ENGL 1102 Essay 2 Writing about Fiction (Short Stories)

Percentage: 25%
Description
“My theory of characterization is basically this: Put some dirt on a hero, and put some sunshine on the villain, one brush stroke of beauty on the villain” (Justin Cronin). Characterization is the method an author uses to reveal a character’s traits, background, motivations, and so on. This assignment requires you to write an analysis of a character from a short story. Please note you must use direct quotes rather than summarizing or paraphrasing from the short story.

Purpose

This assignment will help you develop knowledge and skills you use in other courses and the workplace: writing and critical thinking, an appreciation of storytelling, viewing the world from different perspectives, and so on. Reading and writing about literature can give medical professionals “a greater appreciation of patients, their illness, and stories.” It can also help people who plan to pursue careers that require storytelling: screenwriting, video game design, and marketing.

Audience and Tone

The audience for your assignment are readers of the Inquiries Journal, an open access journal that publishes papers written by college students (undergraduates and graduates) in various disciplines. Secondary audience members include your classmates and the instructor. The tone should be academic and formal, considering your audience. Students should consider submitting their assignment to Inquiries Journal, pending their acceptance of new submissions. Contact the instructor for more information.
Tasks

I. Select an appropriate text (short story)

Select a scholarly short story from one of the following sources: the course schedule, Classic Short Stories, Great American Short Stories, Lightspeed Magazine, the suggested list of short stories, or another source (pending instructor’s approval). Avoid children’s literature (fairy tales), commercialized literature, novels, or plays.
II. Select an option

Option 1: Analyze one character from a short story. While it is not required, you may wish to select the protagonist, antagonist, or a character that plays a major role in the story. Perform a close reading of the text and take notes. Formulate a debatable and specific thesis statement. To support the thesis, use evidence from the text(s) and provide a thorough explanation of the evidence. Avoid plot summary.

Option 2: Trace the development of a character over the course of a story. Examine how the character changes as the story progresses (beginning, middle, and end). Take notes on how the character changes. Formulate a debatable and specific thesis statement. To support the thesis, use evidence from the text(s) and provide a thorough explanation of the evidence. Avoid plot summary.
Option 3: Compare / contrast two or more characters (from the same story or different stories). Draw a comparison between the two characters and take notes on their similarities and/or differences. Formulate a debatable and specific thesis statement. Use evidence from the text(s) and provide a thorough explanation of the evidence. Avoid plot summary.
Option 4: Examine how the author uses characterization to convey the theme of the text. Perform a close reading of the text and take notes. Identify a theme in the text and determine how the author uses characterization to convey the theme. Formulate a debatable and specific thesis statement. To support the thesis, use evidence from the text and provide a thorough explanation of the evidence. Avoid plot summary.

Prewriting or Planning Tasks

Annotate the text. Break it up. Mark it up. Select one of the characters. Take notes on the character’s personality traits, motivations, actions, and so on. You may wish to consider the following to help you plan the essay:
A. SWOT Analysis of Character.
B. Formulate a question about the character, take notes, and answer the question as your thesis statement. Here are some examples:

• Why does Eveline stay with her father in Joyce’s “Eveline”? What are the reasons? Fear of new life? Mother’s promise? Loss of reputation? Faith? One? All of these? Other?

• Why does Sammy quit his job in “A&P”? Infatuation? Judgmental Attitude? Impulse? One? All three? Other?

• What causes the man’s unfortunate death in “To build a fire”? Overconfidence? Unwillingness to listen? Lack of Experience? One? All three? Other?

• What contributes to Mary’s downfall in “Early Autumn”? Unresolved feelings? Impulsivity? Refusal or inability to express how she feels? Harboring regret? One? All? Other?

• How does the character change as the story progresses? Some possible characters include Louise Mallard in “The Story of an Hour,” the man in “To build a fire,” or Rainsford in “The most dangerous game”?

• Comparison/Contrast: How (or why) do characters in “Early Autumn,” “The Story of an Hour,” and “True Love” struggle to achieve what they truly desire?

• Do you think Mathilda in “The Necklace” is the epitome of a vain, greedy, and ungrateful person? OR Is Mathilda’s dream of a better life justifiable? Is there anything wrong with pursuing a higher lifestyle, even if it encompasses materialistic possessions?

• How or why does Sammy in John Updike’s “A&P” and Mathilda Loisel in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” fail to attain an affluent lifestyle or social status?

• How (or why) does the sniper in O’Flaherty’s “The sniper” transition from a highly trained soldier to someone feeling deep remorse over the loss of a family member?

• In Isaac Asimov’s “True Love” and Sofia Samatar’s “The Girl Who Comes Out of Her Chamber at Regular Intervals,” how do the authors use characterization to convey the theme? For instance, how do the authors use characterization to convey how technology limits human connection?

