I will have the exact directions that I have to follow for my paper below but before I write that out I have attached my working thesis statement that I submitted last week, so I need the essay to work off of that. The short story also is The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I chose to do mine on the symbolism in that short story. Alright I think that’s all I have to say, here is the rubric for the essay.
Your essay should contain a thesis (a challenging, arguable topic statement). Make certain that you stay focused on your thesis; keep your essay objective (based only on the actual text), and do not wander to tangential topics. Rather than offering generalizations about love, death, marriage, etc., you should develop a specific argument with proof from the actual work.
Your essay should be composed of detailed, example-filled paragraphs; all support for your thesis should be substantiated from the works by using appropriate quotes (one-two short quotes from the stories in each paragraph). Think outside the box to find interesting connections between your thesis and the work.
Integrate scholarly sources smoothly in support of your thesis—you do not have to use these sources extensively. Dictionary entries, Bible verses, and short internet quotes are permitted but will not count as scholarly sources. Use quotes carefully, and make sure you understand what constitutes plagiarism.
While the setting (when and where) is important, instead of spending energy discussing “the times” or guessing about how authors’ lives might have shaped their work, use your own analysis supported by the stories themselves. For example, if you write on Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-paper,” do not make general statements about marriages in late-nineteenth-century America; instead, pay attention to how the narrative describes a woman’s role in that particular story.
Unnecessarily extensive plot summary (retelling the story versus analyzing it) will adversely affect the grade your essay earns.
I will grade these essays on writing mechanics as well as content, so you should pay attention to those matters, allowing yourself time within the allotted period to proofread your work.
Use MLA style for typing your paper (double-spaced, page numbers in upper right-hand corner of each page, and a title)
Use MLA citation (in-text citation and Works Cited page)
Topic Choice #1: A Close Reading
Using a particular “lens” (element of fiction) as your starting point, perform a close reading of a short story, making sure that your thesis connects the importance of a particular element with a major theme in the short story. A close reading involves choosing an element of fiction and carefully examining the short story through this “lens” for proof of how this element reveals the story’s theme.
Elements of fiction:
character, plot, setting, point of view, theme symbolism. For help with this topic, consult your textbook and handouts.
Examples:
Perform a character analysis on one of the principal characters in any one of the following stories: “Bullet in the Brain,” “Lusus Naturae,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, “Stockings,” or “The Yellow Wall-paper.”
Look carefully at the role of setting in any one of the following stories: “The Yellow Wall-paper,” “Chickamauga,” “Good Country People,” or “The Shawl.”
Examine the role of symbolism in “The Yellow Wall-paper,” “The Shawl,” “Cathedral,” or “Lusus Naturae.”
Sample thesis statement:
“The setting in ‘The Yellow Wall-paper” plays a significant role in conveying the author’s theme of voicelessness and insanity. By presenting readers with a house that not only mirrors the protagonist’s illness but actually shapes her insanity, the reader is allowed an intimate view into the world of women without choices.”