Literary Analysis

Project 3

Evaluation 33

Ninth Grade English 2 (ENGH 032 060)

Be sure to include ALL pages of this project (including the directions and the assignment) when you send the project to your teacher for grading. Don’t forget to put your name and I.D. number at the top of this page!

This project is worth 100 points. Note that grammar, spelling, and punctuation are important for this project. Refer to the “Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Handbook” section on pages R24–R28 of your textbook and the writing guidelines in the Appendix of this course.

Project Instructions

Literary Analysis

For this project, you will write an essay in which you respond to a work of literature that we have studied in the course and that you connected to as a reader. Your purpose is to analyze the work and support your analysis with evidence from the text. Organize your essay with an introduction, body (supporting paragraphs), and a conclusion.

In your introduction, explain the work about which you are writing. If it is a story, summarize the plot in a few sentences, and include a sentence or two about the main characters. If it is a poem or a work of nonfiction, explain the main ideas. Include a thesis statement (position or argument) about why the work is meaningful to you. Did it inspire you? Did you relate to a certain character or situation? Perhaps you agreed or disagreed with a theme or main idea.

State your thesis as a statement of fact, for example: “Fortunato’s arrogance was his undoing.” You may make a moral judgment, defend or criticize a character or idea, or simply react to a situation discussed in the work, but you need to express an opinion.

The body of your essay, composed of supporting paragraphs, will support your thesis. It is up to you to prove that your thesis is valid. An easy way to organize the body of your essay would be to have each body paragraph discuss a single idea. To continue our example:

· Montresor knows that he can appeal to Fortunato’s pride.

· Fortunato assumes everyone likes him despite his cruelty to Montresor.

· Fortunato does not realize he is walking into a trap because he is so intent on impressing Montresor.

In your conclusion, you should summarize your thesis, as well as what you have said in your essay.

Your essay should be between two and four pages (600 to 1200 words). Please double-space your lines. Any direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks and cited in MLA Style, although you will NOT need a bibliography unless you use a source other than your textbook. The current edition of the MLA Style Manual is available in most libraries, and guides to the manual may be found online. There is a brief summary of the MLA Style on pages lxxviii-lxxix in your textbook.

Your essay will be worth 100 points, and it will be worth 12 percent of your course grade. The essay will be graded according to the following criteria:

· Analysis of the work’s content, specifically why it affected you (15 points possible)

· Well organized essay structure (15 points possible)

· A clear thesis statement that is expressed in your introduction and consistently supported throughout the essay (15 points possible)

· A focus on a single aspect or an overall view of the work (theme, character, situation—clear explanation of the part of the work to which you are reacting) (15 points possible)

· Use of evidence (examples, details, and quotations) from the text to support your thesis. (15 points possible)

· A tone that suits your purpose (supportive, critical, humorous, etc.) (15 points possible)

· Correct usage of grammar, spelling, and punctuation (10 points possible)

Project Submission

To submit the project, save this project assignment document. Use the course number, your name, and the project number in your file’s title:

ENGH032060_YourNameHere_Project3.doc

Go to your course management system to upload your project file.

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