Purpose

This assignment will enable you to discover a short story’s or creative non-fiction essay’s use of elements, such as imagery, diction, characterization, irony, metaphor, and symbolism, to convey a theme within the text. Applying a close reading and composing a literary analysis will prepare you for the many texts that you will read, summarize, and discuss in your future studies and even the workplace.

The Unit 3 Essay is one of the two writing projects that can be revised for the Unit 4 Assignment: Revision and Metacognitive Reflection, so be sure to pay close attention to the feedback from your instructor, and if you use them, tutors, if you choose this essay for your revision.

Skills

In this assignment, you will analyze a short story essay through close reading. You’ll explore how the author uses literary devices to convey a theme and to develop the story or essay. You will practice:

• Close reading and critical thinking skills
• Identification of literary devices
• Identification of a theme
• Analysis of literary devices and connection to a theme
• Composition of a literary analysis
• Use of specific quotes and examples from the text to support claims and insights

This assignment aligns with Learning Outcomes: LO4, LO5, LO9, LO10, LO13

Task

After your practice developing an outline in Unit 2, this assignment allows you to continue working with your pre-writing skills; specifically, you will organize and outline your composition of a full literary analysis essay. For this essay, you will discuss how the authors use of a specific literary device (or devices) functions to convey a theme within that text. Keep in mind that your thesis statement defines the content of the essay for the reader, so be sure your thesis is a strong, concise argument. The content of your essay will provide evidence to support that thesis through strong, well-developed body paragraphs.

Part 1

Select one of the short stories from this unit and conduct a close reading, being mindful of literary devices present within the text. Through annotation, or note taking, be sure to note important textual evidence and examples that might be useful to your essay composition.

NOTE: Do not use any of the texts used in sample assignments or instructional videos in this course.

Part 2

Upon identifying the device or devices you will write about, you will then want to find a theme in the text being mindful that as we discussed in Unit 2, theme is different than topic. Keep in mind that there can be more than one theme in a text, but you want to discuss only one in this essay. In your consideration of the theme, be sure to examine how the devices support your selected theme and why that is significant to the text as a whole. The answer to this question will be the material used for your thesis. Don’t forget to use our free tutoring service for help throughout the writing process, as they can help you refine your thesis!

Part 3

Using your answers from Part 2, compose your thesis statement for the essay. Be certain that your thesis is specific and concise. Be sure your thesis:

1. Identifies the theme conveyed and
2. Offers how and why that is important.

Keep in mind your thesis is the “road map” or “preview” to your essay; it informs the reader of what to expect.

Part 4

Using your annotations and working thesis, begin drafting your essay. Although it is not required, composing an outline prior to drafting full paragraphs can be both highly beneficial and effective in developing your final product. During drafting, make sure that all body paragraphs are well-developed and have a direct connection back to your thesis. (Review the MEAL Composition Essay Handout for help!)

Part 5

You may use an AI grammar checker for this assignment, but you must your use fully, including:

• Submitting your first draft to this drop box as a separate, typed document
• Use of in-text citations for any areas where changes were made
• Use of a works cited entry for the AI tool
• Inclusion of a working session link OR screenshots showing your full revision history.

Failure to provide first draft, both parenthetical citations and works cited entry, and session or revision documentation may result in a grade of zero for the assignment and an academic honesty report. If you are unsure of how to document and disclose after reading the resource, please ask.

Once you have finalized your draft and conducted a thorough proofreading (be sure to use your eCore free tutoring service!) submit your work to the Unit 3 Essay: Short Story Essay Analysis folder. Always re-enter the drop box after submitting to confirm that the correct file has been submitted and can be read.

File submissions: Please submit your file as a .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF. You must submit a file that is compatible with our course software to earn a grade. Always re-enter the drop box after submitting to confirm that the correct file has been submitted and can be read.

