Think the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of the novel.

Page Format: Follow MLA format guidelines (see Blackboard link if you are not familiar with MLA)
• 1” margins all sides, Double spaced, 12pt font
• Page numbers in upper right corner
• Heading with Name, Course, Date. Assignment: Write a short essay analyzing and proving your interpretation of an element of one of the books. For this paper, you should have an argumentative/debatable thesis statement. Remember, this not a book report. You are trying to prove something to me about the book. If someone could not have a valid argument against your interpretation, then question whether you actually have an argument or not. You might consider issues of craft/presentation (why the author structured something the way it is, used certain devices/techniques, etc), arguing a particular goal/intent the author is trying to get across (such as a particular way of viewing the character or an idea), or if you want to do more research, you might compare, support, or argue for/against other sources of information on the novel. Perhaps you’ve read an article arguing about Hannibal Lecter’s psych profile, for you psych majors, and want to argue against it J
Your essay should have (tips on essay writing):
1. A clear Introduction Paragraph—Introduce your topic (title, author, and brief summary related to topic—ie, if your argument is about a particular character, sum up that character and not the whole plot for example) and thesis statement (what you are trying to prove).
a. Tip: Your thesis should be the most obvious sentence(s) in the whole paper. Don’t hide it.
i. Thesis should go towards the end of the introduction (aka introduce the topic first)
2. Several Supporting Points/Paragraphs—State the point (topic sentence), present evidence (quotes from the text), and explain your evidence and how it proves your thesis. Explaining your thinking on the why/hows is the bulk of a paper. a. 1 Topic per paragraph is a good general guideline for writing, aka 1 supporting point, per paragraph
3. Conclusion—This is NOT a rewording of your introduction. Rather, this is where you explain why your argument is important and/or what it adds to the discussion of the book.
Plus: Internal Citations and a Works Cited page
a. Basic Internal Citation looks like: (Author Page#), (Fleming 23)
i. I will NOT read your essay if it is missing these components
Do This
• Articulate an argumentative thesis concerning the play. Consider issues of analyzing and interpreting. Think the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of the novel.
• Support this thesis/idea with evidence from the text (quotes/paraphrases). Look closely at lines and phrasing.
o I’m expecting several piece of evidence from the text at least
• Show how your thesis/idea is functioning within the text, aka, explain the quotes.
• Include Internal Citations and a Works Cited. At minimum you need to cite the novel(s). Additional sources are not required, but do feel free to include them as needed.
• Proof-read, spell-checked, and reasonably free of grammatical errors.
Example Topic Ideas: You are encouraged to come up with your own topic, but if you are stuck here some you can use.
• In some ways Clarice Starling has a typical origin story arc, but Hannibal Lecter is a complicating factor. In what ways does Clarice evolve that are different than, say, Kamala in Ms. Marvel? Has Clarice left her rookie status behind? What has she become?
• Kamala Khan deals a lot with identity, and not just the secret kind. She’s figuring out who she is as Kamala but also as the new Ms. Marvel. She’s not Captain Marvel (she’s a different person altogether!). What do you think the author, Wilson, is trying to tell the reader on the subject of identity and just figuring out who you, yourself, are?