You have been asked to write a formal essay in which you analyze and interpret some aspect of a work or works of science fiction.
Prepare for the assignment:
- Choose and read carefully the activity you have decided to complete.
- Reread the story or stories that you will need to refer to in this activity essay.
- If the activity poses a question, formulate the answer to the question.
- If the activity asks you to discuss and analyze an aspect of the story or stories, reread or skim the stories and take notes on the particular aspects of the stories you wish to concentrate on.
Regardless of the specific subject of your essay, essentially your analysis will answer the question So What? that a reader might pose after finishing the stories you have chosen to write about.
The act of analysis is literally the act of separating a whole into parts in order to understand that whole.
For your assignment you are essentially being asked to analyze some aspect of one or more short stories.
Any analysis of a literary work requires that the writer understand the intention (i.e., the theme) of the work and how that theme is revealed in the course of the work.
Remember that the theme of a work of literature is the comment that the author makes about his subject matter, a revelation about the behavior of human beings or the conduct of society; an insight into the human condition.
Remember that the theme is the insight we gain from thinking about what we have read.
To determine the theme of a work of literature, first identify and be able to thoroughly describe the major elements of that work:
- plot
- characterizations
- point of view
- setting
- patterns, symbols, any recurring images
In the case of science fiction, you must also be able to describe the elements of science and extrapolation from science present in the work and the relationship of the science to the work's plot.
Come to a conclusion about the significance of each of these elements. Be sure you understand why every element in the work exists.
Formulate a possible theme for the work and determine how the plot, characters, setting, science, and images support that theme, that insight into human nature.
Review the activity you have chosen to write about in relationship to the working out of the theme of the work(s).
The best kept secret about papers on literature is that they are argumentative: you argue for your interpretation of the work; the text is your supporting evidence.
Your thesis statement will demonstrate your understanding of and commentary on some aspect of the theme of the work(s) as suggested in the activity you have chosen.
Your thesis statement (which can be more than one sentence) will contain the following elements:
- The author(s) and title(s) of the work(s) being discussed
- The grounds (elements of the work or works) you will cover in your discussion
Remember that the purpose of your essay will be to respond to the questions or analyze the concepts expressed in the activity you have chosen.
As you prepare to write your essay, be aware of the nature of your audience.
Your readers have read the work(s), but perhaps not recently. Your readers do not have the work(s) in front of them. They know what happened, but not why or how. Your readers have not considered the work(s)' themes.
Thus you will need to briefly summarize the plots of the works and remind readers of the details of the character, point of view, and setting of the work(s) as they pertain to the activity you have chosen.
Use the following strategies:
- Let the structure of your argument take priority over the structure of the text. Organize your argument first, then arrange your notes and evidence (examples from the text) to support your argument.
- Use the language of the text as evidence.
- Tie each piece of evidence into your discussion. Explain your choice of examples.
Follow the rules of rhetoric.
- One idea to a paragraph. Summarize that idea in the topic sentence of the paragraph.
- Relate each topic sentence to your thesis statement.
- Supply details from the work(s) to support your topic sentence. Interpret those details to show the reader how they support your topic sentence.
- Supply transitions between paragraphs.
- Be sure to write a concluding paragraph that supplies closure to the reader by demonstrating that you have proved what you set out to prove in your thesis.
Punctuate titles properly.
Punctuate quotations properly.
Use MLA Parenthetical References for citations within the text. Be sure to cite the sources for all of your references, not just your direct quotations.
Add a Works Cited page. Use MLA Style for Documentation.