Grading Criteria

• Your ability to communicate a thesis: The clear articulation of your argument and the specificity and development of your thesis;
• On the development and support of the main ideas in your paragraphs: Your supporting claims, logic, and organization;
• The quality of your writing, to include paragraph development and organization: Topic sentences, conclusions, transitions, etc.;
• Your engagement with the text and how you explain the significance of your examples; your choice and synthesis of supporting quotations;
• Format: You are required to use the current MLA style for all writing assignments. This includes proper MLA citation and a correctly formatted Works Cited page (12-point font, Times New Roman, double spacing, last name and page number in the header on each page, etc.). Please refer to the Purdue Online Writing Lab for the . Also, view the sample essay in this module to see an example of a correctly formatted document;
• Academic Honesty: NO secondary sources are needed or encouraged; however, if any external sources are used, they MUST be appropriately cited using MLA 9th edition format. All quotes must be represented accurately. As always, plagiarism is not tolerated. Please ask if you have questions about citation or academic honesty.
• Use of an AI generator to complete any portion of this assignment other than fully documented and disclosed revision is prohibited.
• Length Requirement: 750-1,000 words
  

  Things to Remember When Starting Your Essay

  Remember to look back at your Modules 7 and 8 discussion posts, responses, and feedback, and consider what you learned as you begin writing your essay (NOTE: To avoid plagiarism, make sure your paper reflects your own ideas, and that you correctly cite any words or ideas of others).

  Introductory Paragraph

  In the first paragraph of your essay you should make a brief, relevant introduction. Tell the reader the name of the author and the title of the short story and include an overview of its setting and the context. For instance, if you are writing about Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” your introductory paragraph might begin something like this:

  Sample Introductory Paragraph

  The short story, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, portrays a family traveling by car across Georgia en route to their vacation destination in Florida. The occupants in the car include a father, a mother, a young boy, a young girl, a baby, a grandmother, and a cat. The road trip is disrupted when the cat jumps on the father’s neck, causing him to lose control of the steering wheel, sending the car into a ditch beside the clay road that runs through a barren countryside. From this point in the story, readers see the drama of the family’s attempt to survive the crash in the face of meeting a man, known as The Misfit, and two of his companions, all three of whom have just escaped from prison. Overall, the story focuses on how the family reacts to this unfortunate circumstance and how their predisposed attitudes towards one another come to light in the tragedy. Readers also see how faith and fear come into play as the grandmother takes center stage in her attempt to face these violent men. As the drama unfolds, readers of the story should take time to explore O’Connor’s use of themes and symbols–most notably, the themes of love and alienation and the symbols of the cat and certain atmospheric elements found in the story’s natural setting.

  NOTE: Always begin a literary essay by offering us the name of the author and the title of the literary work. Also, refer to the voice of the storyteller as the narrator. Introduce the details and quotations of the story as coming from the narrator. The narrator, not the author, is telling us the story. A character who tells a story in the first person is also called the narrator.From the first sentence, your introductory paragraph should convey to your readers what your essay will be about, leading from your introduction of the author and title of the story in the first sentence to the sentences that include more specific statements, each new sentence moving towards your thesis statement. In other words, you are providing background to introduce your main idea, or your thesis statement.

  Thesis Statement

  When you write your thesis statement, you will be making an argument about the author’s use of literary devices to effectively convey an overarching theme or meaning. Begin by reviewing the theme(s) and devices you identified in your Module 7 and Module 8 discussions as well as any responses to your post by your peers or instructor. The thesis you created for the Module 8 Discussion might become the thesis for your essay, you might refine it based on further study, or you may create a whole new thesis for your Unit 3 Essay Assignment. Be sure your thesis makes an argument a reader could attempt to refute. Consider the ways someone might argue against your thesis, and use this exercise to make your thesis and the evidence in your body paragraphs stronger.

  Supporting Paragraphs

  When writing your essay, the goal is to demonstrate what spin the story has on a particular theme. Be specific about the ways the theme is used and how the symbols in the story work to develop the theme at a deeper level. Provide details, including cited direct quotes from the story, but don’t forget that you must comment on the quotes you use to explain why they are significant.Example:In a class studying Kate Chopins The Storm and the theme of “love,” a student might write about the passion between protagonists, Calixta, and Alce. Their passion, represented by the symbol of the rain storm in the story, provides a social commentary on the theme of love in the time the story was written. However, love is a very general term, so a student writing about this symbol and theme would need to be sure to refine the broad theme further, noting this is a forbidden, or adulterous, romantic love. The following would be an appropriate thesis statement for this particular topic:

  Although Calixta loves her husband, Bobinot, she has a passionate affair with Alce, demonstrating that passion, as represented by the storm, is ultimately a symbol of her own female independence.

