Q For your first major writing assignment, you have been asked to write a 3-5 page essay in which you fully analyze either the Plot or Characters of ONE selected reading from our readings. You have already submitted a Rough Draft and conducted a Peer Review. This assignment is your finished product, the FINAL DRAFT. This Final Draft should represent your absolute best work. You should carefully review all of the requirements for the paper as well as any suggestions made to you by me and/or in you Peer Review Feedback from your classmates. The grade for this assignment will be based on finished quality. The guidelines below lay out how many points will be assigned to each overall category being assessed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you choose to write about KATE CHOPIN's "The Story of an Hour" or NEIL GAIMAN's "How to Talk to Girls at Parties," you will write a CHARACTER ANALYSIS of at least TWO major characters in the selected story. (See below for details on requirements.) If you choose to write about JOHN UPDIKE's "A&P, " or KATHERINE MANSFIELD's "Miss Brill," you will write a PLOT ANALYSIS of ALL FIVE stages of plot in the selected story. (See below for details on requirements.) Writing is a process of attempting to capture thoughts and pin them to a page. Not every attempt is fruitful, and (more often than not) even the best attempts can be made better. This assignment requires --once you have done your best to capture your thoughts--that you must let the words speak for themselves. This assignment is not just a draft; it is your finished product. It should represent your best work and be a complete product containing an attempt to fulfill all of the requirements for the paper. Here are some guidelines for completing your assignment-- Organizational Structure: PLOT ANALYSIS 1. The essay must include a well-developed INTRODUCTION that defines the stages of the Plot and offers a clear THESIS STATEMENT about the author's use of the traditional narrative structure. 2. Your paper MUST discuss all five elements of the plot, although you are more than welcome to group the plot in the following way: o EXPOSITION, o RISING ACTION+CLIMAX, and o FALLING ACTION+RESOLUTION, 3. Your examination of the story should close with a CONCLUSION that unifies how each element of plot does or does not fit into the narrative arc and an assessment of the story as a whole. CHARACTER ANALYSIS 1. The essay must include a well-developed INTRODUCTION that defines the different aspects of Character and offers a clear THESIS STATEMENT about the author's use of the characterization 2. Your paper MUST discuss the development, growth, and motivation of at least two major characters, including: o whether the characters are flat or round and to what extent, o whether the characters are static or dynamic as the story moves along, and o what the underlying cause of each character's personality and actions might be, 3. Your examination of the story should close with a CONCLUSION that unifies how each element of character does or does not contribute to the meaning of the story as a whole. Analysis/Synthesis of Ideas: You should do more than just point out the elements of the plot or identify the characters in a surface-level way. You should discuss and analyze WHY the elements you identify are important and HOW the author conveys the story's message to the reader through these literary elements. When you make a claim about the story, provide direct and specific support for your claim from the story itself. Be sure to make reference to and cite specific passages that support your observations. For example: In "Hill's Like White Elephants," Hemingway emphasizes Jig's frustration with the American and her own personal desperation when she implores, 'Will you please please please please please please please stop talking?' (Hemingway 78). Originality of Ideas/Documentation & Citation: 1. ALL observations and claims about these stories MUST be your own--you MUST NOT consult any outside sources such as SparkNotes or Schmoop. The only exception is that you MAY reference comments from your textbook outside the stories, such as the general introduction to Plot/Character or the Cultural Context items attached to each story. (Note that any such inclusions should be CITED as Kirszner and Mandell--the editors or your text.) 2. In addition, all observations and claims MUST be supported with SPECIFIC, DETAILED reference to the texts themselves, including parenthetical in-text citation and inclusion of the stories and the anthology as a whole in a correctly formatted Works Cited page. Information, discussion, or ideas that are not your own and are not correctly documented are considered PLAGIARISM, a form of academic dishonesty, and WILL NOT be tolerated. As noted in your syllabus and in the Student Code of Conduct, plagiarism can result in severe penalties ranging from failing the assignment to failing the course and even to being expelled from the College. Format & Style: • Your paper should follow all basic MLA guidelines for formatting (12 point Times New Roman font, 1" margins. double-spaced throughout, etc.) Refer to your Little Seagull Handbook if you are unsure. (This link takes you to an abbreviated Little Seagull guide to MLA formatting Download Little Seagull guide to MLA formatting, not your actual textbook.) • Your paper should have a unique, interesting title. Your title should reflect