The Assignment:
Students will select one of their mini-analysis essays, either on the short stories, Frankenstein or Hamlet, to expand for the final formal essay. The essay will be academic, clear and concise and will demonstrate all proper conventions of formal writing. The paper will present a coherent thesis that is supported with solid topic sentences for each paragraph and substantial evidence from the texts. The essay will also include at least 2 critical sources (ONLY from the PSC Library Database) to support the argument. The length requirement of the essay is 1300-1500 words (1300 words is MINIMUM).
Deadlines
- Literary Analysis Essay FINAL with at a least two integrated critical sources and properly formatting Works Cited page is due between Monday, April 29th-Friday, May 3rd. The essay will NOT be accepted after Friday, May 3rd BEFORE 11:59 p.m.
Due to final grading deadlines, the Literary Analysis will NOT be accepted after these deadlines under any circumstances. NO LAST MINUTE EXCUSE WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Organization:
The essay should be organized as follows:
Introduction:
A brief introduction paragraph with a clear and concise thesis statement (last sentence of introduction) with 2-3 subpoints. The thesis statement is an original claim (argument) that you make about a work. This must be an argument (NOT a statement of fact) that seeks to advance a particular view of literature. An effective way of developing your thesis is to think of it in terms of a response to an argumentative question.
Students should apply one of the literary theories or ideas presented in the course. A failing grade will be assessed for essays that are just a repeat of the same tired old topics found on the internet.
If students have a strong introduction and thesis statement from their selected mini-analysis paper, then they can use the same thesis but keep in mind that you are writing a longer essay, so you might have to add one or two more subpoints to the thesis statement to expand your idea.
Body Analysis:
The body paragraphs should analyze/interpret/explain/elaborate on your argument from thesis statement. The discussion should be set up based on the subpoints presented in the thesis statement.
The support for the literary analysis will come from the texts and used to support the argument. The supporting examples are simply the evidence for your claim; they support your topic sentence and thesis. Think of the brief interpretation and supporting examples as your response to a skeptical reader, who reads your thesis statement and asks: “What makes you think so?” Just make sure that each example that you paraphrase from the text is adequately explained. In other words, explain WHY this particular example supports (substantiates) your thesis argument.
Students can review The Compact Literature textbook, pages 62-63 on “Developing an Argumentative Thesis” for information on constructing a debatable thesis statement.
Formatting:
- NO first person “I” or second person “you” should be used. Essays should be written in third person present tense only.
- The introduction should introduce the complete title of the novel, the author, and a one – two sentence overview of the element of the text you are about to analyze. The author’s first and last name should be used when first referenced and only the last name used throughout the rest of the essay.
- The thesis statement (your argument) should be the LAST SENTENCE of the introduction. Must be a statement; NEVER a question.
- Body paragraph(s) should elaborate and explain your thesis statement. Use examples from the text to prove your argument. Give page numbers in parenthesis whenever you reference the text, so I can find the information you are referencing. Ex: (Shelley 8).
- For this paper, you will use at least two critical sources. A critical source is a source that interprets, analyzes, comments critically, and adds to the discussion of a primary source (aka secondary source). The best critical sources are written by experts in the discipline, in this case literature, and are published by academic presses (example: University of Chicago Press or Harvard University Press) or appear in a peer-reviewed journal. A “peer-reviewed” article means that it has been reviewed and accepted by other experts in the field.
- You can find critical sources through the PSC library catalog and many of the library databases. For this literary analysis. I recommend the following databases for articles: Gale Literature, Literature Salem Press, Literature Resource Center (Gale) and , JSTOR. Only critical sources can be used in this paper. See the information on critical sources in the modules. See a librarian EARLY to get help on finding appropriate critical sources
- ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNET SOURCES (.com, .org, .edu) CAN BE USED IN THIS PAPER. A failing grade will be assessed for papers that use internet or website sources.
- Essay MUST have a properly formatted works cited page list all the sources used in the paper. Essays that list sources but do not include a works cited page, or essays that list sources in a works cited page without using them in the body of the paper will receive a failing grade.
- DO NOT list the Compact Literature textbook, the short stories, Frankenstein, or Hamlet in the works cited. Only list the critical sources that you found and used in the works cited. Just make sure to use an in text citation with last name and page number of all sources so I can find your references.
- ABSOLUTELY NO direct quotes of texts should be used. Paraphrase (in your own words) examples from the text that you want to use to support your argument. A “D” grade will be assessed to any essay that uses direct quotations, which is just students cutting and pasting someone else’s words to make the word count.
- This is a formal essay and therefore should be in proper MLA format. Students should refer to the MLA style sheet, the Writing Tips for Essays, and the Banned Word List in modules and follow the instructions closely on how to properly format and edit the essay. Essays should be professional, academic, and articulate. Essays not in proper MLA format will receive up to a 30% deduction from the final average.
- The MINIMUM word count is 1300-1500 words. Essays less than the minimum word count will not be graded.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism:
All essays will receive a Turnitin report for plagiarism and to detect the use of artificial intelligence (AI). IMPORTANT: Students who plagiarize or use any artificial intelligence (AI) on any assignment will receive a zero on the work and/or an “F” in the course and a referral to the Dean’s Office for cheating. NO EXCEPTIONS. Students should be careful using grammar or plagiarism checkers online, since some of these sites use AI, which may be detected in the assignment. If students need grammar help, then they should use the writing tools provided in class or see a tutor in the TLCC for help. T
I STRONGLY suggest students review the course policy in the syllabus to be familiar with the penalties for cheating on assignments in the class.
Due to final grading deadlines, the Final Essay will NOT be accepted late under any circumstances. Students are STRONGLY advised to submit their work early BEFORE the deadline. NO EXCUSE will be accepted for this essay not being submitted on time.
Students should make sure to submit their work BEFORE the 11:59 p.m. deadline, which is when the assignment drop box CLOSES. If you choose to upload your essay close to the deadline, you risk the assignment closing and your paper not being accepted. Please DO NOT email the professor any essays after the deadline has passed. No excuses are acceptable. If you need assistance, see the professor BEFORE the deadline. No assistance can be given after the deadline has passed. Technical issues should be resolved BEFORE the deadline and are not valid excuses for assignments not submitted on time.