Name:__________________________________ Date:______ Pd:___

Short Story Literature Analysis Paper

Procedure:

1. Read "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, and complete a thorough talking to the text (see Mrs. Small’s example). Read the story again and add to your talking to the text.

2. Read literary criticism and analysis on the story (also in Mrs. Small’s outbox and website).

3. Review your talking to the text and formulate a brief sentence or two on how mood and conflict are related in the story.

Prompt:

Your essay on "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell will analyze the relationship between mood and conflict throughout the story. Show how the author uses these elements to develop or reveal the big idea of the story. Use the story, the literary criticism, and your notes from talking to the text to support your ideas.

Essay Structure:

***The essay should be strictly analysis – no summary of the story***

I. Introduction1. Attention grabber2. Introduce the story and provide background on the story and author 3. Thesis statement

II. An analysis of the two following literary elements. These elements are connected to each other. As with any written claims about literature, please use textual evidence to support your claim:

Conflict – What is the central conflict? How do you know? Who is involved? Is it external or internal? What is "man" facing?

Mood – What is the mood of the story? How is it developed? How does it relate to the conflict?

III. Conclusion1. Restated thesis2. Summary of main points3. Final thought

This is due: _____________________________________

Name: Date PD: ___ Literary Analysis Essay Rubric- "Most Dangerous Game"

An “A” Paper – Brilliant/ExcellentTitle is unexpectedly delightful and fully grabs reader’s attentionThesis fully answers essay prompt with unique, bold, and arguable insightEach body paragraph’s topic sentence sets a clear, powerful path in developing the thesisConcrete details are insightful, unexpected choices and smoothly embedded into the body paragraphCommentary shows depth of thought and presents unique, interesting insightPowerful vocabulary with no repetition of key words or phrases; always fresh and interestingExcellent sentence flow and variety of sentence structuresSkillful use of transitions to help create a unified, cohesive piece of writingM.L.A. citations are correctly formatted and skillfully embedded so the resource information is seamlessA lively, interesting writer’s voice comes through to the audience

A “B” Paper – Good/Above AverageTitle is appropriate to the topic, but lacks great inspirationThesis fully answers essay prompt, but lacks the power of the “A” level thesisEach body paragraph’s topic sentence logically supports the thesis, but doesn’t add more power Concrete details are appropriate, but rather obvious choices; they are appropriately placed in the body paragraphCommentary is generally good analysis, but a bit obvious at times; sometimes, you don’t dig deep enoughGood vocabulary that clearly, but not always powerfully, expresses your ideas; you don’t repeat words or phrasesSmooth sentence flow and occasionally effective sentence varietyCorrect use of transitions for unity and cohesiveness M.L.A. citations are correctly formatted and embeddedThe writer’s voice comes through to the audience, but the passion falls flat at times

A “C” Paper – Okay/AverageTitle is flat or predictableThesis answers essay prompt, but is tired, clichéd, or too safe/blandEach body paragraph’s topic sentence supports the thesis, but construction is mechanicalConcrete details are present, but blatantly obvious choices; you need to more smoothly embed the materialCommentary is too obvious, superficial, simplistic, or repetitive; you don’t take your ideas very farAverage, simple vocabulary or overly flowery language that blocks meaning at timesSentence flow is choppy at times; limited sentence variety Limited use of transitions; at times, an inappropriate transition is used or is missing altogetherM.L.A. citations are correctly formatted for the most part, but embedding is clunky/not always handled wellThe writer’s voice is flat, too formal, or rigid. Where’s the passion in your voice?

A “D” Paper – Demonstrates Problems/Below Average Title is just a restatement of the title of the work being discussed or just a labelThesis does not fully answer the essay prompt; you seem to be struggling with your thoughtsEach body paragraph’s topic sentence doesn’t clearly connect to the thesis and/or includes too much plot summaryConcrete details are inaccurate or not connected to the topic sentence; embedding of material is clunky Commentary is weak, veers off-topic, or relies too heavily on plot summaryFlat, below grade-level vocabulary and/or inappropriate dictionFlow is mostly choppy and erratic; little or no sentence varietyLittle or no use of transitions M.L.A. citations are not correctly formatted or embeddedNo writer’s voice is present. The words are lifeless or robotic.

A “F” Paper – Far Below AverageIs incomplete, incoherent, undeveloped, or does not meet the requirements of the assignment

Content: ______________ Grammar: ___________out of 50 possible pts. out of 50 possible pts.

Short Story Analysis Example Using “The Lottery”

TALK

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QUOTE NOTE THOUGHT“It is also significant that a woman is chosen as the story’s victim. Some critics maintain that Jackson’s depiction of a ‘normal’ town that victimizes a woman fits logically with the traditional patriarchal type of society in which men have power and authority over women that has been accepted as ‘normal’ in much of the world” (“The Lottery” 143).

Bearing in mind that American society has long followed a sexist belief that men are authorities over women and considering this belief is still held throughout much of the world, literary critics agree that it is significant that the victim of the lottery is a female (“The Lottery” 143).

This is an important quote because it demonstrates that our society is very similar to the society of the story – men are the authorities. This connects to my points that characterization of males and females in the story relate to the theme of women need to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives.

