For essay #2, you will compose a piece of literary analysis, focusing on one of the short stories we will read and evaluate in class. Literary analysis closely examines and evaluates a work of literature, forming and supporting an argument about some aspect of the text, about its symbolism, characters and characterization, setting, conflict, diction, mood, theme, or other literary elements. While we will work with many of these elements in class, our primary objective in class will be to discover and explore thematic levels of meaning (theme is also an element you can analyze and evaluate). The purpose of a literary analysis is not just to make and form an argument about the text, but to gain a deeper understanding of how the text is working and functioning, how the author has constructed this work of literature. While no research is required for this essay, everything we do, discuss, and explore in our Discussion forums is fair game for your essay; however, you are absolutely free to explore dimensions and possibilities that did not come up in our Discussions.

Remember, this is a critical thinking exercise. As we analyze literature, as we navigate uncertainty and explore possibility, we are developing our thinking skills. For the full prompt and requirements, click here: English 1B Essay #2: Short Story Analysis 

Jump Starts

However, if you want some inspiration, help, or just want to select a topic, here are some potential topics.

1.  Analyze the deaths that take place in John Steinbeck’s “The Red Pony.” When you start to think about it, there are quite a few, so you will want to pick a few of the major ones, or perhaps a combination of major and minor deaths, Gabalin and the bird Jody kills for example. Then discuss how these deaths are contributing to Jody’s coming of age. Include discussion about how Jody’s coming of age is connected to life, human nature, self, society, culture.

2. Analyze the character of Gitano. What does he represent in the context of the story? Remember, when we think about the significance of a character, we must often think about how other characters respond and react to the character. Think about Billy and Carl Tiflin’s responses to Gitano. Think about Gitano’s actions and words. Think about his sword. Think about his mysterious disappearance: did he go into the Great Mountains to die?

3. If you decide to analyze Jody’s coming of age as a whole throughout all three parts of “The Red Pony,” you must discuss how this character’s experiences connect to life, human nature, self, society, culture.

4. Analyze the character of Elisa in Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums.” Look closely at the narrator’s descriptions of the character. Look closely at her language, especially when she speaks to Henry. Look closely at her exchanges with the Tinkerer and how her interactions with this individual impact her. And look at the final scene. You may also wish to bring in setting deatils as setting, where a character exists, can be revealing. Make sure that you connect Elisa’s character with larger levels of meanig pertaining to life, human nature, self, society, culture.

5. Conduct an analysis of the varous settings in “The Chrysanthemums.” What could all of the seting details be working together to show, suggest, illustrate about life, human nature, self, society, culture?

6. Both The Boy in “El Puentito” and Jody undergo a coming of age. Compare and contrast these two characters coming of age. To what degree is the learning, realized or not, of these two charcters the same and/or different. Make sure to connect your insights to larger levels of meraning pertaining to life, human nature, self, society, culture.

7.  Analyse what the short story “El Puentito” is about in terms of life, human nature, self, society, culture.

                           * All topics will contain references to the text as support/illustration of your ideas*

English 1B Essay #2: Short Story Analysis

Short Story Analysis: Navigating Uncertainty and Exploring Possibility

Overview

For essay #2, you will compose a piece of literary analysis, focusing on one of the short stories we will read and evaluate in class. Literary analysis closely examines and evaluates a work of literature, forming and supporting an argument about some aspect of the text, about its symbolism, characters and characterization, setting, conflict, diction, mood, theme, or other literary elements. While we will work with many of these elements in class, our primary objective in class will be to discover and explore thematic levels of meaning (theme is also an element you can analyze and evaluate). The purpose of a literary analysis is not just to make and form an argument about the text, but to gain a deeper understanding of how the text is working and functioning, how the author has constructed this work of literature. While no research is required for this essay, everything we do, discuss, and explore in our Discussion forums is fair game for your essay; however, you are absolutely free to explore dimensions and possibilities that did not come up in our Discussions.

Remember, this is a critical thinking exercise. As we analyze literature, as we navigate uncertainty and explore possibility, we are developing our thinking skills.

Story Options

* “The Red Pony” by John Steinbeck. This story has three parts. You can focus on the story as a whole, or you can focus on one of the three parts.

