Paper 1 Draft

Choose two stories from either group A or group B (the stories should belong to the same group). The stories you select should present thematic similarities (I encourage you to consider different pairings from those I suggested in our class schedule): GROUP A (realist stories): An Act of Vengeance (Allende) Girl (Kincaid) Night Women (Danticat) How to Date a Browngirl… (Diaz) Desirees Baby (Chopin) The Story of an Hour (Chopin) GROUP B (magical realism): My Life with the Wave (Paz) The Moths (Viramontes) The Rememberer (Bender) The Rocking Horse Winner (Lawrence) A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (Mrquez) Write a paper in which you argue a common theme the stories share, drawing connections between the stories through a close reading of the texts, and assessing how selected elements of fiction (*) are employed by the authors to convey meaning. In other words, examine how linguistic choices and crafting techniques (like irony, foreshadowing, etc.) contribute to create unique effects and perceptions that deliver the stories common theme. (Please refer to PowerPoint presentations for elements of fiction). * DO NOT USE PLOT as an element of fiction (it makes for weaker papers that rely too much on summary and not enough on analysis of language and crafting techniques) Suggestions: Dont try to incorporate all the elements of fiction or to summarize the entire story (remember that you should analyze, not summarize). You should select specific passages that support your interpretation of the stories and, through a close reading of the texts, examine how the authors use specific elements of fiction (I would use two or three) to achieve certain effects and convey meaning. In other words, show how the stories you have selected are crafted by examining the unique effects created through language, setting, characterization, point of view, etc. and argue why the authors make the choices they make (for example: 1st person vs. 3rd person point of view) and how these choices deliver meaning. You will need to carefully support what you argue by citing your primary sources (i.e. the stories). Remember that a textual analysis should make an argument about the texts. In other words, your essay should be more than a simple list of elements of fiction. You are trying to convince your audience to read a particular text in a certain way. An analysis is a close reading of a text, not a presentation of what you may think or feel about a certain set of issues. For this reason, it is important that you refer to specific passages from the text AND USE QUOTATIONS to support your argument. If, near the end, you want to make a more global observation that expresses your own opinion or takes a broader perspective in some way, you may (this should go in your conclusion). However, such broader statements should grow out of the analysis of the stories. Remember that your paper should contain a specific thesis in your introduction, and that the body of the paper should argue that thesis ONLY. Your thesis should clearly say what the common theme is and what elements of fiction you will use to discuss the common theme (do not use PLOT). Do not search the Internet or rely on outside sources; this is not a research paper and I am interested in your informed opinion based on textual evidence. Using the Internet can lead to plagiarism and to failing the paper. All formal writing assignments must: use MLA style (including a work cited page) be typed in Times New Roman 12 font ONLY be double-spaced have one-inch margins all around indicate, in the upper left-hand corner, your name, the instructor’s name, course information, date, and assignment number have a creative title Paper Length: Rough draft should be 3-4 pages long (This means that you must go onto pg. 4; minimum is top of pg. 4, maximum bottom of pg. 4). You will participate in peer review after posting your first draft.