Fluent Essays

Literary Analysis Research Paper by David A. James The type of research paper required in most sophomore literature courses is generally referred to as a literary analysis research paper because its focus must be on an element of the literary work’s construction as a piece of literature—for example, an element such as the work’s characters or conflict or symbolism or theme, or perhaps two or more related literary elements [such as the interrelated elements of conflict development and theme, or symbolism’s contribution to the creation of theme(s)]. It would not focus on such ideas as the author’s life (biography), the historical events and beliefs of the period in which it was written (historical and/or sociological aspects of the work), or psychoanalysis of the characters (psychology), as these are not elements of literary analysis, though passing reference to one or more of these is usually acceptable. If there’s any doubt regarding the acceptability of a particular idea you’re considering, it’s essential to consult with the professor before proceeding further in order to avoid wasted time on an inappropriate writing topic. While individual approaches to a research paper involving literary analysis may vary, one standard approach can be presented as follows: YOUR IDEAS + TEXTUAL EVIDENCE + RESEARCH = LITERARY ANALYSIS RESEARCH PAPER about the work of literature (presented in the form of a thesis opinion) from the work supporting your analytic ideas and thesis opinion to gather and incorporate critical works of scholarly analysis that relate to or support your thesis opinion This ‘formula’ for producing an effective literary analysis research paper can be detailed by the following process, or series of steps taken to achieve the ultimate goal. James 2 Selecting an Author and Literary Work Select an appropriate author (one whose works fall within the time parameters of the literature course in question) and one (possibly two, if brief) literary work(s) to analyze. For example, one novel/novella or two brief short stories would generally be selected to produce a research paper of 1500 or more words. In courses where long, complex works are covered (such as Homer’s Iliad or Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales), it is probably wise to attempt to analyze only a particular portion of the work. Again, consult with the professor about an appropriate choice of work or portion thereof. It is also helpful, though not necessary, to have previously read the literary work(s). This allows you to begin right away to direct your focus toward particular elements of the work(s) as you are re-reading because you already have familiarity with the basic plot and characters. ReEnglish This week, we will discuss the differences between an essay without credible outside sources and an essay in which you incorporate quotes from outside sources that have been properly vetted. For many students, the Internet is their primary research tool, and too often there is only cursory evaluation of the source of the accessed material. The textbook gives specific examples of reliable websites and why those sites can be regarded as trustworthy. For example, 123helpme.com, Spark notes, Cliff notes, and many other sites are not credible sources. Why? because they have not been properly vetted which means we do not know who wrote the summary (this matters). When developing your research paper assignment, determine the number and type of Internet sources that you will allow students to use. Students should understand that they need to use printed as well as electronic sources. Obviously, search engines such as Google have transformed the landscape of research and the Internet should never be banned out of hand as a place to find research material, yet much valuable scholarship is still not available online. To reduce the chance of plagiarism (unintended or blatant) from the web, and to ensure that Internet-referenced material is from a reliable source, you might require students to turn in a printed copy of the Internet source material with their final papers. The Reference Librarian (Mrs. Felder Johnson) will conduct a class session via zoom on March 11th at 11 am devoted to doing literary research. Many students do not know how to use all the resources available in their college library which is why Mrs. Felder Johnson will be conducting a zoom session on credible versus non credible sources and introducting students to the online databases. Documenting sources, especially Internet sources, is challenging for most students. For your last paper in E151, you need to learn how to choose a credible source and integrate that source seamlessly in your essay. The book for this class provides detailed information for citing print and Internet sources, a sample Works Cited list, and a comprehensive guide to the types of citations that students will likely use in their papers. I encourage students to allow sufficient time to prepare their Works Cited page, and review their papers for scrupulous documentation. Your last essay is not a 10 page research paper which I would ideally give for this course. Instead, the essay is going to be four pages in length exclusing the Works Cited page and youll need to demonstrate that you know how to integrate a source into your essay as well as prepare a proper Works Cited page. Because we humans procrastinate, it is advisable to break the task of generating a research essay into dated steps. This week in addition to a zoom session with Mrs. Felder Johnson, I am going to ask you to think about a topic for the zoom session on Thursday. For example, suppose you want to write a short 4 page paper on onOn your last paper, I gave you very detailed feedback and reorganized to show you what I am looking for, but instead you didnt follow my advice and submitted that paper the way you wanted.   