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Essay Assignment:

Write an essay, 7-10 pages long, in MLA format with a Works Cited page in which you fully analyze the story, play, or poem set of your choice, selected from the texts we have studied this semester, and hypothesize about its possible place in modern society.

-Your essay must be typed, double spaced, written in third person point of view
(no “I,” “me,” “my,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “you,” “your,” etc.).

-Your essay and documented according to current MLA format (parenthetical citations, Works Cited page, heading, header, title, etc.).

-You must use no fewer than five professional outside/secondary sources, not including your primary source. This means you will include six sources in all on your Works Cited page.

-Type your word count at the end of your last sentence. To receive a passing score, you must have at least 7 full pages, not including the Works Cited page or copy of the poem.

-All of your research essay materials must sent via the Research Essay Assignment in KC Blackboard.

-Remember than any information you borrow must be cited both on the Works Cited page and within the sentence(s) which are borrowed, according to MLA format.

-Consult your handbook and/or The Perdue OWL (accessible online) for instructions on Works Cited entries and in-text/parenthetical citations. Do not guess at how to do this correctly.

-Ask me if you are not absolutely sure that you are using a professional source.

-Most of the essay (70%-80%) should be your own original analysis and insights. Your outside sources (20%-30%) should be used throughout the essay (especially paragraph 3) to support your thoughts.

-Avoid first or second person point of view in this essay. Maintain a natural, professional/academic writing style at all times.

Requirements for cited sources:

-Use only professional sources; be especially careful with those online.

-No anonymous sources (The author must be listed.)

(Unless the source is a library database article.)

-No “.com” websites

-No websites containing advertisements

-No “ask” websites

-No study help/study guide websites

-No paper mills (sites that sell essays or contain advertisements to that effect)

-No student essays

-No personal websites

-No bulletin boards or discussion groups.

-No online courses from other educational institutions

-No wikis (e.g. Wikipedia)

-No blogs or content from social networking sites

-Any information found through our library is “safe.” Here is the KC library website:

http://library.kilgore.edu/library/

-Avoid any hint of plagiarism (It will cause you to fail this course).

Suggested paragraph format and organization:

(Paragraphs may be divided if they get too lengthy-over 15 sentences long)

Paragraph 1:

-Introduce your story selection and give your reader an idea of where and when it was written.

- What is the setting? Who are the characters? What is happening? Who is the speaker? What is the plot? What kind of story is this? What is this stories place in time and most importantly, (THESIS!) Why is this story still relevant to readers today? i.e. Why should scholars continue to read and understand this story?
etc. You are not analyzing underlying meaning yet. You are telling the
reader what the words mean.

-Take the reader through the selection a “chunk” at a time.

-Do not discuss symbols, metaphors, underlying meaning, etc. in this paragraph. Focus
on general introduction.

-This paragraph should contain few or no research citations or quoted lines
from the story since you are putting them in your own words.

-Close this paragraph with a thesis statement in which you explain why this story is still relevant to readers today. What THEME is present that we can still relate to and need to study?

Paragraph 2

-Elaborate on the theme(s) and/or purposes mentioned in your thesis statement.
What passages/elements in the story point to this theme, and how do they reveal
it? What parts of the story lead you to understand this theme? Quote lines,
words and phrases from the poem as examples. Explain examples fully as to how they
relate to the theme you have stated.

Paragraph 3

-Discuss aspects of the author’s life, the historical period/social context in which the story was written, and/or the social/historical context of the events in the story itself that relate to the story and/or its themes.

Ex. If the story was written during the Holy War, how does the war relate
to the story?

Ex. If the author was jailed for his views, how might that fact relate to the story?

Ex. If the poem deals with a real event, how does that relate to the theme?

-Discuss only those aspects of the author’s life and/or the story’s historical context

that are directly related to the story and your thesis.

-Be sure to explain how each piece of biographical and historical information
relates to elements in the story. This paragraph is where the bulk of your
borrowed information will be used.

Paragraph 4

-Discuss the story’s physical structure. How is it organized, and why? Discuss how this contributes to the story’s overall effect.

Ex. How does the author use the organization to his/her advantage?

Speculate on how and why the physical set up of this story is the way that it is and discuss its possible impact on readers.

Paragraph 5

-Introduce, show, and explain no fewer than five separate uses of vocabulary terms we have studied this semester in the story. Be sure to include a quote containing each
device, and explain specifically how each device is used to enhance the story’s
theme, subject, purpose, effect, etc. Do not define terms. Assume that
your reader knows what they are. Also, do not simply suggest that a specific term is
used to make the story “better” or “easier to read,” unless you also explain
exactly how, in your opinion, the term does this. Avoid discussing structural elements, since you’ve already tackled those in the previous section.

Paragraph 6

-Provide an evaluation of the story. Does it accomplish its purpose?
What makes it especially effective, touching, poignant, powerful, relevant, etc?

