Literary Analysis Paper
Final Paper Due: April 10, 2017
For the second paper of the class, I am asking you to do a close-reading and interpretation of one of the books we have discussed so far in class.
I am looking for you to present to me your interpretation of how the entire novel, or at least some portion of the novel should be read. This interpretation should be significant in that it affects the meaning and message that the novel/author is attempting to present to the audience.
I am NOT looking for you to merely repeat back to me things that I, or others, have said in class. Although it is is acceptable to draw on they things mentioned in discussion as a starting place, the bulk of this paper should be YOUR interpretation and draw from your own personal ideas and reactions to the text.
It may be helpful to think back to the second day of class and consider some of the critical viewpoints that were presented as means for looking at literature, such as colonialism, feminism, gender studies, queer theory, historicism, and New Criticism. Although you do not need to speciifcally use the terms in your paper, they may provide you with ways of thinking about the text that will inspire what you write.
This paper should be closely grounded in the actual text of the novel you are examining. Specific examples and quotes from the text are essential to wriitng this paper well. As a general rule of thumb, there should be at least one quote from the novel for every body paragraph or idea you present.
I will be grading primarily on the quality and clarity of the argument you are making. The best papers will be attempting to make a detailed and focused argument about interpreting the novel that goes beyond simple surface details.
Requirements: 1500-1700 words (approximatley 5-6 pages), double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12pt font, and stapled or paper-clipped. All citations should be in MLA style and a Works Cited page should be included as well.