Consider the impact of google on how we read and understand a text. For this essay, select two of the texts that we have read “DADDY” BY SYLVIA PLATH and “HAPPY ENDINGS” BY MARGARET ATWOOD and use them to support an argument about reading literature in the digital age.
Essay should have a strong central claim that is clearly presented in your introductory paragraph. it should be debatable point that you can prove in the body of your paper using textual evidence from the poem or short story.
Essay Assignment:
Introduction:
In class, we read and discussed the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke. We practiced close reading and considered alternate and conflicting interpretations of the poem. For homework, you read “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath and were encouraged to “Google” the poem. Afterwards in class we talked about how what you read on the internet impacted your understanding of the poem’s theme. We finished this unit by analyzing the short story, “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood and the poems “Where Children Live” by Naomi Shihab Nye and “Home Is So Sad” by Philip Larkin. While all of these texts had to do with home and family relationships, we didn’t read them alone; rather we read them alongside – and inside – the internet.
Assignment:
You may have had to write literary analyses in the past. You may or may not have been allowed to use internet sources. For this assignment, I’m actually encouraging you to consider the impact of “Google” on how we read and understand a text. For this essay, select two of the texts that we have read so far this semester (“My Papa’s Waltz,” “Daddy,” “Where Children Live,” and/or “Happy Endings”) and use them to support an argument about reading literature in the digital age.
Your essay should have a strong central claim that is clearly presented in your introductory paragraph. It should be a debatable point that you can prove in the body of your paper using textual evidence from the poem or short story.
Remember that your goal in a literary analysis is not to summarize the text or to explain what is obvious, but rather to provide a new insight or a new perspective on the significance of the literary work. In order to achieve this, you will need to interpret each quotation in your essay thoroughly, dissecting the style and meaning of every word. Refer to the sections in your textbook: “How to Read Poetry” and “How to Read Short Fiction” for help with the appropriate language and terminology for your analysis. Also refer to your journal entries and in-class writings on this topic.
This essay will be submitted in three drafts:
1. Rough draft. Bring in a hardcopy of your draft and your Peer Review sheet for Workshop. This must be a fully developed draft, not your notes or an outline. While you may not yet have a thesis, your ideas and the basic structure of your essay should be in place.
2. Mid-process draft: You will submit this draft on Moodle for my comments. I will not “fix” your draft for you, rather I will ask you questions and offer suggestions to help you expand your discussion and develop analysis. I will also point out mechanical errors that need to be addressed. This draft should have a working thesis, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page.
3. Final draft: You will submit this draft on Moodle. This is a final, polished draft and should reflect your best work. This draft will receive a grade and some brief comments for you to consider should you choose to revise this paper for your Final Portfolio.
Requirements:
You must have a clearly articulated central claim.
Support your claim with details from the assigned readings.
Minimum 3-4 pages in length.
Cite all sources using MLA format in-text citations.
Include a Works Cited page.
MLA format.