You may cite other critics’ statement and agree or disagree with them. Do not
use first person point of view in the paragraph.

You may add paragraphs if necessary, but your essay should be structured in this way. Do not exclude any segment I have noted.

Reminders:

Every paragraph need not contain researched information. The paragraph dealing with biography is the only one in which research will be required. Most of the rest of the essay will be your own interpretation or analysis.

Be sure to search for information in several databases, the internet (on a limited basis), and in “the stacks” in libraries.

Do not expect to find lots of outside analysis (research) on individual stories. You will be doing most of the poetic analysis on your own. Look for biography, history, and authorial style information as it relates to your author and story.

Outline for Research Essay

This outline is for your personal use and need not be submitted to the instructor;
however, your essay should follow the outline if you have done it correctly.

Please note that the number of lines on the outline does not necessarily indicate

the number of sentences any particular paragraph or section should/must have.)

Paragraph I. Introduction (Paraphrase/Summarize the story, explaining its purpose)

-Close with a statement of the theme or purpose of the poem that relates to readers of today (Thesis)

________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Thesis:_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph II. Elaborate on the story’s theme/purpose. Cite key
passages or outside sources related to the theme, and elaborate on

each example .

Topic Sentence (State paragraph’s general topic):_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #1 (Discuss first thematic example):_______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Explain (Explain what effect the thematic example has on the story.):________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #2 (Discuss next thematic example):________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Explain what effect the thematic example has on the story):_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #3 (Discuss next thematic example):________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Explain what effect the thematic example has on the story):_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Closing Sentence (Draw a general conclusion based on the contents of the paragraph):_____________________________________________________________

Paragraph III. Share facts about the author’s life and/or the time period in which the

story was written, and explain how each fact relates to your story.

Topic Sentence (State paragraph’s general topic):_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #1 (Share first fact):______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how your fact relates to the story):_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #2 (Share next fact):______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how your fact relates to the story):_____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #3 (Share next fact):______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how your fact relates to the story):_____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Closing Sentence (Draw a general conclusion based on the contents of the paragraph):_____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph IV. Discuss the structure of the story and the effect that the story’s structure has on the story/theme.

Topic Sentence (State paragraph’s general topic):_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #1 :_______________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Explain:________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #2:________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain:_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #3:________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain:_________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Closing Sentence (Draw a general conclusion based on the contents of the paragraph):_____________________________________________________________

Paragraph V. Identify five occurrences of vocabulary terms in the story and explain

how each occurrence affects the story and/or its

theme.

Topic Sentence (State paragraph’s general topic):_____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #1 (Show first term):______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how the term affects the story):________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Example #2 (Show next term):______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how the term affects the story):_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #3 (Show next term):______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how the term affects the story):_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #4 (Show next term):______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how the term affects the story):_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Example #5 (Show next term):______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Explain (Show how the term affects the story):_________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Closing Sentence (Draw a general conclusion based on the contents of the paragraph):_____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph VI. Conclusion (Offer your opinions about the quality of the story and

how well it achieves an effect on the reader. Be specific about which elements in the story are particularly effective.)

________________________________________________________________________

Works Cited Page Instructions

The Works Cited page of your research essay contains a list of the outside

sources from which you borrowed information to include in your essay. The list

contains bibliographical information about each source. Different information is

required depending on each type of source you use (book, database, journal,

website, etc). To find out what information is required, you should consult the MLA

Works Cited section of your grammar handbook. You must have and use a handbook to complete the Works Cited page successfully.

Reminders:

-The Works Cited page must be the last page of your essay.

-The Works Cited page must include a header as part of the rest of the essay.

-The Works Cited page must be titled “Works Cited.”

-The Works Cited page must be double-spaced (no extra spaces between entries).

-The entries on the Works Cited page must be listed alphabetically according to

the first word of the entry (author’s last name, title, etc.).

-The second line of two-lined entries on the Works Cited page must be indented.

-All entries on the Works Cited page must end in a period.

-There must be a Works Cited entry for each different source used in your essay.

-There must be a borrowing and an in-text citation (i.e. (author’s last name and page #) ) in the text of your essay for each entry on the Works Cited page.

-In other words, you must actually quote from each source on the Works

Cited page.

-Your handbook shows how to deal with special situations (i.e. no author, two works by the same author, etc.)

-Points will be deducted for each error in format on the Works Cited page.

Strategies for Signaling Quotes in Research Essays

In the literary essay, you will need quotations from the text of the work that you are examining and from your outside sources. Be sure that you enclose these borrowings in quotation marks as you gracefully introduce them or integrate them into your own sentences. Each quotation must be attached to some kind of signal and must be documented.

