critical English writing

HowtoWriteCriticalPapersJUANWANGNov14,2010WritingTermPapersMethodsofLiteraryAnalysisHowtoWriteCriticalPapers1.ChoosingaTopicImportanceandInterestManageabilityElizabethanDramaShakespeare’sTragediesHamletOnHamlet’sInsanityWritingTermPapersWhichWastheGreaterPoet,LiBaiorDuFu?AComparativeStudyoftheThemesinLiBai’sandDuFu’sPoems2.WorkingoutanOutlineWritingTermPapersI.FirstmainideaA.Firstsubordinateidea1.Firstevidenceforsubordinateideaa.Firstdetailofevidenceb.Seconddetailofevidence2.SecondevidenceforsubordinateideaB.SecondsubordinateideaII.Secondmainidea3.ChoosingaStructureIntroductionBodyConclusionWritingTermPapersWritingTermPapersKateChopin’s“TheStoryofanHour”–whichtakesonlyafewminutestoread–hasanironicending:Mrs.Mallarddiesjustwhensheisbeginningtolive.Onfirstreading,theendingseemsalmosttooironicforbelief.Onrereadingthestory,however,oneseesthattheendingisbelievablepartlybecauseitisconsistentwithotherironiesinthestory.(IroniesofLifeinKateChopin’s“TheStoryofanHour”)BackgroundTransitionThesisStatementIntroductionSomestrategiesforopeningparagraphs•Askaquestion•Relateanincident•Useavividquotation•Offerasurprisingstatisticorotherfact•Stateanopinionrelatedtoyourthesis•Outlinetheargumentyourthesisrefutes•Providebackground•Makeahistoricalcomparisonandcontrast•Outlineaproblemordilemma•DefineawordcentraltoyoursubjectIntroductionWritingTermPapersBodySchemesfororganizingthebodyofanessay•Space/Time•EmphasisGeneraltospecificSpecifictogeneralProblem-solutionIncreasingimportanceDecreasingfamiliarityIncreasingcomplexityWritingTermPapersConclusionSomestrategiesforclosingparagraphs•Strikeanoteofhopeordespair•Giveasymbolicorpowerfulfactorotherdetail•Giveanespeciallycompellingexample•Useaquotation•Recommendacourseofaction•Summarizethepaper•Echotheapproachoftheintroduction•RestateyourthesisandreflectonitsimplicationsWritingTermPapers4.WorkingwithSourcesRelevanceReliabilityUsingsummary,paraphrase,andquotationAvoidingplagiarismWritingTermPapers5.UsingMLADocumentationandFormatOnlyonearticlementionsthisdiscrepancy(Wolfe62).ParentheticalCitationThetextbyWiloox,Ault,andAgeediscussesthe“ethicaldilemmasinpublicrelationspractice”(125).ThelistofworkscitedWritingTermPapersMethodsofLiteraryAnalysisPlotCharactersPointofviewToneImagerySymbolismSettingFormThemeAppeal1.Analyzingaliteraryworkinthefollowingaspects2.QuestionsforanalyzingfictionWhathappensinthestory?Isthestorytoldinchronologicalorder,orarethereflashbacksorflashforwards?Whatconflictdoestheworkinclude?Howdoesthewriterdevelopcharacters?Whotellsthestory?Whatisthesetting?Arecertaincharacters,settings,oractionssymbolic?Whatisthetheme?Isthetitleinformative?MethodsofLiteraryAnalysis3.WritingProcess1.Topic/thesis2.Outline3.Evidence4.Draft5.RevisingandeditingGwendolynBrooks:TheBeanEatersMethodsofLiteraryAnalysisDiscussthesamplewritingfromthefollowingperspectives:FormatTopicEvidenceTransitionandCoherenceExpressionsandDiction4.WritingPracticeLovebyJesseStuartMethodsofLiteraryAnalysis1.Readthenovelandputforwardquestionsasmanyaspossible,andthenconceiveathesisstatementbasedononeorsomeofyourquestions.2.Workoutanoutlineaccordingtoyourthesis.1.Whereindoestheconflictlieinthisstory?2.Whatchange,ifany,comesaboutinthestory?3.Whydidtheauthorchoosetotellthestoryinthefirstperson?Ifthestoryweretoldinthethirdperson,whatproblemsofexpositionmightarisethatdonotnowappear?4.Thisstoryisverysimilarto“Love”byMaupassant,butthegeneral“feel”ofthetreatmentisdifferent.Whatdifferentdoyouthinkthismakesinthemeaning?QuestionsforreferenceMethodsofLiteraryAnalysisMyEmail:[e-mail]