You should have a clear introduction in which you introduce your topic and your clear three-point thesis should appear at the end of the introduction.  What three points do you want to focus on for a four-page paper including a Works Cited page? You cant write a concise analysis of a novel in four pages. I asked to choose a short story. After you have three clear points that you can work with : for example, if you were writing on Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston then you could your thesis might look something like this: Hurstons short story is interesting because of the theme, the characterization of Sykes and Delia and the dialect that she uses.    These three points become body paragraphs that look like this:     One aspect of Sweat that I liked is the theme of the short story.  (this paragraph is devoted to talking about the theme)      Moreover, the characterization of Sykes and Delia is interesting (this paragraph is devoted to talking about the characterization)       Additionally, Hurston uses a Florida based rural dialect that makes the story......... (paragraph is devoted to talking about the dialect)      In conclusion, this short story..... This is the set up that Ive tried to explain to you all semester.  Your reader should not have to look for your thesis, your paper should be clearly organized so your reader can follow your thoughts, sentences should make sense and you should contact Mrs. Felder Johnson about finding some information in a scholarly database since you didnt attend the Zoom session where she discussed this.  The term is ending and with it, we all have a lot of work so you should make an appointment with SSRPs writing tutors, take the assignment sheet and ask for assistance.  Every time I look at your draft and try to guide you were to go, my suggestions and detailed feedback are discarded.  You need to work with a writing tutor at this point.  Yes, you can and should resubmit.  But, as long your paper is not following the guidelines, then the grade is going to be low.  That can be amended by following the directives given for a solid essay.SURNAME1 Khalil Catlin Dr. Sims English-151 3/15/2021 Literal Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Novel Literature forms the basis of our lives because it integrates and accentuates many topics of human beings. It is the capability to apprehend the complexity or simplicity of text because imagination is formed in the minds of people after they read the physically written words of literature. Literature holds a mirror to the world because it allows individuals to see through others lenses and, at times, animates objects. The importance of literature is first defined at an early age when young people start reading and understand situations from any perspective (“4 Literary Analysis”). People get to understand the world they live in better through literature because many authors express what is happening in society; through books, people gain good judgment practice and morals by reading relatable books. Readers reflect upon their life because they are triggered when they get to understand what happens all over through literature. The ability and capacity to sense themes, analyze characters and conflicts, and information being passed in a certain book opens people to a different way of thinking. In Mark Twains novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author incorporates different characters, each having different conflicts, which forms the foundation and discussion of the essay. The first character to be analyzed is the protagonist, who is named Huckleberry Huck Finn. He is aged thirteen years and his father is a local drunkard. The young boy is often homeless and homeless window Douglass tries to change Huck, but he refused. This is illustrated by the Yvonne Sims Widow Douglas Yvonne Sims Your thesis is not stated in a debatable way with three need points. Yvonne Sims again, this sentence lacks clarity. Yvonne Sims find another word. triggered? what does this mean? Yvonne Sims This would be a nice way to begin your introduction. Yvonne Sims What source is this? Yvonne Sims What are you trying to say about literature in this sentence? Yvonne Sims This sentence does not make sense. Yvonne Sims Literary Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Yvonne Sims in what way? SURNAME2 statement, The Widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldnt stand it no longer, I lit out (Twain), and the character displayed by the Huck is he is an independent boy both in making his decision and in life. The boy is a bit outcast because he is distanced from mainstream society. This makes the boy doubtful of the ideas the world passes to him. The distrust of society and Hucks experiences force him to think and question things society has taught him. Even though the boy is uneducated, he is witty