Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Literary Analysis Research Paper

The purpose of this assignment is to write a Literary Analysis essay that clearly illustrates an investigation into and interpretation of one or more literary works discussed in class. For example, you may wish to detail the significance of domestic abuse in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple; or you may want to address the role of patriarchy in a number of the works we have examined. Remember, these are only options. Also keep in mind that you will need a purpose. Why should your reader care that you are writing about symbols in Walker’s novel? What would he or she take away from your essay by the time he or she finishes with it?
The Literary Analysis essay must be five to seven (5-7) pages. The paper must adhere to the assignment sheet and Modern Language Association (MLA) criteria.

What is your critical goal? To refute other writers’ interpretations, revise/rethink their analyses and reveal some aspect that they may have overlooked, or simply to discuss a particular literary element you see pertinent to the overall understanding of a text? In short, make sure you choose an ANGLE. (I will go over these angles in class.) In addition, consider your audience. Who are you addressing? Your instructor? Your peers? Oprah Winfrey? Toni Morrison?