demonstrates careful reading and close analysis of the text under consideration.
• has a clear, specific thesis, an interpretive claim that is supported by evidence from the text.
Your thesis should appear in the last sentence of your introduction as well as in your
conclusion. The best theses are sophisticated and debatable (which thus means the essays
should take risks and avoid “playing it safe”). You may not avoid interpreting the text by
stating its meaning is up to the individual reader. You are being asked here to defend an
interpretive claim.
• moves beyond plot summary and even mere plot analysis. To
do this you’ll need to refer not just to what happens in the text
(plot) but to the text’s actual words. That means you’ll need
to quote selectively. You’ll need to do this to gauge
emotional states, motivation, etc. Don’t pad your paper with
excess quotations; only quote when you want to discuss a
feature (word choice, tone, imagery, emotional content, etc.)
of a passage.
• introduces the text(s) in the introduction but then gets quickly to the specific issue at hand.
This ensures you move very quickly beyond plot summary and into analysis and
argumentation. Assume your readers are intelligent, have read the texts, and have a basic
understanding of the plot, but you should also assume they are not too familiar with the
specific passages you wish to discuss.
• Is well structured and logically ordered.
• moves clearly and substantially beyond my lecture. The above questions are specifically
geared to get you to move beyond my lecture.
• makes use of all handouts posted in the “Essays” folder, following their guidelines carefully.
• is properly formatted using MLA format throughout.
• includes a Works Cited page (for the primary texts) and uses proper in-text documentation
(MLA format).
• presents only your own original work.
• is relatively free of grammar mistakes and is well structured.