mla style
module 5
Complete this reading from the textbook:
· Norton Chapter 32 (pages 1938-1950)
· “The Things They Carried” Tim O’Brien
· “Hills Like White Elephants” Ernest Hemingway
Remember that academic reading is a skill you develop over time
Module 5: Lesson and Notes
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR9VbSXxouM&feature=emb_title
Symbolism in Literature
· A symbol, in literature, is any object, image, character, or action (something physically present in the story) that suggests meaning beyond itself.
· Another way of saying this: A symbol is something real that represents a “big idea.”
· Symbols in everyday life are very common. Consider a flag, like the American flag. It is a physical object that represents “big ideas” to people: maybe justice, freedom, or as association with the American military. The physical value or literal meaning of all flags (American, Texas, French) is essentially the same – they’re colored fabric stitched together, but the meaning of the American flag is bigger than the physical flag itself.
· The same is true with literary symbols. Authors intentionally include objects or images in their stories to represent bigger ideas and relate to the overall meaning of the story.
· In “Everyday Use,” the quilt is a symbol of the bonds and connections between the characters, and of the importance of family legacy.
· Symbols can sometimes have more than one meaning, which allows readers to create their own understanding of a story. Things are more meaningful to us when we read and interpret them than they are when someone just says “here’s the meaning….”
· Symbols, when included in stories, usually help point us to the theme, or overall meaning of the story.
How to Identify Symbols
· Consider items that are described in great detail – in a way that stands out to you.
· Consider how important an item is to the events and characters.
· Consider what items are repeatedly referred to, related to the title, or important to the main character.
· Not all items are symbols, and not all stories make deliberate use of symbolism. Symbols are important to the author and the story, so they should be pretty clearly important as you read the story.
· For example, if a character simply walks through a door, it may not be a symbol. If a character describes a door in great detail and references it repeatedly, and walks through it when they make an important choice, it’s definitely a symbol!
· “
The Lottery (Links to an external site.)
” –The black box is referred to many times, plays an important role in the events of the story, and is described in great detail. The color black relates to the “darkness” of the lottery, and of course is a color often associated with death.
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MLA style
Prepare
First, choose which two works you’ll be focusing on for this essay.
· You can choose two short stories, two poems, or one of each
· It is recommended (though not required) that the two works you choose come from the same Module
· The two works should have a topic or theme in common
Then, re-read the works.
· What do they have in common? What topics, themes, and literary devices are shared?
· How do they differ? Are they expressing the same theme in different ways? Discussing the same topic but expressing different themes?
· What literary elements does each use to illustrate or emphasize its theme?
· Make note of quotes from the texts that you might want to use in your essay.
Review these resources:
·
The Spiderman Paper x
Download The Spiderman Paper x
: This annotated sample essay points out all the required formatting and organizational components in an essay
·
Video guide to literary analysis (Links to an external site.)
·
Writing Toolkit: Compare / Contrast
Write
For this essay, you’ll be comparing how two different works explore the same or similar themes in their own ways.
You can choose A or B:
A. Write about two works that share theme – which means they both make the same overall point
B. Write about two works that share a topic, but have different themes – which means that they each make a different point about the same general topic
For example, if there are two stories about growing up that seem to make the same point, that would be option (a); if there were two stories that each made a different point about growing up, that would be option (b).
Your essay should:
· Be about 900-1,000 words long (3+ pages)
· Be organized – it should have an introduction (including your essay’s
thesis
), at least two
discussion sections
, and a conclusion
· Focus on supporting its
thesis statement
· Include
quotes
in each body paragraph
· Use
MLA format
, including internal
citations
You should avoid:
· Copy / pasting from other submissions
· Summary – focus on making and supporting points
· Unprofessional discourse
· Conversational language (you, I, etc.)
Rubric
Essay 1
Essay 1 | ||||||
Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThesis |
20 pts |
|||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTopic Sentences / Organization |
20 pts Essay is organized around topic sentences that clearly and directly support thesis. Thesis is not organized around summary. 17 pts Essay is organized by arguments, but in some paragraphs over-relies on summary. Be sure that topic sentences lead each paragraph and directly relate to thesis. Do not begin paragraphs with summary.Clarifying topic sentences and connections to thesis would be beneficial 14 pts Essay is not organized by arguments, and in most or all paragraphs over-relies on summary. Be sure that topic sentences lead each paragraph and directly relate to thesis. Do not begin paragraphs with summary.Clarifying topic sentences and connections to thesis would be beneficial 10 pts Essay is almost entirely summary. |
|||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormatting / Clarity |
20 pts MLA format – 900-1,000 words – Purposeful paragraphs – Clearly written with evidence of revision – Relatively free from error 17 pts – MLA format with some mistakes – 900-1,000 words – Purposeful paragraphs – evidence of revision – Some minor errors 14 pts – MLA format inconsistently used – Essay written about a story outside of Lesson 5 – May be too short – Less Purposeful paragraphs – Some evidence of revision – Several minor errors, possible some major clarity errors 10 pts Not written to meet formatting and clarity requirements. Review MLA format and work to revise more carefully. A visit to the writing lab may be beneficial. |
|||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEvidence |
20 pts – Essay supports each point with evidence from story – Quotes are clearly integrated and properly cited 18 pts – Essay supports most points with evidence from story – Quotes are mostly integrated and properly cited 14 pts – Essay uses quotes to support some ideas – Not all quotes are integrated into the author’s sentences – Review quote integration and citation guidelines 10 pts – Essay needs more support from quotes – Essay makes claims that are not or cannot be supported by story |
|||||
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeComposition |
20 pts – Essay is written to exceed assignment requirements – Analysis of theme is focus of essay 17 pts – Essay relies on summary and does not make enough use of original analysis – Structure to support a thesis is clear – Essay focuses on theme analysis 15 pts – Essay relies too heavily on summary and does not make enough use of original analysis – Structure to support a thesis is less clear – Essay is not entirely focused on theme analysis – essay may misidentify theme – Off topic / wrong story 10 pts – Essay is almost entirely summary – Essay does not have a thesis and structure to support thesis – Original points not included – Not focused on theme |
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Total Points: 100 |
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