English 102/Spring 2018/Woodbery
Essay #1: Analyzing a Short Story
Due February 7: Thesis and Outline Due in Conference with Instructor. (Sign up for a conference
time in class on Monday, Feb. 5.) The outline form is included at the end of these guidelines.
Final Draft of Essay #1 is due on Wednesday, February 14 @ 11:59 p.m. through the Turnitin
located on the course menu in Blackboard.
On Feb. 14, please bring a paper copy of your thesis and outline to class to turn in to me.
Be sure to submit a copy of the final draft of your essay through Turnitin several hours before the
time the essay is due so that you can check for accidental plagiarism, revise the paper if necessary, and re–
submit it before the date and time the paper is due. You may revise your paper and re-submit it as many
times as necessary to remove accidental plagiarism before the paper is due. You should not have above a
15% match in Turnitin.
Format: Put your name, the class, my name, and the date in the upper-left-hand corner of the first page.
Single-space this information. After this identification chunk, double space and center your essay’s
original and creative title. Double-space throughout the rest of the essay.
Be sure to indent new paragraphs five spaces. Provide page numbers in the upper-right-hand corner of
each page. Do not number page one. The length of this paper should be from 600-750 words long. Essays
will not be penalized for being longer than 750 words unless they are full of deadwood, repetition, and
bloated writing, but they will be penalized for being shorter than 600 words.
Topic 1: For this essay, choose one the stories we have covered in class. Your goal will be to show how
the setting, the plot (conflicts), character (main character and/or minor characters), symbols, and/or
historical background (choose three elements) reveals the theme (the meaning) of the story. Be sure to
include a strong thesis in your introduction in which you identify the element(s) you will use to analyze
the story and why you will discuss these elements in your essay. The reason you will discuss how these
elements are used in the short story is to show what the story means. State the theme of the story in
your thesis (say what the story means).
Topic 2: All of the stories we have read involve violence, both physical and mental. Choose one of the
stories and analyze the author’s use of violence as a means to reveal the story’s meaning. Craft your thesis
carefully. Be sure the thesis is broad enough to prove with examples from the story but not so broad or
general that you cannot prove it using specific examples from the story.
Citation Form: Use MLA citation format for both in-text citations and on the Works Cited page.
You should use only evidence from the story to support your thesis. Provide in-text citations for
paraphrased material from the story and for short quotes from the story.
This essay should be between you and the story. Think of this essay as a negotiation in the use of words
to make meaning. Do not use outside sources, meaning both online and paper sources. Your “Works
Cited” page should contain only one citation for the story itself.
Audience: Write for an audience of your fellow students. Assume they have read the story but are not as
familiar as you are in terms of its details.
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Organization:
Introduction: The beginning of the essay has two main functions: to engage your reader’s
interest and to state your thesis. After getting the reader’s attention, introduce the work you are
going to discuss by stating the title of the work, the author, and the genre (TAG). You should also
briefly summarize the story and provide pertinent background information. Your thesis should be
the last sentence in your introduction.
Middle Section: The body paragraphs of your essay will develop and support your thesis with
details, examples, reasons, and explanations. Support your thesis with quotations and paraphrases
from the story that you are writing about. Quote sparingly and paraphrase liberally. Organize this
section carefully.
Be sure to avoid simply summarizing the plot. Additionally, do not leave it up to the reader to
connect your evidence to your thesis. You should connect your evidence to your thesis
throughout your essay.
An Example of a Body Paragraph in an Essay about Literature:
Topic Sentence: Should provide the main point of the paragraph and answer the question,
“How will this paragraph support my thesis?”
Lead-in/Transition to Concrete Detail #1 (sentence or phrase)
Concrete Detail #1 sentence
