Project description:
This is a review, I hope to be able to describe the emotion between Fanlin and his parakeet, Essay has some arguments to express their feelings,The following is requirements of professor.
Essay (Textual Analysis): What’s the Author Trying to Say?
Purpose: Write an essay in which you explain a possible message that the author suggests through one of the texts we’ve read for class. You want to persuade readers that your interpretation is valid even if they don’t agree with it.
Audience: An educated, college audience.
Interpreting the Text: Stories and poems may have any number of meanings–either intended by the author or accidental. To make your own interpretation convincing, offer evidence from the text and lead us through your lines of thought step by step.
Important Notes:
1. The thesis should be a statement that applies to life in general even though you build that thesis from specific fictional characters and situations. You might think of the thesis as being an observation and consequence. For example: Through “Sonnet Ten,” Shakespeare suggests that our own selfishness is usually the cause of our own destruction because…
2. In constructing your thesis, try to discover something other readers missed either because they glossed over details or because your personal experiences have given you a unique perspective. Avoid boring generalizations (“love is good” or “communication is important”). If you get stuck, try adding an “if” or “because” to your original statement.
3. Think of yourself as a literary detective; offer proof for your points by making and analyzing inferences from the text. (Note: you don’t need to spend much time summarizing the text; we’ve all read it.)
4. Discuss texts in present tense: Shakespeare suggests that….When Hamlet decides to . . . ., etc.
5. Forecast your essay by briefly stating how you’ll prove your points. For example: Through “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe argues that even a simple act of friendship can become dangerous if coupled with thirst for revenge [thesis]. We see this through Montresor’s feelings of superiority and his refusal to compromise [forecast].
6. Put quotations marks around the names of short stories. (Use underlining or italics for books or other long texts such as films.)
7. Credit your sources . If you use direct quotes, include the page number: “ …..” (18). Include both the author and the page number if the author is unclear: “…..” (Tan 18).
8. Don’t write “I think” or “I know” or information such as “When I read the story….” Such phrases are not necessary and slow your essay down.
9. Make the most of your workshop time by bringing new and improved versions to each peer review session. Keep track of your classmates’ most important comments; you’ll submit this information with your final essay.
10. Increase your own critical skills by helping your classmates with their drafts.
11. To avoid losing credit, compose your essay in STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH. (That means: use formal grammar and edit to avoid mistakes.) If you’re concerned about your editing skills, stop by my office hours with a sample text that we can review together. Take the time to edit carefully, giving special attention to the items we studied in class. (Remember Peter Elbow!)
12. Submit drafts that show significant changes you made while drafting your essay. Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.
Length: 1000-1500 words (4-6 typed pages). If your essay runs a bit longer, that’s fine. If your essay is way too short, it won’t explain enough to be effective, so it won’t earn a passing grade.