Paper #1

Paper #1 – A Focused Close Reading


While it is true that there are many different critical lenses with which we can view, appreciate and analyze literature, and while it is also true that comparison between authors, texts and eras, as well as the survey and recognition of existing scholarship/criticism regarding any particular text, can be beneficial modes of the study of literature, the foundation to the appreciation and study of literature begins with close reading. Close reading involves taking a text or a passage of a text and “putting it under the microscope,” trying to come to an understanding of the elements that make the text what it is—how it makes its meanings or represents its themes/ideas. Many times a checklist of sorts can be produced to help guide us through the process of a general close reading. That said, it is easy to see how close reading is the foundation for Literary Analysis; it lays the groundwork for other forms of analysis (critical, contextual, etc.). Focused close reading brings us that much closer to a true literary analysis in that through the focusing upon “certain” elements that are deemed important, dominant, or defining about a text, one formulates a thesis of sorts (The use of Point of View in “Hills Like White Elephants” or the use of Setting in “Heart of Darkness” for example).

Your task will be to choose a story from the following list:

The Student’s Wife – Raymond Carver
A Wagner Matinee – Willa Cather
The Enormous Radio – John Cheever
We Didn’t – Stuart Dybek
Constant Pain in Tuscaloosa – Barry Hannah
In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried – Amy Hempel
Rules of the Game – Amy Tan
Everyday Use – Alice Walker
A Worn Path – Eudora Welty
The Man Who Was Almost a Man – Richard Wright


then—write a focused close reading of that text. In other words read/re-read the text, decide which element/elements of fiction to focus your reading on, and examine how those elements contribute to the text’s overall meaning(s). I will provide you with some handouts that detail the close reading process in varying amount of detail for those that are interested.

This assignment sheet, along with the essays about close reading will be posted on our WebCT homepage, as well as on the class blog.


DUE DATES: Paper Proposal/Progress paragraphs: Sunday, 2/24
Final Draft: Sunday, 3/2

Requirements:
o You must support your own assertions with specific details and explanations thereof.
o Do not spend long paragraphs only describing the texts’ elements, similarities, or differences. Try to begin each paragraph with an argument about the texts. In other words, always answer “so what.”
o Show your work. Saying something doesn’t make it so. Be sure you slow down and explain your reasoning, step by step.
o Explain the evidence and its relevance to your argument/idea–a reader may not be able to follow your thinking, so explain it to them. Quote the text extensively, but, remember not to rely only on the quotes (never leave a quote to explain itself) to do all of the work, as your reader may interpret the quote differently than you.

Form: 1000 - 1500 words (4-6 fully-typed pages); 12-point Times New Roman. Do not use outside sources unless you properly cite them. MLA style for both primary sources (the story) and secondary sources (if you choose to use them, though they are not assigned nor required). When you are finished, post your essay to your blog, as well as submitting a word.doc. As always, blog posts should be free of proofreading and grammatical errors.

Essays should demonstrate clear analysis, sound organization, and evidence in the form of reasoning and close-reading.

Grades will be determined as follows:
Topic/Purpose Development 50%
Organization and Support 30%
Style and Mechanics 20%

When you have completed your essay blog post, and are ready for me to evaluate it, please submit a link to your blog in the space provided at the right of the assignment page. Also attach it as a Word Document on the assignment sheet as well: this is so I can make comments and return the document to you. If you have questions about this assignment, please feel free to contact me at jjoelthomas@netscape.net.

A recommended process:
1. Take extensive notes (on paper or in the margins) of the story
2. Reread the story again, noting dominant or important patterns that relate to the fiction element(s) you are focusing on.
3. Freewrite on the topic for 10-15 minutes, letting yourself write anything that relates. Some of these “gut” responses may translate to the final draft, or illuminate other ideas.
4. Look over your notes and review parts of the poems again, noting patterns and differences between the 2 texts.
5. Draft some body paragraphs in which you lay out evidence (examples of elements) and interpret them.
6. Let it sit for a day or so, if possible. Reread your draft to see what it is adding up to; find more/further evidence in the text you had yet to consider.
7. Revise and edit, making sure you have fully supported your ideas with evidence (quotes and reasoning) and explanations.