For this 4- to 5-page analytical paper, analyze ONE of the assigned readings from before the due date or a PAIRING of these assigned texts that will offer an interesting contrast. Your paper should be thesis driven, making an argument about the meaning of the text(s), and must analyze concrete supporting evidence from the text in question. Please note that papers that fail to use and analyze quotations will not receive a grade higher than a C+. You should give attention to both theme and form, considering how the way an author (or authors) writes a text (e.g. forms like dramatic monologue, stylistic choice, experiments in organizing or narrative technique, etc.) informs meaning. You may also wish to situate the text(s) historically with relevant terminology (e.g. Victorian Period, Romantic Period [in American Literature]). Avoid summarizing the text or providing the author’s biography. No outside sources are necessary for this paper, but if you decide to consult any, they should be documented via in-text citations and a work cited page.
You will be allowed to revise your first paper for a higher grade if desired and must resubmit the revised paper by the conclusion of spring break. Your final grade will account for the seriousness with which you attempt the first draft and any improvements from the first to second draft.
Your paper should be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins, and must follow MLA documentation, format, and style. Please include a creative and informative title. Late papers will lose 3 points from the final letter grade for each additional calendar day (not class-day) that the paper is late, unless otherwise cleared through me.