english essay

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Humanities

Write your literary analysis on a piece of reading on Modernism /unit 1. You will focus on fiction writing or poetry for this portfolio assessment. Choose a short story or a poem from unit 1. Compose an essay, two pages (or more) double-spaced.

Read the example of a literary analysis on pp. 354–356, Writing With Power.

Instructions and Tips:
Re-read Choosing and Limiting a Subject on pp. 339–340. After you read, review your notes and activities for the modernist pieces that you have studied so far. Choose a piece or author that you would like to make the subject of your literary analysis. Below is a list of modernist literary works studied so far:

  • “In Another Country” by Ernest Hemingway
  • “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck
  • “The Black Ball” by Ralph Ellison
  • “Yet I Do Marvel” by Countee Cullen
  • “When de Co’n Pone’s Hot” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
  • “Why, You Reckon?” by Langston Hughes
  • “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Reading

  1. Read Developing a Thesis on p. 343 in Writing with Power. After you read, write your thesis statement. Your teacher will evaluate your thesis based on the criteria of Developing a Thesis on p. 343.
  2. Read Gathering Evidence on pp. 344–346. As you read, pay close attention to the green box “Gathering Details for a Literary Analysis.” The note-card method is a very useful and effective way to stay organized as you write your literary analysis. Create note cards for your literary analysis.
  3. Read Organizing Details into an Outline on pp. 347–350. Using your thesis statement that you developed, create an outline for your literary analysis in order to prepare for drafting. This is a portfolio item that you will submit at the end of this lesson. Your teacher will evaluate your work for all the necessary elements of an outline. You will receive credit if you have successfully created an outline that shows that your thesis statement is supported by a main topic with subtopics and details.
  4. Attend the Live Lesson session or watch the recording – you will find helpful tips and examples.

Writing

  1. Read Writing a Literary Analysis: Drafting on pp. 352–353. As you read this section, keep in mind that you are not writing your literary analysis on “A Mother in Mannville.” You will be writing your literary analysis on a piece of reading in this unit.
  2. Choose five direct quotations to use in your literary analysis. In your literary analysis, use all five ways of writing direct quotations as explained in the chart on p. 353.
  3. Read the example of a literary analysis on pp. 354–356.
  4. Write the rough draft of your literary analysis. Refer to the Six-Trait Rubric on p. 362.