“The lottery may be symbolic of any of the number of social ills that mankind blindly perpetuates” (“The Lottery” 147).

The lottery can represent many of the problems that society refuses to acknowledge (“The Lottery” 147).

One of the “social ills that mankind blindly perpetuates” is men having dominance over women.

“The nature of the process by which the victim is selected gives each woman a very clear incentive to produce the largest possible family” (“The Lottery” 143).

Of course, in the society of “The Lottery” women would want to have as many children as possible in order to up their chances of survival (“The Lottery” 143).

This shows that the only power women have in “The Lottery” is the power to have children and lower their chance of being chosen.

“When Tessie dares to question the method of drawing, her husband tells her to shut up” (“The Lottery” 143).

The second Tessie speaks up and questions how her family was chosen, her husband shuts her down (“The Lottery” 143)

Women do not have a voice! Related to the theme!

“The United States during the late 1940’s and the 1950’s was largely patriarchal society, one in which women were expected to stay home and raise the children. Recent critics have interpreted ‘The Lottery’ from a feminist perspective, suggesting that Jackson was commenting on the role of women in American society at the time the story was written” (“The Lottery” 145).

Shirley Jackson was certainly commenting on the fact that in 1940’s America, women were considered to be below men, especially since they were discouraged to work and instead stay home and take care of the children (“The Lottery” 145).

This is shown in the story many times. The women talk about gossip while the men talk about more important things like taxes and work. Tessie is doing the dishes when she is late. The children listen to their fathers more than their mothers. This all reinforces that society holds men and their opinions in higher regard.

Quo

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Thou

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QUOTE – NOTE – THOUGHT

QUOTE w/citation NOTE w/citation THOUGHT

Formal Conventions of Writing Do not use contractions Do not use "I" or "you" or "we" or any other pro-nouns. Refer to people formally so

anyone can understand exactly who you are writing about. (i.e. "The author writes" or "Connell posits" instead of "He writes/she writes/they write" etc.)

The author never "says" anything. The author "writes." Furthermore, it is boring if all the author ever does is "write" something. Instead of

always using, "The author writes," use some other words:added, argued, agreed, disagreed, explained, concluded, described, theorized, asserts, states

ALWAYS properly cite. For this paper, it is "blah blah blah" (Connell). This is a "short story." It is not a book, a novel, or any other medium. Literary present tense: Always write about literature in the present tense, i.e. "The author

writes..." "This character runs through the jungle..." "When this character finally dies..." Your paper is not a critique. Do not add opinionated statements like, "The author's

fantastic story..." "This story is extraordinary..." "Though the writing style is terrible, the plot is okay..."

It is also not a summary. Assume your reader knows the text. You may give context, and you must certainly be specific, but do not summarize.

Word choice: four points Stop using the same words over and over. No matter how wonderful it is that you

chose the word "superfluous" to use in your paper, if you use it twenty times, I'm no longer impressed. Use it once and get over it.

Stop using boring words. You are not making a quality point if the point you make includes these words: good, bad, really, very, happy, sad, etc.

Stop using a thesaurus incorrectly. Just because you know how to use a thesaurus to change a word you use repeatedly, doesn't mean you know how to use it well. For example: "It was weird that I got a bad grade on that test. I usually do well." The thesaurus also suggests you use "creepy." Was it really creepy that you got a bad grade on the test? No, not at all. It was "out of the ordinary" "odd" and "strange." It was NOT "eerie" or "creepy." All these words, however, were suggested by the thesaurus as substitutes for "weird."

Stop being pretentious. If your paper doesn't sound like you at all because every other word is one you had to look up in the dictionary, it doesn't really reflect your own thoughts. Use exactly what word you mean, not what word sounds fancy.

Quote within a quote: "And then Doodle said, 'Don't leave me Brother'" (Hurst). Notice how quotes within quotes use 'these' marks. If the quote lines up with "these" marks, yes, you must include "'three'" marks. Just put 'these' inside of "these" to get "'this'"

Quote integration: always introduce, always cite, always explain.

THESIS STATEMENTS IN LITERARY ANALYSIS PAPERS

The thesis statement is one of the (if not the) most important parts of your paper—think of it as the foundation of a house—if your foundation is weak and poorly constructed what do you think happens to the house?

The thesis statement is the announcement of your analytical argument that you intend to make and prove in the duration of your paper. It is a road map for the paper—it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

Successful thesis statements provoke thought and should read beautifully.

*Your thesis statement should include two parts: WHAT and WHY. WHAT: What claim are you making about the text? WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim

important? Your thesis should answer the “so what?” question.

*A thesis statement is usually, but can be more than, one sentence long.

Examples BAD: Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” has an interesting setting.

*What’s wrong with this thesis statement? It’s an opinion about the book, not an argument.

OKAY: In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson develops a contrast between the setting and the ritual of the lottery.

*Better? How so? What is still missing? Doesn’t answer the “so what?” question. What is the point of the contrast? What

does the contrast signify?

