Analytical Essay - (Alison Bechtel's Fun Home ) 3-5 pages

Second Analytical Essay

Due: Oct. 11

Length: 3-5 typed pages

This essay will be an analysis of one of two readings: Alison Bechtel's Fun Home or Adrienne Rich's "When We Dead Awaken."

1. Writing an Analytical Essay about Alison Bechtel's Fun Home:

If you choose to write about this graphic novel, you will first need to formulate a topic that allows you to focus on one particular aspect of the work, such as a character (Alison's father, for example, or Alison herself), a theme (some important themes are suicide, love, family, homosexuality, and hypocrisy), or a literary device (such as the allusions to books and to mythology). Here are some suggested topics:

· Describe the father's character and his inability to be authentic about his homosexuality;

· How does Alison mirror (or "invert") her father, both in her lesbianism and in her courage to "come out" about her sexual preferences?

· Is Bruce Bechdel's death an accident or suicide? Locate all of the references to this event and propose an answer to this question;

· Analyze the allusions to the myth of Icarus and Joyce's Ulysses, particularly at the beginning and the end of the book. In doing so, consider the theme of fiction vs. reality.

Once you have decided upon a topic, you should re-read the book and find passages that related to your topic. Write down your ideas about these passages and be sure to note page and panel numbers.

Now write a tentative thesis sentence that restates the topic and contains an assertion about it. Keep in mind that your tentative thesis is open to change and development as you write your paper.

You should now state three or main ideas about your topic, creating a simple outline. Then write a paragraph for each of your main points or ideas (beginning them with topic sentences and, if necessary, ending them with clincher sentences). Be sure to quote the text to illustrate your points. Each paragraph should have the following structure:

Topic Sentence

Sub-idea > evidence > analysis

Sub-idea > evidence > analysis

Sub-idea > evidence > analysis

Clincher Sentence

After writing at least three paragraphs about the novel or essay, write an introductory paragraph using the funnel format, which starts off with a broad idea (or subject area), narrows from subject area to topic, and ends with the thesis. A subject area is a general idea that is much too large to cover in a short essay. A topic narrows the subject area by focusing on one aspect of an issue or by viewing the subject from a distinct angle.. The thesis, finally, states your theory about the meaning of the essay.

Here is an example of a funnel paragraph:

In James Thurber's "A Couple of Hamburgers" and Mary Wilkins Freeman's "The Revolt of Mother," men and women represent the battles between the sexes. The husband and wife in the first story are easily upset and show no respect toward each other. The wife has no real love for her husband, and he has no patience with his wife. In the second story, there is an argument between the husband and the wife, but they are patient. The man has respect for his wife, and the wife loves and cares for her husband. Though both couples encounter difficult situations, one couple solves their problem with mutual respect and patience while the other continues to struggle because of their selfishness and lack of love.

Now rewrite the "body paragraphs" of your essay, making sure that each topic sentence relates to your thesis and, when needed, providing transitions at the beginning of paragraphs.

Finally, write a concluding paragraph. Usually conclusions return to the thesis and place it in a broader context. In other words, the conclusion does the opposite of the funnel opening paragraph: it proceeds from the thesis and the topic to the broader subject area.

There are certain things you want to avoid when writing a conclusion:

Do not summarize your paper

Do not simply repeat words and ideas from the introduction

Do not introduce entirely new ideas unrelated to your thesis

Do not make major concessions to the opposition

Do not weaken your thesis by becoming ambivalent

Do not admit ignorance about our topic

Here is a good conclusion from a student's paper:

This progression of common opinion concerning war is frightful. At one time great epics were written of the glory of such battles as the Trojan War, Waterloo, and even the American Revolution. We then moved through a period of sarcasm just before World War I with the Crimean War and poems like "Base Details." Our last period was one of contempt for the horror of war, of the hard and tragic reality of modern warfare. Now we have entered what seems like a final and terminal stage, the Nuclear Era. The threat of nuclear war and the possible extinction of life on our planet is a constant concern for everyone today. While not always on our minds, it is a dilemma we are all aware of. Whether we realize it or not, the nuclear threat has greatly changed the way we live and view life. There is certainly no honor or valor in a nuclear war, only in preventing one.

This is your rough draft of your essay.

2. Analysis of Adrienne Rich's "When We Dead Awaken"

As with your first analytical essay, before writing this analysis, first divide the essay into sections and state the main idea of each section. Then state the sub-ideas within each section and give examples (paraphrases or quotations) to illustrate your sub-ideas. After paraphrases or quotations, you may need to explain your interpretation of their significance. Then write a paragraph for each section, beginning each paragraph with a topic sentence that states the main idea and ending paragraphs with "clincher sentences," concluding sentences that return to the main idea without simply repeating it.

After writing at least three paragraphs about the essay, write an introductory paragraph using the funnel format (as explained above). Now rewrite the "body paragraphs" of your essay, making sure that each topic sentence relates to your thesis and, when needed, providing transitions at the beginning of paragraphs.

Finally, write a concluding paragraph, as explained above.

Revising Your Essay:

An important final step in writing an analytical essay is re-reading it, adding more details and making necessary changes in content, and proofreading it. Keep in mind that your source materials (that is, Bechtel's book or Rich's essay) provide you with information and material that you should draw upon even during the final stages of composition. (It is especcially useful to return to your sources if your paper is a bit short.)

Challenge Reading (Extra Credit):

Write an analysis Adrienne Rich's "Diving into the Wreck" (on Moodle). First write a paraphrase of each section. Then group these paraphrases into three or more categories, creating a simple outline. Now formulate a thesis, stating what you believe is the main point of the poem, write a funnel paragraph, as explained above; compose a paragraph about each section; and write a conclusion. Be sure to proofread your paper.

This assignment is due on October 18.

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