Use explanatory words to signal the quote (Brown states, Johnson says,

Wilson wrote,). Explanatory words before a quote should always be followed by a

comma (outside the quotes). Those at the end of a quote should be preceded by a

comma (inside the quotes).

Ex. “The poems of Langston Hughes helped shape the African American identity,”

writes Bill Jennings (232).

Bill Jennings suggests, “The poems of Langston Hughes helped shape the

African American identity” (232).

Use the word “that” or simply make the quote flow with the grammar of the sentence. No comma is needed in this case. Use brackets “[ ]” to make changes in a quote so that it will fit into the grammar of your sentence.

Ex. Bill Jennings indicates that “[t]he poems of Langston Hughes helped shape

the African American identity” (232).

Ex. Although “[t]he poems of Langston Hughes helped shape the African

American identity” (Jennings 232), his poetry speaks to people of all races.

Use a colon (:) after a complete sentence that sets up a quote.

Ex. Bill Jennings, a biographer of Langston Hughes, offers the following
comments about the poet’s legacy: “The poems of Langston Hughes helped shape
the African American identity” (232).

Ex. In Langston Hughes poem “Cross,” the speaker states the following: “My old

man’s a white old man / And my old mother’s black” (1-2).

Use an offset for quotes of four lines or more. Indent each line of the quote ten spaces. Double space the quote, as with the rest of the essay. Do not include quotation marks. Place the period before the citation.

Ex. In Bill Jennings’ article “Father Hughes,” he makes the following comments

about the legacy left by the powerful poetry of Langston Hughes:

Because he was willing to take risks in his writing and deal with issues of

the heart and American society that others weren’t willing to address,

Hughes often alienated white readers and rallied his African American audience. However, despite their personal reactions, few could argue against the artistry and unique voice in his poems. He spoke for those who had no platform in a divided society and confronted those who did, and he did it with style and poetic genius. (232)

Paraphrase the quote (put it in your own words). No quotation marks are needed, but a citation is still required. Be accurate in your paraphrasing.

Ex. (Original) “The poems of Langston Hughes helped shape the African

American identity.”

Ex. (Paraphrase) Bill Jennings suggests that Hughes’ poetry was a factor in

developing the concept of what it means to be an African American (232).

(I go over this in ENGL 1301, but I expect all students to follow the standards below.)

Strategies for Gaining a Professional Style in Writing

Write like the television news reporter speaks.

-Most reporters avoid informal and/or colloquial language that might identify them with a particular region or group. They don’t want to alienate any member of the audience or appear biased in any way. They also tend to use a natural level of formality.

Ex. (Not) “Hi ya’ll. This here’s the news.”

Avoid the informal “you.”

-Avoid addressing the reader directly. While the topic may interest the reader, it may not apply directly to him or her.

-Keep most of your academic and professional writing in third person point of view.

-First person is acceptable when offering personal examples.

-Replace “you” with “a person,” “he/she,” “ him/her,” or some other noun.

-Be careful and limited in your use of “him/her,” “he/she,” etc.

These structures can get very tedious when repeated.

Ex. (Not) -When you first get pregnant, you may not know it.

(Instead) -When a woman first gets pregnant, she may not know it.

-Find a way to avoid a pronoun altogether.

Ex. -When pregnancy first occurs, it may not be apparent.

-The same applies for commands.

Ex. (Not) –Never wear fluorescent lipstick during an important interview.

(Instead) -A female job candidate should never wear fluorescent lipstick

during an important interview.

Limit use of contractions, especially unconventional or slang uses.

-ain’t = is not or are not -would’ve = would have

-they’ll = they will - it’s = it is

-can’t = can not or cannot

Avoid profanity and/or vulgar language. Good writers can express their sentiments without potentially offending the audience.

sucks = is unpleasant
crap = unacceptable situation, object, etc.
stupid = uninformed or ignorant
The paper cut hurt like hell/heck = The paper cut hurt far worse than it looked.

In most cases, use transitional words to start sentences, not conjunctions.

- But = However,

So = Therefore, or Consequently,
And = Also, or In addition,

Avoid using “so” as an intensifier, unless you also use “that”.

(Not)

-I was so glad we went to the fair. It was so cool.

(Instead)

-I was extremely glad we went to the fair. It was very entertaining.

(Or)

-I was so glad we went to the fair that I jumped for joy.

Avoid informal “street” lingo. Write it the “uncool” way.

-Ex. “Cuz,” “Babe,” “Krunk,” “Playa,” “Talk noise,” “Bling-Bling,” “Front”

“Guy,” “Dude,” “Baby Mamma”

-If you must use slang terms for the sake of context or clarity, place them in

quotation marks.

Avoid omitting the final “g” from participles and gerunds.

- Runnin’ = Running

- Fishin’ = Fishing

Eliminate unnecessary “fillers” from sentences.

Ex. -I guess I was like speeding and kinda ran into a ditch, you know.