GOOD: In “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson develops a contrast between the serene, rural setting and the ritual of the lottery, suggesting a theme that readers should question their surroundings and, even more so, their traditions and beliefs.

*Even better? It presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of it content

and answers the “so what” question.

BETTER: “Through contrasting the serene and welcoming rural setting and the strict adherence to rules during the ritual of the lottery, Shirley Jackon’s “The Lottery,” advocates that readers should question their surroundings and, even more so, their traditions and beliefs. BADThere is a lot of symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis.”

SO WHAT? WHY?

OKAY: James Hurst uses symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” to portray death. WHY?

GOOD: James Hurst uses symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” to show death in order to foreshadow Doodle’s death and teach readers the about kindness.

BETTER: James Hurst’s use of symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” invokes images of death in order to foreshadow Doodle’s ultimate end and teach readers the ultimate lesson of kindness.

YOUR TURN

FIRST TRY

BETTER TRY

BEST TRY

USING QUOTESWays to integrate quotes into your writing…

According to the encyclopedia Poetry for Students, “…” Poetry for Students asserts/states, “…” According to literary critics, “…” According to literary critic [insert name], “…” Literary critics state/agree/assert/believe, “…” Literature experts agree/believe, “…”

Example: According to literary critics, “The lottery may be symbolic of any of the number of social ills that mankind blindly perpetuates” (“The Lottery” 147). One of the “social ills that mankind blindly perpetuates” is men having dominance over women. For example, in the story…

VS.

PARAPHRASINGExample: Of course, in the society of “The Lottery” women would want to have as many children as possible in order to up their chances of survival (“The Lottery” 143). This demonstrates that the only power women have in “The Lottery” is the power to have children and decrease their chance of being chosen. For example, in the story, when the Hutchinsons are chosen for the lottery, Tessie immediately demands to have her adult daughter included as part of her family. This would allow decrease her chance of being selected. In addition, the Hutchinson family has both an adult child and a toddler, demonstrating that Tessie continues to have children, even in her older age, in order to, again, decrease her chances of being chosen (Jackson).

Try It OutThe general shrugged his shoulders and delicately ate a hothouse grape.

"I'm not sleepy," said Rainsford. "I'm going to smoke another pipe up on the afterdeck."

Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly t the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinced off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea dosed over his head.

Works Cited

Connell, Richard. "The Most Dangerous Game." Fiction: The EServer Collection. N.p., 19 Jan.

1924. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

"The Most Dangerous Game." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen

Wilson. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1997.

155- 169.Note: Works Cited page MUST be included as the last page of your essay when you bring rough draft for peer edit and submit to turnitin.com. You can access an electronic version of this document on Mrs. Small’s canvas and then copy and paste it into your paper.

Name:________________________________________ Date:______________ Pd:_______IntroductionAttention Grabber:

Details leading to thesis: (Possible things to include: background on author, brief summary of story, info on specific literary devices or themes)

Thesis:

Body 1:Topic Sentence:

Quote from Story:

Points I am making:

Quote from Criticism:

Points I am making:

Transition Sentence:

Body 2:Topic Sentence:

Quote from Story:

Points I am making:

Quote from Criticism:

Points I am making:

Transition Sentence:

Body 3:Topic Sentence:

Quote from Story:

Points I am making:

Quote from Criticism:

Points I am making:

Transition Sentence:

Conclusion:Restate Thesis (in a refreshing way):

Add some details (reiterate some points):

So what? Why should readers care?

Name of Author:______________________________________________________

Reviewer’s Name:_____________________________________________________

EDITING/REVISING CHECKLIST: Short Story EssayDirections: As you read your partner’s essay, please look for the following checklist items. If they are missing, please make suggestions ON THEIR PAPER of where they could be added.

Highlight any misspelled words any grammar mistakes pronouns contractions incorrect capitalization any awkwardly worded sentences or phrases

Paper Set-up Is there a heading with Name, Date, Class Period on the first page? Is there a creative title? Is the paper double spaced? Is the font used Times New Roman 12 point or Calibri 12 point? Is there a complete and correct Works Cited page?

Focus Is there a clear thesis that connects mood, conflict and theme? Does the paper stay on topic/match the thesis (mood, conflict, theme)?

Content Does the paper present strong, clear ideas about mood, conflict and theme? Does the paper critique the author? Does the paper relay too heavily on summary? Do the ideas presented match the purpose of the writing objective and tie back to the

thesis? Is textual evidence used to support ideas? Is there textual evidence from BOTH the short story and literary criticism? Is all textual evidence clearly introduced? Is all textual evidence fully explained?

OVEROrganization

Does the introduction paragraph have an attention-getter? Is the thesis the last sentence of the introduction paragraph? Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that ties back to the thesis? Does the essay move from one point to another using transitional words and phrases? Does each paragraph have a transition sentence that connection the previous paragraph

to the next?

Style Does the author use a mature vocabulary and mature sentence structure? Is formal language used (No Pronouns-- I, You, Me, We, Us or Contractions)? Were your words and sentences emphasizing your points and creating an individual

sense of voice?

Conventions Are there any awkward sentences? Are there any words misused? Are there punctuation errors? Is textual evidence cited correctly?