Comparative Literary Papers (1st Semester Exam) Due December 12, 2017

Exam Grade – 20% of Semester Grade Check Alexander’s website (“Help for Students”) for MLA Help packet. Must be in MLA format!! Use academic (scholarly resources): books, academic journals. Use academic databases such as JSTOR which can be accessed through VWCC website for students enrolled in any DE class.

Plagiarism number must be 20% or lower. Check before submitting papers.! Please state an actual thesis and analyze your topic. DO NOT SUMMARIZE AND/OR EXPLAIN THE TEXT!! DO discuss literary styles and themes – be specific with examples. Use Claim/data/commentary format. Underline/italicize book titles.

Thesis/Introductory Paragraph 1. Introduce author and novels 2. Introduce the social/cultural issue to be discussed. 3. Thesis statement: *subect/topic + opinion/argument = thesis *makes a claim for an argument *is specific (“Ernest Hemingway talks about war” – too vague)

The thesis statement should include two parts: WHAT? And WHY? WHAT: What claim are you making about the text? WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim important? Your thesis should answer the “so what?” question. In this particular paper, you are analyzing how 2 separate literary works deal with similar concepts or forms.

Developing a Thesis - 1 Once you’ve read the story or novel closely, look back over your notes for patterns of ideas/questions that interest you. Example: If you are reading Joseph Conrad’s HOD, are you most interested in racism, gender inequality, or imperialism? What is Conrad saying about imperialism? Pitfalls: Choosing too many ideas AND/OR Choosing an idea with little to no support.

Developing a Thesis – 2 Once you have some general points to focus on, write your possible ideas and answer the questions that they suggest. Example: How does Conrad use the impressionistic writing style to express his views on imperialism? He uses the dreamlike quality of impressionism to censure imperialism. To write the thesis statement, all you have to do is to turn the question and answer around.

Developing a thesis – 3 Thesis statement: 1. Expressed in a declarative sentence 2. Makes an assertion 3. Is debatable rather than factual 4. Targets a specific aspect of the topic EXAMPLE: Joseph Conrad’s literature was influenced by British Imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through his experiences sailing for the British empire, Conrad understands the destructive nature of British imperialism which he censures in the novels, Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness.

Examples of Literary Thesis Statements – 1 Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore. Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

Examples of Literary Thesis Statements – 2 Edgar Allan Poe’s work was affected greatly by the current events of his life, covering his family life, his childhood, and his career; these events changed his style and subject of his works. There is a lot of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter falters and ultimately breaks down with the introduction of the character Pearl.

Examples of Literary Thesis Statements – 3 The character of Ben in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a great character. Through Paul’s experience behind the lines, at a Russian prisoner of war camp, and especially under bombardment in the trenches, Erich Maria Remarque realistically shows how war dehumanizes a man. In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the characters Sardie and Abner Snopes struggling for their identity.

Examples of Literary Thesis Statements – 4 10. In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses foreshadowing to strengthen the plot. 11. In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses the sea as a unifying device for setting, structure, and theme. 12. In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh room to develop the theme of death.

Write a thesis statement of your own, based on your knowledge (to this point) of your author and your two novels.