LIT 2030: Responding to a Novella (Theme)
Assignment: For this assignment you will be writing about a central idea (theme) of your choosing found in found in Toni Morrison's Home and will trace its development through the author’s use of symbolism. You should examine the connections you find between 3 symbolic objects in the work and discuss their connections to the overall theme that you have identified. Discuss what makes them important and relevant to that theme and what each of them reveals about that central idea.
We will discuss the novel in class and give you some ideas before you start.
NOTE: THE IDEAS FOUND IN THIS PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. YOU MAY NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES!
What is Literary Criticism and How Do I Write a Paper of This Nature?
At its very basic definition, literary criticism is a written evaluation of a work of literature that attempts to enlighten a reader about the underlying meaning of the text, whether it is a play, poem, short story, or novel.
Purpose
In this type of paper a writer is forming an academic argument. As the writer you are arguing that your interpretation of the text is a valid - not the only interpretation - in an attempt to aid the reader in “seeing” the text in a new light or from a different perspective that perhaps may be different from their own. Specifically you are arguing what you see as an important theme in the work and the connections that theme has to three objects/symbols in the novella
Audience
Your audience is made up of academics, scholars, literary critics, professors, and students (who are academics, scholars, and literary critics). You should assume that they have read the text and are familiar with its contents. Because of this you would never merely retell the story because your audience is already familiar with it. This would also conflict with the purpose of this type of paper. You are to discuss underlying meaning, not retell the events of the story.
Because your audience is a scholarly one, your paper must be presented in a formal manner. You should use high diction and avoid first person, personal pronouns, and contractions.
Development
In developing your ideas, you should concern yourself with three important steps. First you must make a writerly assertion about the content of your text. For instance, when considering Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use”, one might assert that Dee’s plans to display her mother’s quilts on her wall illustrate a disconnectedness from her heritage, which is ironic when one conisiders that Dee views this as an act of embracing her culture. As your second step, to “prove” this assertion as a valid one, a writer would then need to provide evidence from the text to support that assertion. A writer could then quote Mama’s lines from the story explaining that she had attempted to give Dee these same quilts when she left for college, but Dee found them to be “old faishioned” and “out of style.” Keep in mind, however, that you cannot stop here. Providing a quote and then moving on to another idea is not acceptable. As your last step, you must explain how the quote from the text illustrates the assertion that you are attempting to make. For instance, one could explain that because Dee has recently embraced the Black Power Movement’s idea of returning to one’s African roots she is merely interested in these quilts because it is the fashionable and sylish thing to do among her peers.
Organization
Organization is sometimes quite difficult for writers who are just beginning to write a literary critical analysis.
An effective method for organizing an essay might look like this :
Title: Should reflect the entire content of your essay (mention title of work,author's name, and theme you plan to examine)
I. Intro: Develop a lead-in sentence; Make certain you formally introduce the author and title of the work. Establish the context for your argument (provide necessary background information); state your overall claim; preview the main ideas of your paper (this will include identifying the 3 objects/symbols you plan to examine). Include a "so what?" statement
II. Create a subclaim that makes a connection between they symbolism of the object you have chosen and your theme. This should preview the content of your paragraph. Provide supporting evidence from the text (quote or quotes) and explain how they illustrate the ideas of your subclaim.
III. Create a subclaim that makes a connection between they symbolism of the object you have chosen and your theme. This should preview the content of your paragraph. Provide supporting evidence from the text (quote or quotes) and explain how they illustrate the ideas of your subclaim.
IV. Create a subclaim that makes a connection between they symbolism of the object you have chosen and your theme. This should preview the content of your paragraph. Provide supporting evidence from the text (quote or quotes) and explain how they illustrate the ideas of your subclaim.
III. Conclusion : Summarize the main ideas that you have discussed in the body of your paper. Restate your overall claim; Argue the validity or force of the theme. This is your final opportunity to convince your reader that your ideas about the work are valid ones and that they are effective and relevant in aiding them in seeing this text in a unique way, perhaps one they have not considered (This is essentially a "so what?" statement.
NOTE: When relating events in the story use words such as, "Morrison develops the major characters in the story..." Notice the use of the active verb "develops." Try to stick with using active verbs as you analyze the story. This is also known as “the literary present tense.” Do not use past tense verbs when relating story events. You should also note that sometimes a narrator can be directly involved in a story. Sometimes the narrator is not named and is not directly involved in the story's development.
Format
•Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Refer to your handbook: The Writer’s Brief Handbook for other questions about format. Your essay should be a minimum of 3 FULL pages and no more than 4 . Aim for 5 very well developed paragraphs.
Remember: NO PROCESS, NO GRADE. You must submit all drafts,critiques, SmartThinking Reports/Revision Plans, and the reflection by the due dates listed on the course schedule. You will lose one letter grade on the final grade for this assignment for each missing item/process step.
Your grade for this assignment will be determined as follows:
Total Possible Points: 80/
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus (22 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Overall claim stated in intro and restated in conclusion? Focus on a single idea or aspect of the literature? Is it clear how examples in body are related to the overall claim? Does the writer explain the broader implications of this claim to the text as a whole? Are the subclaims clearly related to the claim? When read together, do the intro and conclusion form one idea?
Development (22 points): Does writer support interpretation with evidence from text? Avoid giving a plot summary? Does writer explain for the reader how the evidence supports interpretation (and as a result the claim)? Does writer quote accurately from the source, including citing specific page numbers?
Organization (22 points): Do first few sentences arouse the reader’s interest and focus their attention on the subject? Are readers expectations set and clearly met? Do paragraphs have clear focus, unity and coherence? Effective transitions? Does the writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (7 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone? Does writer use the literary present tense to describe events in the story?
Mechanics (7 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO FIRST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (-7 POINTS)
NO SMART THINKING REPORT & REVISION PLAN (-7 POINTS)
NO PEER CRITIQUE (-7 POINTS)
NO REFLECTION (-7 POINTS)
Grading scale:
A 72-80
B 64-72
C 56-63
D 48-55
F 0-47