* “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck

* “El Puentito” by Theodore Shank. Yes, this story is written by your instructor and published in his book of short stories and poems, Follow the Flickering Down. The story will be provided for you (your instructor is not making money off of you!). The purpose for including this story is to give you the unique opportunity to directly engage with the author of a story. 

* There are many good stories in Steinbeck’s The Long Valley. If you would like to write about a story we did not directly discuss in our forums, you are welcome to do so, but you must contact your instructor first. 

Requirements

* 3-4 pages of development (this means 3 full pages of thinking. The 4th page if there in case you need the space to wrap up your final paragraph).

* MLA format for your full document. Typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font. Your name, instructor’s last name, course date (also double spaced) in top left corner of page 1. Last name and page number starting on page 2, right hand corner. MLA format also refers to your in-text citations and work cited page, both of which will be reviewed in class at the appropriate time.

* Awareness of fundamentals of introduction, thesis statement, topic sentences, paragraph focus, transitions, conclusion.

* Your argument must integrate the literary elements (tools) we use and explore in Discussions. It will be up to you which ones you use. It is acceptable to focus on one element. For example, you could focus on various symbolic elements within one of the stories and how they connect to your argument about the text.

* Thoughtful and insightful analysis of evidence from the story, explaining how the evidence, the words, phrases, passages, work to create, enhance, develop, or contribute to the argument you are making about the text. I want to see you thinking—navigating uncertainty and exploring possibility.

* At some point of your analysis, you must make larger connections to life, human nature, society. It is not enough to just analyze Eliza as a character representing various levels of loneliness, for example. What does Eliza’s loneliness represent about humanity, life, our society and culture? In other words, you are answering the question, “so what?”

* Sentences displaying variety. I want to see that you have spent some time with your sentences, not just creating variety in kind and length, but also in pattern, using various combinations of coordination and subordination. It might help to look up the 4 sentence patterns: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

* While traditional literary analysis does not incorporate an “I” speaker, this tradition is evolving. Do not overuse “I.” Personal experience is not appropriate for a literary analysis.

Notes: Invention to Thesis to Drafting

Notes: Invention to Thesis to Drafting II

Thesis Statement Review

• Definition: an announcement of what your essay will show; the central argument that your paper will make and support.
• Thesis statements consist of two components: Topic + Assertion
• Topic: What the essay will focus on.
• Assertion: A claim about the topic that requires proof, evidence, support if it is to be believed, understood, accepted.
• Example: Elisa’s chrysanthemums represent various levels of human passion and desire, as well as suppression and longing.

Connecting to Essay #2

• Review your inventions from each story
• Select the most thought-provoking, interesting, story and ideas generated from your invention
• Form tentative thesis

Notes: Invention to Thesis to Drafting III

• Draft: a rough version of a piece of writing, representing a product that will be subjected to the revision process.
• Two approaches to starting your draft

1. With your tentative thesis statement in place, begin drafting body paragraphs. Don’t worry about introduction and conclusion, yet. If you have never tried this writing strategy, give it a shot. Many writers gravitate towards this approach: how can I introduce something that I have not yet completed?
2. Drafting your introduction first, using it to plan out a direction for your essay. If you use this strategy, be sure to review the Introduction and Conclusion notes below.

Notes: Invention to Thesis to Drafting IV

• Important reminder as you drafting: Essay writing depends on the fundamental relationship between thesis, evidence, and analysis.
• For Essay #2: Evidence = specific details from the text, presented with summary, paraphrase, or quote.
• For all essays: Analysis = your discussion and explanation for how/why and why the evidence supports, demonstrates, illustrates your thesis.
• The most common area writers are working on: analysis.

Notes: Invention to Thesis to Drafting V

Introduction and Conclusion Reminders (when it’s time)

Introduction

• What do I have to do in order to prepare my reader for the essay?
• Orient your reader: Are we going to be analyzing a story? What’s the title? Who wrote it? Brief overview of plot.
• Create a direction for the essay: Where will we be going?
• Create interest: Make the reader feel the need to continue. Thought-provoking quote? Question? Brief anecdote?
• Provide thesis.

Conclusion

• What do I have to do in order to create closure?
• Review where we have been
• Make connections to introduction
• Answer “so what?” question. Why is it important that we know/understand this?
• Where do we go from here?