English 9 / Mrs. Walsh
Short Story Analysis Paragraph
Explanation: For this assignment, you will be required to read and analyze a story independently, applying one (1) of the elements of voice to the story you have read, and then synthesizing your analysis into a thoughtful and well-organized paragraph that incorporates a focused topic sentence and a minimum of three (3) specific, cited references to the text.
Instructions:
1) Select one of the following stories and read it through once, completely:
Short Story Choices:
· “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury
· “Beware of the Dog” by Roald Dahl
· “By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benet
· “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier
· “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams
· “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury
· “Where Are You Going, Where Have Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates
2) Re-read the story with a pen/pencil in hand, and annotate for one (1) of the following elements of voice: diction, detail, imagery, syntax, tone. Be sure to do more than merely underline or highlight parts of the story! If you don’t make some notes for yourself in the margins, you may forget why you marked that particular section in the first place.
3) Formulate a topic sentence that relates an argument about your chosen voice element. A good argument might relate form to function. For instance, I could argue: The awkward, fragmented syntax in “Born of Man and Woman” tells the reader that the narrator suffers from emotional abuse.
4) Locate, bullet point, and cite your three specific references to the text (i.e., your supporting evidence). Before you continue with your paragraph, show me a brief outline of what you have (topic sentence and bulleted support)! If I used the model topic sentence above, I would look for examples of incorrect or awkward syntax, preferably sentences that also reveal something of the emotional abuse the narrator endures.
5) Draft your paragraph, following the T.E.X.A.S. model (to be presented). The “A” in T.E.X.A.S. is so important! Analysis = showing how your evidence supports your claim. NEVER assume that your reader can “just see” what you’re talking about. You have to show the reader your thinking.
6) Peer review paragraphs.
7) Revise and edit your paragraph, either by marking up a hard copy with a pen/pencil, or by using “Track Changes” on Word. Note: If you use the latter, be sure not to accept changes until you’ve printed a hard copy of the rough draft!
8) Submit an electronic copy of the final paragraph to Turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m. on the due date. Hand in hard copies of the rough draft(s) that you completed, that class following the final due date!
Grading: This assignment counts as a Test/Essay grade, and will therefore contribute to 65% of your quarter grade. Please note:
1) If I do not see your outline on the due date, you will receive a homework zero for that element.
2) If you do not complete a peer review for another student, you will receive a homework zero for that element.
3) If I do not receive an annotated rough draft, then you can immediately expect to lose 10 points on your final paragraph, no matter how wonderful that paragraph sounds.
4) If I do not receive your final essay on time, you will lose 5 points per day on your overall essay grade!
Due: See Schoolwires for due dates.