  Then, the student might write about the contrast between Calixtas relationship with Bobinot and her relationship with Alce to show that Calixta could simultaneously function as an efficient housewife and passionate lover to her husband if society, at that time, would allow such a woman to exist.Your supporting paragraphs should strengthen the argument in your thesis.

  Food For Thought: The MEAL Plan

  Main Point: This is the first sentence of your paragraph, also called the topic sentence. In text-based writing, this first sentence argues and begins to serve up your essays claim (thesis). Each argumentative topic sentence in each paragraph you craft connects back to the claim in some way. Since the topic sentence of any paragraph dictates the subject of the paragraph, making sure that this first sentence is argumentative gives you, the writer, permission to argue instead of summarize.Evidence: This documented sentence or series of sentences offers specific evidence from the text that backs up the main, argumentative point. You may quote from the text, offer a specific example, or refer to a genre-specific tool (camera angles or lighting for film, metaphor for poetry, narrative structure for fiction, etc.) in this part of the paragraph. Remember that plot is not evidence. Rather, evidence is a piece of the text or a specific idea about the text, a select bite, that provides a clear example to support the argument in your topic sentence.Analysis: This is the largest portion of the paragraph, the part in which you explain how and why the evidence supports the main point. This is the meat of The MEAL, and it requires that you carefully consider your audiences appetite and the stated goals of your essay. You may find yourself focusing on words in the quoted evidence to perform a close reading, or you may offer discussion about context as you analyze the text to make a salient point.Link: This last sentence concludes the paragraph and looks ahead to the next, providing a transition that links what you have said to what you will say.Questions to consider in analyzing a text:

  • What are the predominant themes at work?
  • Who is the narrator? Is the narrator first-person, second-person, third-person, named, unnamed, limited, omniscient? Does the narrator’s point of view have any bearing on the text?
  • Can we see symbols, metaphor, irony, or imagery in the text? Identify these literary devices throughout the text. How so they enhance the text and/or add to the theme? Which are the most important literary devices that add to the meaning of the text?
  • If the text is fiction or a nonfiction narrative, what is important about the setting? If it is nonfiction essay, what is the ongoing conversation or context surrounding the topic of the essay?
  • For a short story or narrative, what is the conflict that unfolds, and is it resolved? If so, how?
  • Is there a main character who seems to drive or to encapsulate the theme you have identified?

  Use these questions to help you consider how the author is using literary devices.

  Conclusion

  The conclusion of an essay provides closure for readers while reminding them of the argument found in the thesis and the supporting evidence throughout the paper. It accomplishes this by stepping back from the specifics in order to view the bigger picture of the essay. For papers in freshman composition and lower-level literature courses, the conclusion is usually one paragraph that simply and succinctly restates the main ideas and arguments, pulling everything together to help clarify the thesis and “drive the argument home.” A conclusion does not introduce new ideas; instead, it answers the question, “So what?” What should the reader do, or how should the reader think differently after reading your essay? How does your argument advance the conversation on this topic?

  An Easy Checklist for Writing a Conclusion

  1. Is the thesis accurately restated here (but not repeated verbatim)?
     It is important to remind the reader of the thesis so he is reminded of the primary argument.
  2. Are the main points of the paper addressed and pulled together?
     Think of the main points as puzzle pieces, and the conclusion is where they all fit together to create a bigger picture. The reader should walk away with the bigger picture in mind.
  3. Do you reiterate importance of your conclusion regarding this text or topic?
     Make sure the paper places its findings in the context of the larger conversation on this text or topic.
  4. Is there a sense of closure?
     Make sure the reader has a distinct sense that the paper has come to an end. It is important not to leave the reader hanging. (You dont want your audience to have flip-the-page syndrome, where the reader turns the page, expecting the paper to continue. The paper should naturally come to an end).
  5. Do you avoid presenting new information?
     No new ideas should be introduced in the conclusion. It is simply a review of the material that is already present in the paper. The only new idea would be to propose a next step or the answer to the question, “So what?”

