analytical thesis about the story’s meaning (theme), and using passages from the text develop an argument in support of that interpretation.

January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 Discipline: English

This analytical thesis is from the short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver ! PLEASE READ THE attached document to fully understand what needs to be done.  MUST be 3-4 pages, MLA format doubled spaced , and a works cited page. 


Literary analysis, also known as literary criticism, can be defined  as a close reading and interpretation of a literary text. In other words, a literary analysis carefully examines the constituent elements of a literary text for both meaning and significance. Generally speaking, these elements include setting, plot, style, tone, point of view (narrative perspective), characterization, symbol, theme, and context (social, cultural, and historical). Of course, whether you choose to focus on one or a number of these elements, the purpose of a literary analysis is to persuade a reader that your interpretation of a literary text is both valid and significant.

One of the ways in which a literary analysis achieves these ends is through the articulation, support, and development of a specific idea or claim. To put this in simple terms, your essay should contain a clearly stated thesis (claim), a coherent structure, and an abundance of relevant evidence (textual and otherwise). For a more involved discussion of these terms, please see the section in our text entitled “The Elements of the Essay” (1918-1937). In addition, you may also find it helpful to read the section in our text entitled “The Writing Process” (1938-1951).

Formalist Approach-Examine the story based on its formal structure. Once you have determined which story you will write about and how you will approach the work, you need to write a 3-4 page double spaced essay that develops the analytical thesis about the story’s meaning (theme), and using passages from the text develop an argument in support of that interpretation.

The requirements for the essay are as follows:

  • Essay must be exactly 3-4 pages in length (no more and no less)

  • Essay must be argumentative (persuasive) in nature

  • Essay must use a sufficient number of textual examples–quotations followed by explanation and interpretation–as argumentative support

  • Essay must adhere to MLA standards and guidelines

  • Essay must contain a “Works Cited” page

In addition, here are a few things you should keep in mind as you are writing your essay:

  • Your essay should contain a well-argued thesis statement (claim)

  • The “body” of your essay should work to support your thesis statement (claim)

  • Your essay should be free of grammatical and punctuation errors

Some Rules for Writing

  • Include the title and the author you are discussing in the first or second paragraph of your paper

  • Assume your reader has read the story you are discussing but does not remember it in detail. In other words, be sure to provide your readers with enough information (textual examples, etc.) so he or she can follow your analysis

  • When you directly quote something, make sure you incorporate the quote into your own analysis. Do not simply stick the quote into the middle of your writing

  • Use quotation marks around the title of a story

  • Don’t plagiarize or use ChatGPT to write your essay. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the class and for possible dismissal from the college


Are you struggling with your paper? Let us handle it - WE ARE EXPERTS!

Whatever paper you need - we will help you write it

Get started

Starts at $9 /page

Login Register Reset

How our paper writing service works

It's very simple!

  • Fill out the order form

    Complete the order form by providing as much information as possible, and then click the submit button.

  • Choose writer

    Select your preferred writer for the project, or let us assign the best writer for you.

  • Add funds

    Allocate funds to your wallet. You can release these funds to the writer incrementally, after each section is completed and meets your expected quality.

  • Ready

    Download the finished work. Review the paper and request free edits if needed. Optionally, rate the writer and leave a review.

Place order now