Literary analysis

The controlling purpose is similar to a thesis statement. It serves as somewhat of a blueprint for the entire paper by telling the reader what position the writer is taking; or what will be discussed in the paper; or what will be revealed; what will be argued, etc. A well-written essay has a clearly defined controlling purpose, with evidence to support it. An effective conclusion reasserts the controlling purpose, but it also leaves the reader with a unique thought to take away from the paper. CONTROLLING PURPOSE: REVIEW

Big picture The comparisons are pretty strong. One I questioned is whether Scarlett and Emily yearn for the past. Both seem to want to move on. Amanda clearly seems to want to go back. Some clarifications are in order: for example, Emily and Homer never do get married. Full development of points: explain the phrase “spiritual mother of Atlanta.” This is a nickname assigned to Scarlett by literary critics that means she demonstrates the traits that helped resurrect Atlanta after the war: resiliency, determination, courage. But she had nothing to do with rebuilding Atlanta itself, outside of running a business there. LITERARY ANALYSIS: SCARLETT AND EMILY AND AMANDA

The biggest revision task is providing supporting the analysis with evidence from the text. This means directly quoting the characters or the narrative; it can be as simple as using Faulkner’s words to describe the condition of Emily’s home; or perhaps quoting Gerald O’Hara as telling Scarlett, “Land is the only thing that lasts.” LITERARY ANALYSIS: SCARLETT AND EMILY AND AMANDA

Here are two good examples from papers: Empowered by her dreams of impressing Ashley and her vow to never again re-enter the clutches of poverty, Scarlett transcends the social norms of the South and becomes a working woman. Earlier in the film, Scarlett declares, “With God as my witness, I will never go hungry again.” This is seen in the line, “Only Miss Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps – an eyesore among eyesores.” This demonstrates that even Miss Emily’s home clings to the past, aging without a hint of grace. LITERARY ANALYSIS: SCARLETT AND EMILY AND AMANDA

Be sure to include the names of the works and the authors in the introduction: Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind; William Faulkner’s “A Rose For Emily.” Establish the time periods as antebellum, Civil War, Reconstruction, and Depression eras. When referring to the region of the country, capitalize “South.” OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

General observations about writing structure: Great command of third-person writing voice: just a couple of exceptions here. This simply means removal of “I” “me” “my” “our” “us” “we.” Tense: a few people writing in past tense but still very strong. Plus, it’s a quick fix: simply a matter of converting verbs to present tense. LITERARY ANALYSIS: OVERALL

Quick grammar reminder: comma splices Two independent thoughts (or two complete sentences) within one sentence cannot be separated by a comma alone. Example: Emily ends up sick and alone, she never recovers from the death of her father. We have two independent clauses: Emily ends up sick and alone. She never recovers from the death of her father. LITERARY ANALYSIS: GRAMMAR

Fix the comma “splice” in one of three ways: Simply replace the comma with a semi-colon. Emily ends up sick and alone; she never recovers from the death of her father. Keep the comma, but add a subordinating or coordinating conjunction. Emily ends up sick and alone, and she never recovers from the death of her father. Replace the comma with a period, and form two sentences. Emily ends up sick and alone. She never recovers from the death of her father. COMMA SPLICES

Commas and periods always go inside quotation marks: “A Rose For Emily,” by William Faulkner. Colons and semi-colons go outside of quotations marks. Entire paper is double-spaced, including title page info. MISCELLANEOUS

So, here is what happens with the grade. If you revise following the suggestions mentioned on your paper and making corrections, you can earn additional points. If you choose not to revise, the grade stands as marked. You must staple the revised copy to the one I have marked up. LITERARY ANALYSIS