  Conclusion Example:

  Seeing the themes of love and alienation unfold as they do in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a bit disturbing. Her reader’s understanding of love is challenged when shown the dysfunction of a family and the lack of love in The Misfit’s life. Moreover, O’Connor presents a look at alienation that takes readers well beyond a notion of loneliness or exclusion; instead, she focuses attention on the alienation of the soul, and this look has a dark and disturbing effect on readers. Moreover, O’Connor uses symbols to reinforce her themes and to fortify her story with images that speak volumes about the setting and the characters at hand. Overall, her story leaves the reader in the ditch alongside that road running through the barren countryside. This is the place where she wants to leave her readers, not as way to discourage or scare them but as a way to awaken them to the importance of love in a world where people live alienated from each other and alienated from God.

  NOTE: Do not use the phrase “In conclusion” to close an essay or a discussion of art and ideas; in studying the humanities our conversations and discussions are always ongoing; we never conclude such discussions.

  Putting it all Together

  Because your essay will be focused on a text, or a “primary source,” you will need to follow the MLA style guide and provide parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page for your primary source and any other texts you might use. NOTE: No secondary sources/other texts are required for this essay, but if you do refer to other texts for comparison or background, these sources must be cited.Be sure to check information in and format of your citations and Works Cited page by reviewing our or the before submitting each of your essays.Do not forget to maintain an appropriate academic tone (no slang, first- or second-person [“I,” “you,” “we”], contractions, etc.).

  Composing Conclusions

  A conclusion is a critical component for any essay, but many writers consider it the most difficult part of the essay to compose. The thesis has already been proven throughout the body paragraphs and the argument has been made. So, what is left to do? The conclusion offers the reader a sense of closure to the overall argument and essay and leaves the reader with an understanding of the material and its significance within a larger scope or conversation.While there is no set formula to compose an effective conclusion, there are several guidelines that can be used when constructing one. These guidelines focus on elements to avoid and to include in your conclusion.

  Conclusion Dos and Don’ts

  There are a number of things that should be avoided in a conclusion, as they break the “flow” of the essay or detract from the work you’ve done in proving your argument.

  Your conclusion should not:

  Conclusions that do these things can be confusing for the reader, can harm your argument, or can be unsatisfying. Make sure that you do not:

  • Disregard your thesis or topic at hand by introducing a new subject
  • Only offer personal opinion on why the topic is important (soapbox)
  • Conclude too abruptly
  • Simply paraphrase your introduction with no identifiable difference
  • Include new evidence from the text or other quoted material
  • Identify itself (In conclusion, In closing, etc.)
  • Present sentimental or emotional appeals that do not align with an analytical essay

  The guidelines above make it evident that the conclusion should not attempt to introduce new ideas or evidence, offer personal opinion or emotional appeals, or simply restate what has already been said. So, what should a conclusion do? There are a number of things you can do that will help you develop a strong conclusion!

  Your conclusions should:

  While there are items to avoid, there are also things you can do that will make your conclusion feel like a natural stopping point for your essay, while also demonstrating that you’ve accomplished everything you needed to do in your argument. These tactics include:

  • Referring back to the text or topic as presented in the introduction
  • Reasserting the thesis statement, without just copying and pasting the same paragraph
  • Offering insight into how and why the topic is significant in a larger context or conversation
  • Using a tone of finality and certainty

  While the guidelines above suggest the basics to both include and avoid in composing a conclusion, they do not provide a specific outline for a conclusion. How you construct your conclusion will depend on the type of essay you have written. For example, an argumentative essays conclusion will have a different purpose than one for a poetic analysis essay. For the purposes of this course, your conclusions will be crafted to align with literary analysis essays.

  Strategies for Analysis Essay Conclusions

  Answer the So What?: Show your reader how the essay is relevant to them. The reader may finish reading the essay with a new understanding of your topic or a new interpretation of a textsomething not fully considered or appreciated prior to reading your essay. What information or insights will the reader be able to benefit from beyond your essay? Revisit and Reassert: Provide readers with a concise synthesis of the primary thesis and supporting points of the essay to weave together for a total package for the reader. Create a parallel to the introduction that brings the reader full circle by the final sentence, as this will give the reader a sense of completion and show them that you’ve proven what you said you would prove.

  Wrapping it Up

  Conclusions function as the final say on the essays argument or claim. They are essential to the overall delivery of the essay, as they leave a lasting impression for the reader. Although composing conclusions may at times seem difficult or frustrating, using the guidelines and strategies provided here will help you in creating effective conclusions for your essays.

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