Analytical Essay Note: There is no set number of paragraphs that an essay should contain. The number depends on your narrowed topic, purpose and audience. May announce subject Sparks readers’ interest Body Supports and explains your thesis based on the elements obtained from the piece. Paragraph 5 Topic sentence Closing/transitional sentence Paragraph 1 – General opening, title of work, author Title (subtitle) Introduction Engages your reader Provides background info Identifies your narrowed topic Presents your thesis based on theory Summary of the text and proposal of the problem and possible solution Paragraph 3 Topic sentence Closing/transitional sentence Paragraph 4 Topic sentence Closing/transitional sentence Counterargument This is based on your claim. Reemphasizes your thesis (does not repeat it ) Draws your essay to a close Reflection of reader Conclusion Paragraph 6 or 7 depending your assignment PAGE Short Story Critical Analysis Paper Minimum Length: 5 pages (MLA) Assignment: For this paper, you should make use only of the story, your imagination and certain sources to help you cement your claim. 1. Select a theoretical perspective, or a lens through which you wish to explore a short story. Once you settle on a theory, use some of the following themes to help structure your case. These can be family, marriage, quest, betrayal, supernatural, sin, death, love, the relationship, etc. 2. Choose a short story, or stories, from our anthology/reading list. You may need to read each story several times, taking notes as you go. Remember, the theme is your “lens” through which you are now reading the story.3. Go through the story of your choice and mark how the author explores the theme using narrative, character, setting, symbolism, etc., to convey its meaning. Then, write a critical analysis of the short story/stories; employ as many of the literary terms that we have studied as you legitimately can to present a thorough literary analysis of how the story “works/doesn’t work” through your guiding theory. Your analysis for the story you have selected should be to enlighten an educated reader about the important aspects of this particular short story.) You must select at least three literary or rhetorical elements to help build and support your argument. Some of those literary terms are: settingplotcharacterizationconflictsymbolismpoint of viewironytonestereotypesexpositionrising actionfalling actionclimax foreshadowing flashbackprotagonist 4. Construct a thesis that indicates a) your focus, and b) the relation of that focus to the story as a whole. For example, a thesis for “A Good Man is Hard to Find” might be: Characterization and irony help convey O’Connor’s theme that dictates that society should first be good before judging others. For “The Cask of the Amontillado,” a thesis might be: The narrator’s revelations of his own vi ...

1. Analytical Essay
Note: There is no set number of paragraphs that an essay should
contain. The number depends on your narrowed topic, purpose
and audience.
May announce subject
Sparks readers’ interest
Body
Supports and explains your thesis based on the elements
obtained from the piece.
Paragraph 5

2. Topic sentence
Closing/transitional sentence
Paragraph 1 – General opening, title of work, author
Title (subtitle)
Introduction
Engages your reader
Provides background info
Identifies your narrowed topic
Presents your thesis based on theory
Summary of the text and proposal of the problem and possible
solution

3. Paragraph 3
Topic sentence
Closing/transitional sentence
Paragraph 4
Topic sentence
Closing/transitional sentence
Counterargument
This is based on your claim.
Reemphasizes your thesis (does not repeat it )
Draws your essay to a close

4. Reflection of reader
Conclusion
Paragraph 6 or 7 depending your assignment
PAGE
Short Story Critical Analysis Paper
Minimum Length: 5 pages (MLA)
Assignment: For this paper, you should make use only of the
story, your imagination and certain sources to help you cement
your claim.
1. Select a theoretical perspective, or a lens through which you
wish to explore a short story. Once you settle on a theory, use
some of the following themes to help structure your case. These
can be family, marriage, quest, betrayal, supernatural, sin,
death, love, the relationship, etc.
2. Choose a short story, or stories, from our anthology/reading
list. You may need to read each story several times, taking notes
as you go. Remember, the theme is your “lens” through which
you are now reading the story.3. Go through the story of your
choice and mark how the author explores the theme using
narrative, character, setting, symbolism, etc., to convey its
meaning. Then, write a critical analysis of the short
story/stories; employ as many of the literary terms that we have
studied as you legitimately can to present a thorough literary

5. analysis of how the story “works/doesn’t work” through your
guiding theory. Your analysis for the story you have selected
should be to enlighten an educated reader about the important
aspects of this particular short story.) You must select at least
three literary or rhetorical elements to help build and support
your argument. Some of those literary terms are:
settingplotcharacterizationconflictsymbolismpoint of
viewironytonestereotypesexpositionrising actionfalling
actionclimax
foreshadowing
flashbackprotagonist
4. Construct a thesis that indicates a) your focus, and b) the
relation of that focus to the story as a whole. For example, a
thesis for “A Good Man is Hard to Find” might be:
Characterization and irony help convey O’Connor’s theme that
dictates that society should first be good before judging others.
For “The Cask of the Amontillado,” a thesis might be: The
narrator’s revelations of his own vices as well as the actions of
Fortunato underscore the lesson in this short story:
overwhelming pride leads to ruin. Though not as obvious as the
first thesis, the second thesis will focus on narrative/POV and
characterization. To use more than one story, you might argue:
Lack of communication can lead to disaster in marriage, as it
does in the stories “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “Story of an Hour,”
and “The Jewelry.” Another one might be: “The use of
foreshadowing in the stories “A Cask of Amontillado” and “A
Good Man is Hard to Find” helps create tension and interest.
Also note that there is some latitude in assigning meaning to a
short story. What I see as the major theme may be different
than what you see. The important criterion to keep in mind is:
can you prove it? Therefore, you need a thesis because you are
arguing for your interpretation of the story. The thesis should
not be so obvious that your reader will say “so what?” Don’t
settle for trite generalizations. Instead, make a statement which
indicates thought and depth, and which requires support and

6. proof. Your goal should be to illuminate for the readers some
point that they might not have noticed upon first reading the
story.
5. Find evidence in the text to support your thesis, and organize
the rest of your essay around these quotations and examples.
Don’t rely on generalizations about or paraphrases of the story
to convince your reader, but provide specific evidence and
discuss the importance of that evidence for your thesis. Please
note: you should not insert huge chunks of quotes in your paper
and count that against your minimum page length. Roughly 80%
of the paper should be your own words and thoughts – meaning,
your analysis of the text.
6. Conclude your paper by summing up your argument so that
the readers see that your evidence does support your thesis.It is
important to write concisely. Do not just re-tell the story. DO
NOT risk plagiarism – if you use information from our
textbook, then you must cite that information correctly – the
Anthology discusses how to write a paper, including how to
document outside sources; DO NOT write a plot outline—this
assignment is to critique: what is the author “saying” to the
reader. Does the text support it? What literary techniques and
conventions does he or she use to say it? What is the “point” of
the story? Does the author/text show readers anything
worthwhile about people or about life? Keep your discussion
focused on analyzing how the theory works within the short
story and literary elements work to support your point.