise for Ehrlich’s “About Men” is that a real, successful cowboy is a careful balance between what we typically consider masculine, a silent observer, and feminine, a compassionate nurturer. How does the cowboy embody the theme of conformity and rebellion in Ehrlich’s “About Men”?
Dillard and the American Dream: One main point in Dillard’s “Living Like Weasels” is that people, who are logical and live by choice, can learn from animals, who are illogical and live only by necessity. What choices are involved in attempting to live out the typical American Dream? How do those choices differ from living according to necessity? In other words, what is the difference between the lifestyles defined by the American Dream as opposed to those defined by minimalism?

Formatting and Style
Be sure to maintain an appropriate academic tone (no slang, second-person [“you,” “we”], contractions, etc.)

Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, and numbered pages. Include your name, my name, the title of the class, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Center your title (you do not need to underline or italicize it) and place it above the body of the essay.

Make sure to include the source on a Works Cited page (properly formatted in MLA style). You only need to cite the chosen essay on the Works Cited page. You may incorporate outside sources if you wish, but it is not required. YOU MUST USE MLA FORMATTING!!

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