English Writing Assignment 1

Write an essay in which you analyze and evaluate the development of a fiction story from the Part 1 readings. Poetry or nonfiction will not work for this assignment.  The essay should contain an introduction, body, and conclusion, be 1-2 pages in length, typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font, size 12. Please save as a Word document and submit as an attachment to be graded. • Explain the story (a journey through texas by cabeza de vaca) and briefly summarize the plot. • Identify key choices the author made in writing the story. For example, consider where the story is set, how the action is ordered, or how the characters are introduced and developed. • Analyze the impact of the author’s choices, discussing how these decisions affect both the story’s meaning and the reader’s experience. • Organize your ideas so that each new idea builds on the one it follows to create a unified whole.

Analysis is the practice of looking closely at small parts to see how they affect the whole. Literary analysis focuses on how plot, character, setting, and many other techniques are used by the author to create meaning. Always be sure to discuss the significance of your observations to the theme(s).  

Read the story several times.  Take notes on its themes, characters, setting, plot, and so on.   Be sure the notes include looking beyond the surface to the deeper meaning the author is trying to relay.  Include how the author’s message and the story’s themes then impact setting, characters, plot, and so on.  Analysis also looks at why the meaning is important.