your thesis and content, not just name the type of assignment (Plot Analysis) or the stories being discussed ("How to Talk to Girls at Parties" vs. "The Story of an Hour" and "A Rose for Emily"). Make the reader WANT to read your paper. • Your essay should be in the objective third-person point of view (using pronouns such as he, she, it, they and nouns such as the author, Gaiman, the reader, exposition). While the opinions in the essay should be your own, you should not call attention to yourself with empty phrases such as, "I think . . ." or "In my opinion . . ." nor should you force the reader into the essay with phrases such as, "You can feel . . ." or "When you read the story . . ." EXAMPLES: o In my opinion, Neil Gaiman uses exposition in a very clever way. ? Delete the opening first-person phrase and the sentence is stronger and more definitive without changing the overall meaning. ? Neil Gaiman uses exposition in a very clever way. o As you read "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" you cannot help but notice Gaiman's use of foreshadowing. ? Delete the second-person references and add a stronger verb to make the sentence more direct and powerful. ? "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" highlights Gaiman's use of foreshadowing. Rubric Freeman Writing Rubric (3) Freeman Writing Rubric (3) Criteria Ratings Pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganizational Structure 25 pts Full Marks 24 pts Superior Essay has a clear thesis and introduction defining scope. Body follows a logical development of ideas. Conclusion ties discussion back to thesis and offers closure. 21 pts Very Good Thesis and introduction are clear but formulaic or lacking focus. Body may be underdeveloped but follows a logical pattern. Conclusion summarizes main points but does not tie to thesis. 18 pts Satisfactory Thesis is present but unfocused; introduction is underdeveloped or disconnected from thesis. Body is on point but rambling or disorganized. Conclusion does little more than summarize main points. 15 pts Needs Work Thesis is missing or inappropriate to assignment; introduction may be lacking entirely. Body is disjointed and hard to follow. Conclusion is lacking or totally repetitious. 0 pts No Marks 25 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis/Synthesis of Ideas 25 pts Full Marks 24 pts Superior Key concepts are discussed in a unique, intelligent fashion. Essay connects concepts to specific textual examples and explores relationships insightfully. 21 pts Very Good Key concepts are mentioned but not applied effectively. Details from texts are presented but not fully tied to broader concepts. Examples are mostly effective but occasionally disconnected or inappropriate. 18 pts Satisfactory Some key concepts missing from discussion or used incorrectly. Details and examples may be sparse or unclear as to relevance. 15 pts Needs Work Essay primarily summarizes or rehashes text with little unique thought. Concepts largely not applied. Textual examples largely not present or disconnected from discussion. 0 pts No Marks 25 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOriginality of Ideas/ Documentation & Citation 25 pts Full Marks 24 pts Superior All observations are unique to the author or from appropriate academic sources. Examples and ideas are correctly cited in text and documented in an MLA Works Cited. No evidence of plagiarism is present. 21 pts Very Good Ideas presented are unique but not overly original. Sources are appropriate but citations may be occasionally flawed or lacking. Documentation generally follows MLA format but contains some errors. No evidence of plagiarism is present. 18 pts Satisfactory Many ideas are unoriginal or mere paraphrase of classroom discussions. Some sources may be poorly chosen or inappropriate. Citations and documentation are present but frequently incorrectly formatted or missing information. No deliberate plagiarism is present. 15 pts Needs Work Little to no evidence of unique ideas. Sources used in essay either lack citations or (if cited) are missing from Works Cited. Errors in citation, documentation, or use of sources borders on plagiarism without clear intent to defraud. 0 pts No Marks 25 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormat & Style 25 pts Full Marks 24 pts Superior All MLA formatting guidelines are presented correctly. Essay uses appropriate academic tone and conventions. Errors in grammar, paragraph development, and sentence structure are practically nonexistent. 21 pts Very Good Some MLA formatting guidelines are incorrectly followed. Occasional errors in tone, point of view, or use of slang/jargon exist. Some errors in grammar, paragraph development, and sentence structure exist but do not distract significantly. 18 pts Satisfactory Numerous errors in basic MLA formatting exist, but the overall presentation is sound. Academic tone and conventions show frequent mistakes. Errors in grammar, paragraph development, and sentence structure occasionally make essay difficult to understand. Lack of proofreading and revision evident. 15 pts Needs Work MLA guidelines seriously breached or ignored throughout. Tone and use of language are consistently academically inappropriate. Grammar errors and sentence-level mistakes make the essay very hard to read. No real evidence of attempts to correct previous mistakes. 0 pts No Marks 25 pts Total Points: 100 PreviousNext