Comeplete paper from topic
micael14
5_dunlap_michael_poe_usher_email.rtfHi Michael,
You have a really good focus to the essay.
The parallels in Poe’s story expose the am biguities of our human relationships and their surroundings .
I would suggest that you – at some point – go back and develop the thesis more fully. Try to clarify exactly what you mean by exposing “the ambiguities of our human relationships and surroundings.” That is a little unclear, and you want the assertion in the thesis to be very clearly stated.
You might consider how the mirror images/parallels, for example with Roderick and Madeline, reflect an outgrowth of obsession, causing them to withdraw from the full human experience. It’s a thematic idea that both Hawthorne and Poe (as “dark romantics”) explored.
If you’re stuck, re-read the story, and take notes with your specific idea in mind.
You might also do some preliminary research (browsing through the critical literature in the library) to see some of the varied perspectives regarding your focused topic. This can sometimes help you clarify your own ideas. Remember, the point of literary research is to engage – not just with the primary source – but with the academic community, so you can allow the preliminary research to inform – but not dictate – your interpretation.
Once you have done a good amount of prewriting and textual review and preliminary research, try to re-write your thesis statement.
Also, you’ll need to create an outline once you revise the thesis. The topic sentence for each paragraph should contain a single, focused “claim.” Essentially you will take on a ‘piece’ of the thesis, and you will develop the paragraph by proving the claim through a close analysis of the details of the story and with support from the critics. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have questions as you move through the research process. ~ Ms. Page
T he Three-Part Topic Proposal for Research
Save this file to your computer; type in your responses for each of the three areas below, and then upload your work by the deadline using the dropbox in Module 11.
Step 1 : Explanation Write a one-paragraph explanation. (This is not an introductory paragraph for the paper.) This should be an explanation of your focused topic and what you hope to prove to your reader through your analysis.
Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” has gained great reviews for its extraordinary structure in which various themes emerge from a detailed network of imagery. One of the outstanding themes is the use of mirror images or parallels. The use of direct and opposite semblance in the behavior, characters, events and relationships between characters in the short story adds necessary depth and increases our interest. My paper will examine these themes and also examine how the themes and characters related to Poe’s own life.
Step 2 : Working Thesis
Really think about what you wrote in the explanation and pull it together by creating a working thesis. You will likely continue to revise and edit this thesis. Remember: A THESIS should include the focused topic plus your assertion about the significance of that topic . It should be argumentative in nature, since it is an opinion that you will prove through a close analysis of the details of the text.
For instance, the story’s narrator first views the Ushers’ mansion as a reflection in the shallow pool that lies alongside the front of the mansion. The pool mirrors the house, although in an upside down manner. The inverse symmetrical relationship also illustrates Roderick’s relationship to the sister, Madeline. The parallels in Poe’s story expose the ambiguities of our human relationships and their surroundings.
Step 3 : Tentative Outline
Now create a tentative outline for your working thesis. In other words, how will you break up your body paragraphs to prove or support the thesis?
My paper will examine the various characters, their interactions, their situations, their actions and their environment relate to portray mirror images or parallels in the narrative. It shall also examine how the author utilises the theme to relate the story to his private life and his other literary works.
