Literary Analysis

EH 101: Composition 1

Assignment 2: Literary Analysis Peer Review Draft due: Friday, September 25

Initial Draft due: Monday, September 28

First Revision due: Friday, October 9

Literary analysis is a process where a reader takes a text and analyzes the possible meanings presented within that text, using imagination and insight to make connections or bring the story to life. This type of analysis can sometimes be particularly tricky, especially if one does not have experience in doing it. One way to make literary analysis easier is to focus on a specific lens. In research, a lens is a particular way to look at something that needs to be analyzed. In most cases, this lens is a particular theory. For this assignment, the theory that you will be working with is critical literacy. Students will select a young adult novel and analyze it for elements of critical literacy. Critical literacy embodies the learning of skills that go beyond classroom material. These

skills can include, but are not limited to, critical thinking, problem solving, and clear communication. These

"big picture" types of skills allow for other developments, such as a sense of identity as well as the development

of personal belief systems. This also means that learners start to engage with issues of social justice and learn

about different perspectives on social issues.

College students are especially affected by these issues considering that this time is spent growing and figure

out who you are as a person. For some students, this may be the first time on your own, and trying to manage

time between work and play can be challenging. Dating can sometimes even be an issue because in many ways

you are still developing who you are as a person. In the classroom, every time you write and read, you begin to

understand more about yourself, who you are and what you believe in. Sometimes, your beliefs change, and

other times they stand solid. Your belief systems will be constantly challenged, and you will learn different

perspectives along the way. Needless to say, college is an incredibly stressful time, but along the way, we

discover we are and fully form our own personal identity.

Young adult novels are particularly good at expressing these tensions that college students face, as their themes

often deal with growing up, discovering identity, and understanding the world from a new perspective or in a

new light. This assignment will explore how young adult novels do just that. In this essay, you’ll take your

book selection and analyze it for moments of critical literacy. Your goal is to propose this as a novel for

incoming freshman as a tool to help them deal with the stresses of college life.

Invention and Drafting In order to put this paper together, you have to close read the book. Specifically, you should make connections between your selection and the critical theory lens we will be discussing in class. As you are drafting your paper, think about these questions.

1. Are there moments in my novel where a character has an identity crisis? 2. Are the characters’ belief systems challenged? If so, how? What happens when they are? 3. Does the novel cause you think about an issue or something that you believe in in a different way? 4. Does the novel help you think more about social issues or social justice? Does it shed new light or new

perspectives on the situation? 5. Does the novel introduce you to a new perspective on a social issues that you have never thought about

before? Keep in mind here that your goal is not to answer all of these questions, but to instead find some sort of theme

or angle that works for your paper. Trying to cover too much in three to four pages can lead to a really general

analysis. You want to be as specific as possible here. Requirements Your literary analysis MUST do the following things:

1. Your paper must briefly introduce the book, describing what it’s like and what it’s about, before discussing it in fuller detail.

2. Your paper must discuss the book of your choosing using quotes or paraphrased material from the book as evidence. This is absolutely necessarily to prove your point.

3. You must analyze this book using a critical literacy lens. This means you should look for material that would help students engage with social justice issues or help them build their identity.

4. Your paper must have a specific thesis statement that introduces an argument about why your particular selection is a great choice for students entering in to university life.

5. Your paper must persuade your audience to read this book. Your conclusion should re-emphasize for readers why this book will help them deal with the stresses of college life.

Who Is Your Audience? Your audience is this year’s incoming class of Freshman at the University of South Alabama. This means that you will have to keep in mind what stresses students might encounter at the university. Remember, you are proposing this as a book for them to read to help them adjust to college life, so think about what information they may need to know about the book to convince them to actually read it. What Makes It Good? This paper has a clear argument about why a particular book can help students’ deal with the very many issues or stresses that a student may encounter when entering into the academic world. This argument helps persuade its audience of the book’s value and shows the audience exactly why this book should be read. There is clear evidence to back up the argument, and this evidence includes direct quotes or paraphrases from the chosen book. The paper engages with the concept of critical literacy, using this theory as a lens to analyze the book in question. The writer is specific with their analysis and does not try to cover too many topics for this short paper. Nuts and Bolts

 Your literary analysis must be 3-4 pages in length. This means a full 3 pages. All pages must use 12- point Times New Roman font, be double-spaced, and use 1-inch margins on all sides. All pages must be numbered.

 Your literary analysis MUST include a Works Cited page that includes your book and any other sources you may have used to analyze your book. If this is not present, it’s an automatic 15 point deduction. I’ll be reviewing what MLA citations look like in class.

 Your literary analysis must have an original title that is not “Literacy Analysis” or “Assignment 2.”

 You must turn in your peer review draft and peer review worksheet on the day the initial draft is due in class. If you are not present for peer review, you will receive a 10 point deduction.

 As always, my comments will be limited on the grammar side of your draft. However, if your grammar blocks the meaning you are communicating or if the errors are repeated, I will comment on them.

 All references to outside works (if absolutely necessary) must be cited parenthetically in the work and on a Works Cited page using MLA formatting. Your literary analysis MUST include a Works Cited page that includes your book and any other sources you may have used to analyze your book. If this is not present, it’s an automatic 15 point deduction. Please refer to the Purdue Owl for any help with citing. (Purdue Owl, https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).

 Stop by office hours or the writing center if you need help! How to Turn in Your Literacy Narrative

 You must upload it to USA Online/Sakai prior to class on the day it is due. I will not accept late papers.

 You will turn in your peer review worksheets and drafts at the beginning of class inside a folder. Do not turn in loose papers. This is how materials get lost.

 If you are using Pages, make sure to convert your document to a Word Doc or a PDF before you submit it. Otherwise, I will not be able to see it or grade it.