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Shorter Essay Assignments

Fiction Essay:

Form/Length:

250 words (about one page), 12-point font and standard one-inch margins; cite your text in MLA style (which means parenthetical in-text citations and a works cited page for the textbook).

Topic:

Choose one of the short stories from the list within the topic of your choosing (on the overall essay instruction sheet). Explore what the story says or reveals about that topic. Create a thesis statement interpreting the story in relation to your chosen topic (it will need to be more specific than my description of the topic in the assignment, so there is lots of room for you to decide what you would like to say about the text in relation to the topic.

In the essay, include a few quotes from the story that relate to the topic and your thesis, analyzing each quote (and other details about the story) and explaining their effects in relation to the topic. You also can use the literary techniques we have been exploring as a way toexplain the effects of the story.

Approach and Structure:

The essay should include a clear central claim offering an interpretation of some aspect of the text (no plot summary, just analysis/interpretation).

The introduction should state this claim (your thesis), give an overview of subtopics that the essay will cover, and include a sense of why your thesis and topic are significant (to give your essay a sense of purpose).

The body paragraphs should each explain a subtopic and offer a quote or two (and in some cases, examples of details as well as quotes, but quotes are just fine) to illustrate each paragraph’s main idea. In other words, the paper will involve a “close reading” of specific moments in the text, which means closely analyzing the language and offering a sense of its effects and meanings.

You may build on my notes and the discussions, butshould also offer your own thoughts about the topic.

You need not do any secondary research; your evidence for your analysis is the primary text (the story itself). If you want to refer to secondary material (such as a historical reference or perhaps theory that explores class or gender, for instance) you are welcome to do so but just focusing on the story is plenty. But do include an MLA-style works cited page to cite the story itself.

A successful essay will be well-written, thoughtful, full of analysis and interpretation of the meanings and effects of aspect(s) of the story, and supported with examples (quotes) from the text. It will not be heavily reliant on AI (only using it as a tool if at all). Instead of sounding vague or generic, it should be clear that the writer has read and thought about the literary text.

Nonfiction Essay

Follow the same instructions as for the fiction essay. The only real difference is that because Coates book is a longer text, youll need to narrow your focus and just explore a small aspect of it rather than trying to cover the whole book. You can choose a short passage or two and analyze them closely, or a theme that relates to the topic. You still need to explain how your focus relates to the book as a whole, but dont have to cover the entire book in any sort of comprehensive way.

Poetry Essay

Follow the same instructions as for the fiction essay. Since our poems are short, you will probably be able to cover most of the poem.

Drama Essay

Follow the instructions for the previous essays, and especially if you choose Ibsen or Sophocles, feel free to focus in on just a part or aspect of the play rather than trying to cover it all since they are longer works.