essay

Specifications: The finished paper should meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be at least 6-8 full pages in length, typed and double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt. font with standard 1-inch margins and your name, class, and date in the upper left-hand corner.

2. Cite and quote in a relevant and meaningful way either the play or film that we have read during this unit and the critical article as mentioned above. By “relevant and meaningful” it is meant that the quotations should be actively engaged either as support for the argument proposed or to argue against the ideas contained therein. Simply “dropping in” quotations to fulfill the requirement will not receive full credit.

3. The literary analysis should be structured in some rational way, with a definite opening paragraph, thesis statement, body of 3-5 major points, and closing. All work should be in complete sentences with verbs that use the “active voice” whenever possible. Although grammar is not a primary concern of the paper, incorrect grammar that distracts the reader or detracts from the student’s credibility as a writer will result in a deduction of points.

4. For every source cited in the paper, correct citations in MLA format should be used, both in the text of the paper and on the Works Cited page. (Absence of a Works Cited page or in-text citations results in an automatic ten-point deduction.) There should be two items on the page.

5. Don’t procrastinate! Bring in rough drafts for review early. Make the “process of writing” work for you! It can be an invaluable resource for receiving early feedback that will save points on the final draft.

Due Date of Completed Essay:____________

Grading Criteria : You will be graded on how well you develop a reading of your chosen theme in the novel, how you select and utilize quotations from the novel and the article, conformity to MLA style and formatting, general adherence to the rules of grammar and punctuation, and overall quality.

For Additional Information : Refer to the class handout packet about writing a literary analysis.

English 2130 Essay Assignment: Choice Two

Comparative Analysis of a Critical Theme in Both Versions of A Streetcar Named Desire

Purpose:

Through writing an essay about a contemporary American play and its film adaptation, students will develop critical writing and thinking skills into rational arguments by requiring them to identify a theme that reveals something about society generally and/or about the characters in the work specifically.

Directions:

Read Tennessee Williams’s play, A Streetcar Named Desire, and watch the film adaptation of the play by director Elia Kazan. Next, make a list of 3 to 5 points of comparison that are different in the film from the play. Then, find some common theme of literary analysis that you believe is the underlying source for these changes. Ask yourself “What was Williams trying to tell us that was different from what Kazan had to say?” Last, write a 6-8 page literary analysis of that theme by digging deeply into both the film and play to develop a meaningful interpretation of the work and the society that created it. You must directly quote both the play and the film in your essay.

Specifications: The finished paper should meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be at least 6-8 full pages in length, typed and double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt. font with standard 1-inch margins and your name, class, and date in the upper left-hand corner.

2. Cite and quote in a relevant and meaningful way both the novel and film that we have read during this unit as mentioned above. By “relevant and meaningful” it is meant that the quotations should be actively engaged either as support for the argument proposed or to argue against the ideas contained therein. Simply “dropping in” quotations to fulfill the requirement will not receive full credit.

3. The literary analysis should be structured in some rational way, with a definite opening paragraph, thesis statement, body of 3-5 major points, and closing. All work should be in complete sentences with verbs that use the “active voice” whenever possible. Although grammar is not a primary concern of the paper, incorrect grammar that distracts the reader or detracts from the student’s credibility as a writer will result in a deduction of points.

4. For every source cited in the paper, correct citations in MLA format should be used, both in the text of the paper and on the Works Cited page. (Absence of a Works Cited page or in-text citations results in an automatic ten-point deduction.) There should be two items on the page.

5. Don’t procrastinate! Bring in rough drafts for review early. Make the “process of writing” work for you! It can be an invaluable resource for receiving early feedback that will save points on the final draft.

Due Date of Completed Essay:____________

Grading Criteria : You will be graded on how well you develop a reading of your chosen theme in the novel, how you select and utilize quotations from the novel and the article, conformity to MLA style and formatting, general adherence to the rules of grammar and punctuation, and overall quality.

For Additional Information : Refer to the class handout packet about writing a literary analysis.