English

ENG205Z, Fall 2022

Explication Paper (1500–1750 words)

Due by 7 October 2022, 11:59pm

Attach/upload your paper as an MS Word document—that is, any other document formats are unacceptable. Do not use Bb’s

text editor for this assignment.

Objective. Etymologically, the verb explicate carries the following associations: to unfold, to unroll, to level out, smooth, to extricate, to

disentangle, to solve, to spread out, expand, to develop, to display, to make clear and to make known. For our purposes, such an

unfolding of meaning(s), or disentanglement of narrative knots, entails a careful elucidation of the literary work in question—that is, a

process which closely explores not only what that work means but also how it means what it means. Explication thus always takes as its

raw materials the actual words on the page. Whenever you elaborate on even a small segment of a literary work by carrying out a

meticulous close reading that relates it to the whole, you are essentially explicating. As such, a perceptive literary explication

makes plausible interpretive claims;

makes debatable claims;

supports claims with textual evidence;

argues for a thesis about the literary text;

explores the complexity of the literary text.

To that end, a compelling explication therefore considers all relevant elements of a work—for example, voice, point of view, (narrative)

structure, figurative language, imagery, connotative words and double meanings, allusions, sound, and rhythm. Finding deeper meanings

beneath the surface layer of the text, therefore, is central to any serious explication. It always entails and proceeds from close reading

(close examination) of specific words/phrases/lines/passages/moments—sometimes line by line or word by word—in relation to the

whole work. Close reading often aims at identifying, exploring, and interpreting surface–depths relations/tensions, patterns,

comparisons/analogies, and (binary) opposites in relation to setting, characterization, perspective, ironies, and time and sequence.

Explication therefore involves a circular process whereby we read the parts in light of the whole, yet cannot assume to know the whole

until we have read all the parts: We understand, for instance, the individual words over against the context of an unfolding sentence

which cannot, however, be said to be com​plete until we have finished reading each and every word one by one. Such an interpretive

bifocality—in terms of surface/depth, form/content, and part/whole—constitutes the core of the explicative method. A sustained focus

on and close reading particular moments in the literary text combined with their interpretation in relation to the whole is central to any

explication.

Prompt. Closely reread Patricia Grace’s “Parade” and consider the prompt below. In doing so, rethink, refocus, revise, and expand the

explication you have already turned in on “Parade”:

A dominant thematic strand in “Parade” seems to turn on a nostalgic focus on the representation of rural Māori life in relation to

the sociocultural pressures faced by the urbanized Māori. Exploring the setting, characterization, and narrative perspective, stage a

compelling explication of the ways in which “Parade” paints a vivid picture of the minutiae of place, its affective elements, color and

texture as well as the warmth of interpersonal relationships. Connect the significance of such descriptive and visual components,

as well as their metaphorical overtones, to Grace’s primary preoccupations in the story.

N.B. Following the MLA style guidelines, you must properly cite and format all direct and indirect references you make to literary texts

(i.e., quotation, paraphrase), along with ideas/concepts/notions/definitions that are not yours. (See Principles of MLA Style under

Research Guides on Bb; in-text citations

(https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html),

Works Cited page

(https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_basic_format.html),

and this sample MLA paper

(https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_sample_paper.html) on Purdue OWL;

and the academic integrity requirement on the syllabus.)

Form & length. Your paper must meet the expected word count (1500–1750) excluding the Works Cited page. In formatting your paper,

use the MLA style and follow standard academic format: typed, one-inch margins on all sides, double spaced, 12 pt. serif font such as

Times New Roman. Use indentation to distinguish paragraph breaks. No extra spacing between paragraphs, no fancy fonts, no wide

margins. Keep it simple: name, instructor, class and date in the top left-hand corner and a title top centre will suffice. Do not use a lot of

space to do this, though. Your paper should start within 2–3” of the top margin. Your list of works cited should begin on a new page after

your concluding paragraph.