1. Critical Analysis of Short Stories Essay
Mr. LoNigro
English 10

2. 10th Grade Critical Analysis of Short Stories
How do the short stories illustrate the treatment (or mistreatment) of others?
Step 1: Examine your annotations on all three stories
Step 2: Break down two aspects of each short story that represent the character actions & themes (find quotes that illustrate this), especially in regard to the treatment of others
Step 3: Connect this concept to modern day (showing your ability to analyze text)

3. What’s in an introductory paragraph?
The first paragraph of your essay should include…
Attention-getter (1-5 sentences)
Bridge (1-2 sentences)
Thesis (1 sentence)

4. 1. Attention-getter Should be 1-5 sentences
Should get the reader interested and make them want to read your essay!
You can use…
An interesting quote
An anecdote (quick story or scenario)
A shocking fact
An interesting insight about your topic
No personal pronouns! (1st = I, me, my, we, us, our, ours; 2nd = you, your, yours)

5. 1. Attention-getter (example)
From the time humans came into existence, they longed for companionship. As they evolved, they began hunting in packs for protection, they developed emotional connections with each other, and they formed families and groups to support one another. Inarguably interacting with one another is part of the human DNA.

6. 2. Bridge Should be 1-2 sentences
Should briefly connect your attention-getter to your thesis (like a bridge connects 2 pieces of land!)
It should…
Funnel your reader from your attention-getter to your thesis
Introduce the author’s you will be writing about
Provide a little background on your essay

7. 2. Bridge (example)
From the time humans came into existence, they longed for companionship. As they evolved, they began hunting in packs for protection, they developed emotional connections with each other, and they formed families and groups to support one another. Inarguably interacting with one another is part of the human DNA. Despite this need for sincere camaraderie, human beings often mistreat one another. Many authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman have written about the awful ways humans can treat one another in ordinary life.

8. 3. Thesis Statement
Should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph
Should contain the three stories you will examine in your essay:
“The Masque of the Red Death” – E.A. Poe
“The Lottery” – Shirley Jackson
“The Yellow Wallpaper” – Charlotte Perkins Gillman
Should explain what people can learn about the treatment of others from each story…
Should be clearly and eloquently stated – NO DEAD WORDS!!!

9. 3. Thesis Statement (example)
From the time humans came into existence, they longed for companionship. As they evolved, they began hunting in packs for protection, they developed emotional connections with each other, and they formed families and groups to support one another. Inarguably interacting with one another is part of the human DNA. Despite this need for sincere camaraderie, human beings often mistreat one another. Many authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman have written about the awful ways humans can treat one another in ordinary life. “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Lottery,” and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” are three stories that illustrate how people will mistreat those closest to them when they are pushed to their limits.

10. Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph should…
Begin with a transitional word or phrase
Have a topic sentence that mentions the story being analyzed and the focus of the paragraph
Have at least 2 specific, concrete examples AND quotes from the text from the story that support your thesis (treatment or mistreatment of others)
End with a clincher sentence that brings it all together

11. Body Paragraphs For each of your two examples, you must…
Introduce the example or set it up with a signal phrase
Include a quotation from the text that illustrates this example
Cite the quote using an in-text citation
Use author’s last name and pg. number - (Poe 2).
Explain how that quote illustrates your thesis (treatment or mistreatment)

12. Closing Paragraph Your last paragraph should…
Include a closing transition
Rephrase your thesis statement in different words
Have one sentence of summary for EACH of your three body paragraphs
Return back to your attention-getter idea to bring the essay full circle

13. Special Reminders Thesis must:
be clear, be one sentence, be located last in the intro, and include the two stories being examined
MLA Formatting of quotes – Example: (Poe 3).
Must be exactly as they appear from text and have “quotation marks”
*If using an outside source, cite using and add to last page of essay
Avoid 1st and 2nd personal pronouns
I, me, my, mine, we, us, you, yours, ours
All quotes MUST have a step-up that explains the context…
In the story, Prince Prospero says “………….” (Poe 4).
Jackson proves this by having her character, Tessie, exclaim “……….” (Jackson 2).
Transitions – at beginning of each body paragraph; within body paragraphs
Vary sentence structure, type, length; word choice