The paper for this semester is an analysis essay in which you will examine the point of view of a story and examine how this perspective functions to support larger themes of the narrative.
In order to provide an effective analysis you will need to first establish the central idea of the story and how the point of view is utilized in the story. You should be able to provide your reader with a thorough and well thought out argument that proves how the point of view influences the central theme of the story. The purpose of an effective analysis is to carefully examine and evaluate your subject. By doing so, you should be able to present your reader with a process to better understand and appreciate the many levels at work in the story.
As support for your argument, you should find and utilize a minimum of TWO SECONDARY sources. PRIMARY sources are the readings that we have used this semester. SECONDARY sources are things like reviews, interviews, and critical analysis essays written about the same (or easily related to the) primary source. (You are welcome to use any of the materials provided under Supplemental Materials on Blackboard.) Any sources used in your essay should complicate or provide additional reasons to believe the conclusions your analysis puts forth. Sources which are not relevant or not sufficiently reliable (Wikipedia, SparkNotes, Shmoop, anonymous comments) will not help your argument, but will instead hurt your credibility. Additionally, they will not count towards the source minimum. Each missing source will be a deduction of ten points. So, the highest grade an essay without sources can receive will be a C. All sources must be properly cited in MLA format both in-text and in a works cited page.
HOW TO PROCEED:
You will first need to choose a central idea or theme from one of the stories that interests you. This may be a theme that is relevant to several stories such as suffering, understanding, traditional gender roles, or moral guilt, or one that is very specific to a single story.
Questions to Consider:
· Is the story told in first person, second person, third person omniscient, or third person limited?
· What is this story truly about?
· What is told to the audience about the background/history of the place where the story takes place? Is this information limited by the point of view it is presented from?
· Whose perspective is the story told from?
· If the story was told from another character’s point of view, how would the overall theme be different?
· Why did the author choose to tell the story this way?
· What distance does the point of view create between characters within the story?
· Does the method of storytelling mean that important information is kept from the reader?
· Is the point of view in the story problematic in any way?
· Could this story have a different point of view and still have the same effect? Why or why not?
After considering all of these questions you will need to develop a thesis statement that encapsulates the argument you are trying to prove. For each point of view there are numerous angles from which you will be able to approach an investigation.
COMPARISONS:
You may also choose to compare two or more points of view from different stories as a way of examining the way that a central idea can be manipulated by how the story is told. Or, in extreme cases, you may compare a point of view from one story to a point of view from another literary work (that we have not studied in class) or film. There should be a direct and easily identifiable correlation.
*Since, this option will be a bit more complex, please see me before you get started to ensure that you begin a project that is workable within a two page space.
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is TWO pages. Not ONE page and a few lines onto the SECOND page – TWO completepages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will not be accepted. For the purposes of this assignment you will need a minimum of TWO secondary sources properly cited within the body of your essay as well as in a works cited page. You will need to turn in your final draft on Blackboard in the appropriate folder. Emailed final assignments will NOT be accepted without previous consent of the instructor or in cases of extreme technological distress.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Plagiarism and Scholastic Dishonesty: All work in this course must be your own. Anything copied or taken from another source without proper MLA documentation and turned in as your own work constitutes Plagiarism. This includes discussion board responses, drafts, and any other work submitted for a grade in this course. There is no second chance for Plagiarism. If you plagiarize you will fail the course immediately. Additionally, all instances of plagiarism and/or scholastic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Student Services at the appropriate campus. Plagiarism may result in suspensions or expulsions and will definitely result in failure of the course and a permanent mark on your academic record. If you are ever unsure of proper citation please contact me directly.
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