English 1302 Dr. Sampada Chavan
Assignment Sheet for Short Story Analysis Essay (30%)
Your second major assignment is an essay responding to any one (or two) of the short stories
we discussed in class. If you choose to compare/contrast two stories, you may do so, as long
as the stories have a similarity of characters, theme, tone, or subject-matter. The focus in
either choice must be narrow and specific, which you slowly uncover in the body of your
essay. (Choosing a wide or general theme is not a good idea, because it forces you to state
the obvious.) Your paper must have a clear thesis stated early, evidence and reasoning to
support it throughout the body of the essay, and analysis of the significance of this reading to
an understanding of the story. Evidence must include quotes and paraphrasing from the story
with page numbers noted in MLA style. Include a Works Cited page, listing your two
secondary and one primary source, the story, in MLA style.
Your essay is an analysis of the story that explores a unique point of view. You are arguing
about a specific idea that the reader may not have thought of and urging the reader to
understand and agree with you. This is why, focusing on a smaller topic will be helpful. For
example, a poor thesis will state: “'The Story of an Hour' is about a wife who rejoices her
husband's death.” As opposed to a good thesis that will state: “'The Story of an Hour' is a
psychological journey into the mind of a woman burdened by patriarchy and her ultimate and
tragic demise with the realization that she will have to live within its traditions.”
A good analysis concentrates on details: you should quote portions of the story to show how
the text supports your thesis. Then you should offer comments and analysis that show how the
portion you’re interpreting contributes to the work as a whole. As a general rule, “say more
about less”: limit your focus to a small enough topic so that you can cover it in detail in this
brief paper.
What to bring to one-on-one conferences
Follow this format for rough drafts for conference:
1) Introduction/Thesis Statement
2) Bullet points of paragraphs that follow with at least
one sample quote using MLA format.
Your essays will be graded on the following factors:
 A strong thesis statement with an essay that explores the thesis in its entirety
 Grammar and MLA formatting
 Quotes from your primary text and your secondary scholarly sources
 Length (4-5 pages)