Assignment #3-Short Story Analysis
REMEMBER: USE EITHER A CREDIBLE SOURCE OR THE NORTH LAKE COLLEGE’S COLLEGE’S ONLINE DATABASES OR BLOOM’S LITERATURE. NO OTHER SOURCES ALLOWED!!!Link to database Description of Assignment: Analyzing a short story is fundamentally different than analyzing a poem because the short story allows for detail, complexity and story arcs that are often not the focus of poetry, which is closer to distilled language, highly stylized and condensed. The short story uses prose to create contradiction, conflict, subtlety and fully realized characters. For this assignment, answer these questions about your short story: What are the big ideas at work? What does this story tell us about human nature? What are the principles this story asks us to contemplate? Use the literary devices outlined on pages 2-3 of The Dictionary of First Concepts handout to analyze the techniques used to create meaning in your story. Organization: The introduction should give some key background on the story and where it fits in the canon of the author’s works. Any historical details concerning the author or the circumstances surrounding the story’s creation should remain in the introduction or conclusion. The thesis should indicate the theme (big idea, principle or overall message of the story) and which literary devices you will use to analyze the story. The body will identify where, how and to what effect your chosen literary devices work in your short story. Use quotes (but none longer than 2-3 lines at a time), paraphrasing and outside sources to root your essay in textual analysis. Organize the body so your analysis builds on each previous paragraph, giving us the basics first and ending on whichever element you feel is the culmination or unifying element of all the rest. The conclusion should restate your thesis and examine any new understandings about the literary devices and themes that arise from analyzing the short story. What should we take with us about this subject? What have you uncovered in the short story that is worth remembering? Requirements: • MLA formatted with in-text citations and a works cited page. • 3 pages (plus a works cited page), typed, double-spaced, 12pt font, Times. • Three college-level sources in addition to your story, either from a printed source or the college’s online databases. If you are unable to find sources this way, please contact me.
REMEMBER: USE EITHER A CREDIBLE OR THE NORTH LAKE COLLEGE’S COLLEGE’S ONLINE DATABASES OR BLOOM’S LITERATURE. NO OTHER SOURCES ALLOWED!!!Link to database
Story:
Good People, David Foster Wallace This is the link of story for the assignment.
This might be helpful to begin with:
STORY FILL
Name:
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with thoughtful and appropriate analysis of your short story’s basics. Simply highlight and delete the blank line and replace it with your own information.
The story 1) _____________________, written by 2) __________________, is set in 3) ______________________, is about 4)______________________.
The main character 5)_________________________, is a protagonist whose outstanding characteristic of personality 6), _____________________ is proven when 7)_____________________________. Perhaps more that any other quality, the protagonist values 8)__________________________ in life. In the course of events, he/she has the most difficult time dealing with 10) _________________________. Another important character is 11)______________________, who 12)___________________. Of the other characters, 13)_______________________ may be the most important because 14)__________________________. Other characters include 15)_____________________________.
The main conflict in the story is triggered when 16)________________________. The action rises and complications occur when 17)__________________________. The climax of the story occurs when 18)_______________________________. Speculating beyond the end of the story, we might think that if the story continued 19)___________________________.
The story is told from the 20)________________ point-of-view which specifically affects the story by 21)______________________.
Stories are often enhanced by symbolism and irony. In this story a certain object, 22)_______________________, serves as a symbol for 23)_______________________. Another object, 24)_____________________, may also serve as a symbol for 25)_______________________. Irony surfaces in the story when 26)_______________________.
Good stories will often contain a handful of unforgettable scenes or events, but the single most memorable scene here is 27)_____________________________. The central most theme of the story emerges from the character of 28)_____________________ as he/she struggles with 29)______________________ and suggest that in the life of man 30)__________________________________.