• In Bradbury’s “There will come soft rains,” how does the author use the “smart house” (character) to reveal the dangers of technological advancement (as well as the power of nature)?
Drafting the Assignment

Header Information (Left Aligned)

First Name Last Name
Instructor’s Name > Tonia P.
ENGL 1102
Due Date > day month year

Title (Centered)

Creative title: Subtitle > A character analysis on + Author + Title of Text
Example: Search for Happiness: A character analysis on Sample’s “Winter Rain”

Introduction

A. The introduction begins with a captivating attention grabber. Consider one of the following: a) Open with a quote, question, or thought-provoking statements; b) Write a short anecdotal story that connects to the character; c) Make general comments about the subject matter of the thesis; c) Mention personal attitudes you and your reader might share; d) Begin with a few general sentences about the author; e) Write a few general sentences about the story. Note: If needed, include a transition sentence to go to the next part of the introduction.

B. The next section should introduce the character, title of the story, and author if this information is not introduced in the attention grabber or thesis statement.

C. The thesis statement for a character analysis essay should be a debatable opinion, specific, and no more than one-two sentences. Consider the following: Observation (a fact or observation of the character) and your assertion of the character. You can find sample thesis statements in the course texts, class notes, and below:
1. One Character: Character X’s impulsive actions, naivety, and judgmental attitude are what ultimately causes them to face tragic consequences.

2. Character Development: Character X transitions from a naïve and impulsive individual to someone who realizes the harsh consequences of growing up.

3. Comparison / Contrast: While both characters are from different backgrounds, their irrational actions, selfishness, and greed lead to their downfall.

4. Theme: Through characterization, the author shows that impulsive actions can lead to unintended consequences.

Body Paragraphs

Organization: Make sure the body paragraphs are organized, coherent (flow from one idea to the next), and unified (focused). You can organize your ideas in one of the following ways: order of importance (option 1 and option 4), chronological order (option 2), or point style or block style (option 3). For option 3, point style is organized as follows: point 1 (Character A, Character B), point 2 (Character A, Character B), and so on. The block style is organized as follows: Character A (point 1, point 2, and so on); Character B (point 2, point 2, and so on).

Development: Use relevant and sufficient evidence to support the thesis. Make sure each body paragraph has the following: topic sentence, textual evidence (such as quotes from the text), explanation of the evidence, and closing or transition sentence. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence, but it can also be located elsewhere in the body paragraph.

Conclusion

End with an effective conclusion. Make sure the conclusion is focused and refers to the text. Consider summarizing the thesis and body points in different words, closing with a quote and final thoughts, or ending with a question and final thoughts.
Style Requirements
Use literary present tense
Use third person point of view. Avoid second person (“you”) and first person (“I”).

Format Requirements

Length: 3 – 5 pages (does not include the Work Cited Page)
Spacing: Double-spaced
Accessible font type and size: 10-12 point, Verdana or Arial

Research Requirements

A. Academic Sources
The only source needed is the work of literature. Use credible sources (if using additional secondary sources).

B. MLA 9th Edition Title Format
> Quotation marks for Short Works (short stories, songs, poems, articles, and so on)
> Underline or Italicize Long Works (novels, websites, movies, and so on)

C. MLA 9th Edition In-text Citations
> Quoting from works of fiction (prose)
> Avoid dropped quotes, or excessive paraphrasing or summarizing.

D. MLA Work(s) Cited Page
Running Header: Last Name and Page Number
Title: Works Cited (plain text and centered)
MLA Works Cited entry(s) > alphabetical order, indent entries after the second line.

Resources
• Sample Character Analysis Sammy in “A&P”
• Sample Character Analysis Mrs. Grimes in “Death in the Woods”
• Sample Character Analysis (Rough Draft) Louise in “The Story of an Hour”
• Sample Character Development (Rough Draft) “The Necklace”
• Sample Character Development (Rough Draft) “Speech Sounds”
• Sample Comparison / Contrast: Rude Awakening in “A&P and “Cathedral”
• Sample Comparison/ Contrast: Sammy (“A&P”), Eveline (“Eveline”), and Sarty (“Barn Burning”)

Submission Requirements
Submit the assignment to the Blackboard Learn dropbox. Hard copies, email attachments, and email messages are not allowed. The file requirements are as follows: Word Processing Software (MS Word, Google Drive via link, and so on)

Procedures
1. Access the Blackboard Learn Dropbox for Essay 2
2. Attach the document
3. Click the Submit button.
4. Sign the Honor Pledge Statement

Criteria for Success

The grading rubric is in the Blackboard Learn Dropbox.

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