Short Story Analysis Essay

This assignment is worth 70 points

10 Points 5 Points 0 PointsIntroduction See requirements on next 2

pagesUndeveloped or Missing 1 requirement from description

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Point-of-View See requirements on next 2 pages

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Setting See requirements on next 2 pages

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Style See requirements on next 2 pages

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Theme See requirements on next 2 pages

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Conclusion See requirements on next 2 pages

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Mechanics Paragraphs are indented. Quotations and citations are formatted properly. 0 errors in punctuation.

Missing 1 10 point element Missing 2 or more 10 point elements

How to Write Your Analysis

Step One: Select your stories.

Story and Author Page Story and Author Page Emphasis“The Man from the South” By Roald Dahl

176 “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Alan Poe

Online Style

“Where are You Going, Where have You Been?

**10 Bonus Points**

96 “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gillman

Online ThemeStyle

“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

74 “Misery” by Anton Chekhov 134 Style

“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

89 “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver 151 Theme

“Superfrog Saves Tokyo” by Haruki Murakami

162 “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty 127 Theme

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Online “Pig” by Roald Dahl StyleTheme

“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka

**10 Bonus Points**

Online “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes Online ThemePOV

“To Build a Fire” by Jack London Online “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane Online Theme“Good Country People” by Flannery O’Conner

Online “The Life You Save May be Your Own” by Flannery O’Conner

Online Style

“The Swimmer” by John Cheever Online “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce

Online ThemeStyle

Step Two: Read your stories.

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Step Three: Read your stories again, and take notes on POV, Setting, Characterization, and Style. Use your notes to develop an outline for your paper.

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Step Four: Write your introduction. The introduction starts with a hook and then general information that must include the title and author of both stories. It must also include a brief, one-sentence synopsis of each story. Finally, develop a thesis that your paper will follow.

The thesis should be arguable, confined to the topic, and the rest of your paper should prove it to be correct.

Example thesis – The similarities in theme between “Story One” and “Story Two” are the direct result of each author’s choices in point-of-view, setting, and style.

Example thesis – Both “Story One” and “Story Two” share similar points of view, but each author’s style and setting help to create very different theme.

Bad Thesis – Both stories have a similar point of view and theme, but different setting and style.

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Step Five: Write your support paragraphs. These topics can be in any order, and are not limited to a single paragraph per topic. It is a good idea to use the strongest, most prevalent topics first and last, with the weaker topics in the middle.

Point-of-View – this section of your paper needs to cover what the point-of-view is, what the author gains and loses with this point-of-view and why it is important to your story. You are covering both

stories in this section but you are not limited to one paragraph. AVOID SUMMARY. Focus on the similarities/differences between the stories and how those similarities/differences affect style, theme, etc. Your thesis is your guide.

Setting – this section of your paper needs to cover what the setting is, its effect (creates conflict, sets mood, etc.) and why it is important to the story. You are covering both stories in this section but you are not limited to one paragraph. AVOID SUMMARY. Focus on the similarities/differences between the stories and how those similarities/differences affect style, theme, etc. Your thesis is your guide.

Style – compare how the organization, diction, mood/tone, sentence structure, or other unique or relevant literary elements (such as symbolism) affect each story. You are covering both stories in this section but you are not limited to one paragraph. AVOID SUMMARY. Focus on the similarities/differences between the stories and how those similarities/differences affect theme or other literary elements. Your thesis is your guide.

Theme – this section of your paper will look at similar or different themes between the two stories. You are covering both stories in this section but you are not limited to one paragraph. AVOID

SUMMARY. Focus on the similarities/differences between the stories and how those similarities/differences affect the story overall. Your thesis is your guide.

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Step Six: Write Your Conclusion. The conclusion should wrap up your essay by trying to tie together any common themes you have developed in your essay. Leave the reader with something to think about.

Avoid using phrases like “In conclusion” or “Overall.” Do not restate your thesis. The goal here is to make any final connections that reinforce your thesis. Leave the reader with a final thought, something to think about after they have finished reading your paper.

POVWhat is the pov?

What is your evidence/proof?

What do we gain from this perspective?

What do we lose from this perspective?

How is the POV important?

SettingWhat time and place is this story set in?

Is the physical environment important (a room, for example)?

Is there an important element of setting missing?

Does the setting set a mood or tone?

Does the setting create conflict? How?

Style

Is there anything unique about the organization or overall writing?

Diction?

Paragraphs and sentences?

Tone and mood?

Other Unique elements?

Theme

Ideas, symbols, concepts that are repeated:

Lessons you or the characters learn:

What is the theme?

How can you prove it?

Remember, no common phrases or single word themes.

POVWhat is the pov?

What is your evidence/proof?

What do we gain from this perspective?

What do we lose from this perspective?

How is the POV important?

SettingWhat time and place is this story set in?

Is the physical environment important (a room, for example)?

Is there an important element of setting missing?

Does the setting set a mood or tone?

Does the setting create conflict? How?

Style

Is there anything unique about the organization or overall writing?

Diction?

Paragraphs and sentences?

Tone and mood?

Other Unique elements?

Theme

Ideas, symbols, concepts that are repeated:

Lessons you or the characters learn:

What is the theme?

How can you prove it?

Remember, no common phrases or single word themes.