Lit1000: Literature through a critical lens

Writing Assignment Essay #1: Literature through a Critical Lens

Assignment After you have read “Hills Like White Elephants” and the “Critical Approaches” chapter from your textbook, select a lens that you think most illuminates what you see to be the central issues in the story. In other words, do you think that Hemingway does something particularly interesting with a literary element within the story? You might write from one of the lenses that places an emphasis on the text. Or, if you want to learn more about Hemingway and what might have driven him to create this text, you might focus on the story through one of the lenses that emphasizes the source. Or, if you are more interested in the reader-response or the historical or ideological forces at work in the text, you might choose one of the lenses that focuses on the receiver. Once you’ve selected the lens that most interests you or that seems most appropriate to what takes place in this short story, examine the story more carefully through your selected critical lens. Then, you will plan and draft a literary analysis essay in which you explain how “Hills Like White Elephants” can be understood when it is read through your lens. What details stand out as a result of looking through your lens? How does the story become richer and more nuanced as a result of looking through your lens? What kinds of issues shape how we might read the story through your lens? It’s your job to create an essay that helps those of us who are not familiar with your lens understand how it applies to literature by reading “Hills Like White Elephants” through that critical perspective. Expectations Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font with one-inch margins, in MLA format, no fewer than 700 words (two and a half complete pages), and proofread prior to submission. Please rely on class notes, information posted on Blackboard, and your textbooks for appropriate MLA citation information and incorporation of quotes into sentences. Your essay should adhere to conventions of writing that you have learned in your previous writing classes and in the videos that you reviewed on Blackboard.

This essay should also include a works cited page that will include entries for any texts or references that you utilized in your essay. Grading For this first essay, my grading will focus primarily on the format, structure, and organization of your essay as well on how effectively you viewed the story through your chosen lens and incorporated evidence from “Hills Like White Elephants” or from secondary source material. I will pay attention to your thesis statement and your topic sentences as well as evaluating how well your evidence supports your claim in your thesis and your individual claims in your topic sentences. Your focus should be on clear organization and clear expression of your ideas.

Due Dates Your final essay is due on Blackboard by midnight on Sunday, February 4. You will upload your essay through the

link in Blackboard that says “Dropbox: Critical Lens Essay.” When you click on that, you should submit your

document as an attachment by clicking on “Browse My Computer.” If you are not using Microsoft Word (.doc) as

your word processing software, please be sure that you save and upload your document as a .rtf (Rich Text

Format) or as a .pdf (Portable Document Format) to prevent compatibility issues.

Help! As always, please contact me at [email protected] if you have any issues, concerns, or questions prior to the due date.