In a 4-page persuasive paper write an in-depth analysis of a short story using your own ideas and excerpts from the text, such as quotes, paraphrase, and summary, remembering that quoted material should never exceed 25% of the essay. Next week you will have an opportunity to incorporate into your essay scholarly source material that further substantiates your argument. You may include such information in this week's essay, but it is not required at this point.
Start by choosing a short story from our textbook, Literature: A World of Writing Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Brainstorm to identify a topic that you would like to explore. Feel free to use your own topic or choose one from the list below. Then, develop a preliminary thesis (main claim) that relates to one of the literary elements we have studied this session (symbolism, imagery, dialogue, plot, character, setting, theme, point of view, or style). For example, you can consider how racism is central to the grandmother's character in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" or explore the importance of setting to Ernest Hemingway's "Hills like White Elephants."
If you have trouble coming up with a topic, contact your instructor, who will help you brainstorm.
Next, develop an introduction that states an original thesis (main claim), the author's name (if available), and the title of the story. Then draft the discussion of evidence, threading your thesis throughout this section of the paper. Remember to use excerpts from the short story, examining them thoroughly and thoughtfully, but do not forget that only 25% of the essay can consist of quotes.
Your essay should end with a concluding paragraph or two, which should be appropriate to the topic, the short story, and your thesis.
Be sure to arrange the entire the paper according to APA rules of style, including in-text and reference citations, also formatted in APA style.
When finished, the paper should be 1,200 to 1,400 words long (approximately 4 double-spaced pages).
Possible Topics for Analytical Essays on Short Fiction
- Race
- Family
- Motherhood
- Travel
- Protest
- Nature
- Confession
- Marriage
- Manhood
- Gender
- roles Love
- Betrayal
- Belonging
- Forgiveness
- Art
- Beauty
Remember, these are only suggestions. You may choose your own topic if you prefer.