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ENGL 2570: Survey of American Literature I
Dr. S. Toland-Dix, Professor
CRITICAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
The critical essay should be an interpretation of literary text(s) that
establishes the author’s intent by analyzing characters, imagery, and/or
themes/main ideas. Each paper should contain a clear, analytical thesis
statement. Develop your argument through close reading and textual
analysis using the SIEL method – State, Illustrate, Explain, Link —
that you have been practicing in journal entries.
IMPORTANT DATES:
1) Journal entry 3 requires you to answer specific questions about your
essay topic. To write the entry effectively, you will need to define your topic
specifically and decide exactly how you plan to support your thesis. I will
give you feedback and suggestions about your topic. This journal entry will
be due by 11:59 pm, Sunday, July 16th.
Final Drafts must be submitted by 11:59 pm Monday, July 24th.
Length: 4 -5 pages. Points will be deducted from your grade if
your paper does not meet length requirements.
Format: Typed, double-spaced, appropriately and
METICULOUSLY documented. All papers must be typed in 12-
point font with 1 inch margins on all sides.
Your analysis will be based on your own close reading of the texts. You
are not allowed to use secondary or critical sources in
developing your analysis. All essays should have a Works Cited page to
cite the primary text you are analyzing. BE SURE that you understand
the conventions of MLA parenthetical documentation. You will
be penalized at least a letter grade for sloppy, inaccurate or
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incomplete documentation. Plagiarized papers will fail
automatically.
Access the link below.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
On the left sidebar: First click on Research and Citation. Next click on
MLA Style. Now click on MLA Formatting and Style Guide.
Don’t get frustrated! It looks a lot more complicated than it is.
For your essays, you will want to know:
1) What information to include in a parenthetical citation. Your citations
will be for a work within an anthology
2) What the Works Cited page should look like.
POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Consider and discuss the significance of the author’s intent in ALL of these
essays. At the center of any literary analysis are the core
questions: Why did the author create this work? What impact does the
author want the story or novel to have on his or her readers? What do you
consider an important purpose of the story?
Note that the questions within each possible topic are intended
as prompts. Your development of the essay will be guided by
your thesis statement. In other words, this is not an exam! You
do not have to answer all parts of the question!
1.) Write a thematic analysis of Benjamin Franklin’s The
Autobiography. Clearly establish what you consider a
controlling purpose or intent of his narrative. What do you see
as a controlling theme of the narrative? How does he structure
the narrative as a coming-of age story or Bildungsroman? What
assumptions does he make about the possibilities for his life as
an American? What does Franklin see as the challenges of being
an American like him? Discuss specific events that support your
thesis.
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2.) Write an analysis of Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by
Himself. Clearly establish the purpose(s) of the narrative. What
do you see as a controlling theme of the narrative? Discuss
specific events or examples that support your thesis. The
following are possible approaches to the topic: In what ways
does Douglass seek to negotiate the constrictions of
enslavement? Address the ways in which Douglass claims his
personhood or humanity, and, specifically the ways in which he
defines and claims his manhood. What events do you see as
particularly critical to his eventual attainment of his freedom?
3.) Write an analysis of Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative. Clearly
establish what you see as an important purpose or intent of the
narrative. What do you see as a controlling theme of the
narrative? Be sure to provide specific supporting events or
examples from the narrative. You may want to focus on
(Prompts): Equiano’s comparison of his experience of African
and American /New World slavery; his conversion to
Christianity and how that informs his perspective and critique;
his depiction of the experiences of other enslaved people and of
his own experiences; his depiction of the extreme brutality and
deprivation to which many enslaved people are subjected; etc.
4.) Write a comparative thematic analysis of two poems by Emily
Dickinson. Possible themes that you can address: spiritual
and/or religious beliefs; death, especially whether or not there is
life after death; on becoming a wife; what it means to be a poet,
etc. At least one of the poems must be from the class
assignment.
5.) Write an analysis of Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a
Slave Girl and her “Letter from a Fugitive Slave.” What specific
challenges did she face writing about her experiences as a
formerly enslaved woman? Why do you think she wrote the
narrative and the letter despite these challenges? What do you
see as a controlling theme of the narrative? Of the letter? What is
the tone of both? Who is her audience? Discuss specific events
or examples that support your thesis. The following are possible
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approaches to the topic: Consider the ways in which Jacobs
challenges the preconceptions, of her “owners” as well as of her
audience. What do you think accounts for her strong sense of
self despite having been enslaved all of her life? What strategies
does she use to claim agency and some control over her life, even
as an enslaved teenage girl? What does she value most about
herself?
6 .) Melville has written a story that CANNOT be read as a simple
tale of good vs. evil. What is Melville’s intent? What about the
story makes it more complex than that? Within this context,
write a character analysis of ONE or TWO of the three main
characters: Babo, Delano, and/or Cereno. Depending on whom
you choose, consider the following questions: Do you see Babo
as a hero? Why or why not? How are our perceptions of him
influenced by the depositions of Cereno and Delano? Why
doesn’t Babo speak at his trial? Do you see Captain Delano as a
hero? Why or why not? Do we ever see him from someone else’s
perspective? What does he ultimately think of his own actions
on the San Dominick? Considering where the mutiny takes
place, do we see Cereno as a victim? Why or why not?
DON’T FORGET YOUR “WORKS CITED” PAGE!
