English 102 Literary Analysis Paper
Due: Proposal 4/8/13
Draft 4/29/13
Final Version 5/20/13
Length: 6 full pages
Overview: For this paper, you should write a fully developed critical analysis of one or more story, poem, or play from the class readings. The paper should be a complete essay with an introduction that ends with a thesis, body paragraphs that support that thesis, and a conclusion. You must incorporate a minimum of three scholarly articles in your paper (see below). You should directly cite the work and the scholarly articles you use as you make your arguments. Each reference to the work or to an outside source (be it mentioning a specific passage, paraphrasing, or quoting) must be accompanied by an MLA formatted in-text page citation. At the end of your paper, please include an MLA formatted works cited page that lists each work you reference.
Critical Traditions: Your analysis must conform to one of the following critical traditions: Feminist, Queer, Marxist, Psychoanalytical, or Post-Colonial. Your paper should analyze how the work or works you choose operates according the principals of the tradition you use. (For example: a Marxist criticism must explore how the work subverts and/or supports capitalism.)
Research: You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, scholarly sources. You should bring these sources into your discussion by either using them to provide evidence for your article or by taking issue with a position that contradicts your own. The most basic way to do this is to find articles that discuss the same work you are analyzing. It is possible, however, to use a source about a different work if you are able to tie it strongly into your argument. When you write about your sources, you should mention how they fit into your argument, include a quote or a paraphrase, and explain how your thesis is strengthened by it.
You have two options to choose from:
Option 1: Compare and contrast two works we study in this class, making sure to ground your analysis in one of the critical traditions mentioned above. You may use works you have analyzed in a previous project, but keep in mind that the works you chose should be suitable to the critical tradition you use.
Option 2: Write a paper that analyzes one work we study in this class, making sure to ground your analysis in one of the critical traditions mentioned above. You may use a works you have analyzed in a previous project, but keep in mind that the work you chose should be suitable to the critical tradition you use.
3 Stages:
Stage 1—Proposal Due 4/8/13
Write a 1 page proposal of what you intend to write your paper about. You should include what work or works you will write about, what critical tradition you will use, and an early version of your thesis. (The thesis will probably evolve as you continue to plot out your essay, but you should be committed to the works and the model.) You should also include an MLA citation for one scholarly article you will use.
Stage 2—Draft Due 4/29/13
You are to submit a draft of your paper. It can be a partial draft, but it should be fairly advanced. Since I am going to provide comments, you will be better situated to revise it if it is a true attempt to submit a completed essay. Even if it is a partial draft, you must have a works cited page that includes the work(s) you are writing about and three scholarly articles.
Stage 3—Final Version Due 5/20/13
You will submit your final essay.
Note 1: You should use a MLA style guide to make sure your page citations and works cited page are properly formatted. The most recent MLA style guide can be found in the library, but you can also use the following resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Note 2: Your essay should be well-developed and well-written. That said, writing is difficult, and many students encounter barriers. Fortunately there are resources to help you if you experience barriers. If you make an appointment with me outside of class, I will happily sit down with you in my office and work through your concerns. Also, The Learning Center has a number of helpful resources (Information Desk: (818) 364 -7754). Many students continue to bring papers to The Learning Center, even as they work on graduate degrees.