Except in writing dialogue, omit “conversational” introductory words.

Ex. -Well, one area of controversy was the President having his dog spayed.

-Believe me, the press gave this story full coverage.

-Now, one thing to remember is always to bring money to class.

11. In most cases, avoid starting a sentence with pronouns like “This” or “That.”

-If you do, be sure to indicate what “This” or “That” is.

Ex. He was in the house running with scissors, chewing gum, and playing with

matches. This should never be allowed.

12. Do not use “this” in front of a noun, unless you’ve previously introduced and
identified that noun.

Ex. (Not) When we went to the game, we saw this girl carrying this dog.

(Instead) When we went to the game we saw a striking girl carrying a
hideous dog.

13. Be precise and descriptive when using adjectives.

Ex. (Not) “Hard,” “Cheap,” or “Rich”

(Instead) “Difficult,” “Inexpensive,” or “Wealthy”

14. Avoid starting a sentence with “It” or overusing this pronoun. If you do, there

must be absolute clarity as to what “it” is.

Ex. On the first day of college, I got lost going to my first class. It wasn’t what I

expected.

15. Avoid painfully general or simplistic words. Be reasonably specific and

descriptive. The words below are forbidden!

Ex. stuff, junk, thing, nice, big, little, good, bad

(Not) “The football player has a nice car.”

(Instead) “The football player has a luxurious sedan.”

16. Avoid clichés and folk expressions. Be creative and original.

Ex. It was raining cats and dogs.

She was being a pain in the neck.

I avoided the mall like the plague.

I could have cut the fog with a knife.

He was as drunk as Cooter Brown.

17. When referring to parents and grandparents, use the formal terms “mother,”

“father,” “grandmother,” etc. Only use “Mom,” “Dad,” “Meemaw,” etc. as

capitalized proper names.

-(Not) My dad owns his own business.

-(Instead) My father owns his own business. (or) Dad owns his own business.

18. Avoid using “pretty” as an adverb. Instead, use “fairly” or “rather.”

-(Not) The lake was pretty choppy yesterday.

-(Instead) The lake was rather choppy yesterday.

19. Combine short, related sentences, and use transitional words where appropriate.

-(Not) We were exhausted after the trip. We took a long nap when we returned.

It was well needed.

-(Instead) We were exhausted after the trip, so upon our return we took a long,

well-needed nap.

20. Only use forms of get when you mean “acquire.”

- (Not) We finally got to the mall. (or) We got to go to the party.

- (Instead) We finally reached the mall. (or) We were able to go to the party.

- (Or) We got fifty dollars apiece for cleaning Grandma’s house.

21. When providing examples, or hypothetical situations, avoid using future tense.
Use present.

- (Not) An example of classical music would be Mozart’s.

- (Instead) An example of classical music is Mozart’s.

22. Avoid exaggerations.

-(Examples) - I ate a ton of barbeque at the family reunion

- After work that day, I wanted to murder my boss.

23. In most cases, use formal titles when referring to people.

- (Not) My boss practices micromanagement, and he treats workers like
kids.

- (Instead) My supervisor practices micromanagement, and he treats employees
like children.

24. While striving to make words more formal and mature, do not go overboard.

The longest word isn’t always the most precise. Avoid raiding the thesaurus.

Strive for clarity and natural phrasing.

Ex. –(Not) The condemnatory inclinations of some progenitors regarding the

conjugal intentions of their marriageable offspring can cause

cataclysmic rifts in consanguineous domestic relationships.

-(Instead) Critical attitudes of some parents toward their adult children’s

marriage plans can damage family relationships.

25. When using informal language for a specific effect or purpose, indicate that by

placing such words/phrases in quotation marks.

Ex. Bubba exclaimed, “I’m fixin’ to whup you, boy!”

When the policeman gave chase, the gang member reached for his “piece,” or

pistol.

26. Use active voice sentences whenever possible.

Ex. (Not) The letter was cautiously opened by the senator.

(Instead) The senator cautiously opened the letter.

27. Avoid split infinitives whenever possible.

Ex. (Not) He was cautioned to not go out with Betty.

(Instead) He was cautioned to avoid going out with Betty.

28. Limit your use of exclamation marks (Use only in quotations).

Ex. (Not) I was very excited to have been asked to the prom!

(Instead) When he asked me to the prom, I actually shouted, “I’m

so excited!”

29. Avoid questioning the reader directly. Make statements.

Ex. (Not) What is true Love?

(Instead) Many couples wonder about the nature of true love.

(or) Many couples ask themselves, “What is true love?”

29. -Realize that there is nothing wrong with informal or colloquial language. It is

not incorrect in appropriate situations and contexts.

-However, in academic and professional writing, there is a standard format

accepted and understood by all users and readers.

-Also, being formal does not mean you can’t be original and creative.