Literature: Analyze and describe the usefulness of critical essay on American realism.

Paper details

Assignment Instructions: In the sections below, replace the text in blue with the information described. These detailed directions are meant to indicate exactly what you need to do: though you are encouraged to express your independent thoughts in the many sections that call for analysis, you are also expected to provide the information requested and to format it as requested. One goal of this assignment is to learn and practice the conventions for using scholarly references. See, also, the information about this assignment on your syllabus and on the source list.

Bibliographic entry for essay:

[Include author’s name, title of the essay or chapter you’re reviewing, title of the journal or book in which it appeared, etc. If dealing with a journal, you will need volume number, issue number, and year of publication, as well as page numbers. If dealing with a book, you will need the editor’s name (or names), the city in which the book was published, the name of the press, and the year of publication, followed by page numbersYou can find further description and examples at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/.]

OVERVIEW OF THE ESSAY:

Topic:

[In 1-3 sentences, summarize the topic of the essay. This should consist solely of paraphrase: you shouldn’t need to quote here.]

 

Thesis:

[Most essays will include a 1-2 sentence thesis statement, summarizing the overarching argument of the piece. Quote that statement here, including the page number on which you found it, placed in parentheses at the end. If the thesis is implicit—meaning that you can tell what the point of the essay is, but the author never states it as such—you will need to use paraphrase.]

Most helpful point or sentence (and why):

[Choose the sentence that you found most interesting and useful in understanding the literary text in question or this period in US culture, and either quote or paraphrase it. In either case, since you’re dealing with an idea that appears in a specific point in the essay, you will need to include the page number on which you found it, placed in parentheses at the end. Then, since the judgment of “most helpful” is subjective—that is, it depends on your interests and questions about literature and history—discuss why you found this sentence/claim most interesting. There’s no “right” answer here: you just need to explain your thoughts clearly.]

Most impressive use of evidence (and why):

[Choose the moment in the essay where the author finds the perfect quotation from literary text—or, in some cases, the perfect historical or social example—to support the claim being made. This use of evidence may stand out for its creativity—such that you think, “Wow! That meaning would not have occurred to me!”—or its logic, such that you think, “Oh! That makes perfect sense!” The passage you choose will probably be too long to quote, so you should mainly use paraphrase here, but if part of the passage is just so perfect that you really want to quote it, that’s fine. In either case, however, since you’re dealing with an idea that appears in a specific point in the essay, you will need to include the page number on which you found it, placed in parentheses at the end of your sentence. Once you’ve indicated the passage, explain why you found it so effective: again, there’s no “right” answer here—just clear analysis.]

Most surprising and/or confusing point or sentence:

[Choose the moment in the essay where, as a reader, you said, “Whaaaaat?” This could be an unexpected historical fact, a shocking interpretation, or just a sentence/argument that doesn’t make sense. Your choice of paraphrase or quotation will depend on what kind of moment you choose: what’s the most effective way to convey this surprising or problematic moment to your readers? In either case, however, since you’re dealing with an idea that appears in a specific point in the essay, you will need to include the page number on which you found it, placed in parentheses at the end. This question is again subjective, so once you’ve indicated the passage, explain why you found it so confusing, surprising, or otherwise odd.]

ASSESSMENT:

[In approximately 300 words, summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the essay, especially considering your goals as a student in an introductory class trying to learn more about late nineteenth century literature and culture. Begin by stating why you chose this essay/ assignment, and then describe how well it met your objectives:

• Was the information relevant to your interests?
• Was the argument easy (enough) to follow, or was it sometimes hard to tell why the author was moving from one topic to another?
• Was the language accessible, or did it contain too much language that could only be understood by a professional literary critic or historian?
• Overall, what do you know that you didn’t know before reading the essay, and how does that help you understand this period in US literature?

You will probably need to use both quotation and paraphrase to provide a clear and detailed account, and in each case, be sure to list the page of the sentence/passage being cited.]