CCS 200
Kloos
Paper 2: Analytical Essay
Objective: Develop your skills of academic, textual analysis of a text.
Due dates:
Sun Oct 7
Mon Oct 8
W/Th Oct 10-11
Fri Oct 12
email Dr. Kloos (kkloos@regis.edu) your thesis and outline
bring a paper copy of your thesis and outline to class
Mandatory conference; bring 2 copies of your draft
turn in final draft at Loyola 32 by 10:15 am (no class)
Assignment: Write a 4-5 page essay analyzing one or more of the following texts from Leading
Lives That Matter:
 William James, “What Makes a Life Significant”
 Will Weaver, “The Undeclared Major”
 Amy Tan, “Two Kinds”
 Lois Lowry, “The Giver”
 Vincent Harding, “I Hear Them…Calling”
While your first essay was personal, the second is formal and academic. You should use the
critical reading and reasoning skills described in Longman and write in an academic style
appropriate to the humanities. For an example of a literary text analysis, see Longman 107112.
Step 1: Pick a text (or two) that provoked your thought. What did you find interesting? What
questions did you ask while reading? What insight did you gain from the text?
Step 2: Re-read the text carefully, taking notes and asking questions. Engage the text in a
dialogue: ask critical questions (see Longman 45-50) and also allow the text to examine you.
 For example, if you find James’ ideas about labor romantic, how does he challenge your
ideas about labor? You need to assess his argument and also allow your own ideas to be
critiqued and challenged.
Step 3: Organize your analysis around a theme or question. What problem raised by the text do
you want to pursue? How does the text present resources for thinking about this problem?
 For example, in Amy Tan’s story, you might choose the question of why the daughter
could not find contentment.
Step 4: Turn your question into a thesis statement, and use this thesis as your lens for analyzing
the text/s. See Longman 12-15, 107-112. Remember the thesis should not simply state the topic,
but argue for an interpretation of the text. It must be specific, contestable, and supportable.
Step 5: Create a rough outline, with each major point developing an aspect of your thesis and
with each point leading to the next. Together, the outline should show how your thesis develops
and builds.
 Email Dr. Kloos (kkloos@regis.edu) your thesis and outline by 5pm, Sun Oct 7.
Bring a paper copy to class on Mon Oct 8.
CCS 200
Kloos
Step 6: Write a rough draft, incorporating evidence (text quotations) and analysis of each
quotation (your explanation of how the text supports your thesis argument) for each substantive
point of your overall argument. See Longman 107-112 for an example.
Step 7: Mandatory conference. Your grade will be lowered by one-third of a letter grade
(example: B+ to B) if you skip the conference.
Step 8: Revise your draft using the feedback from the conference. NOTE: papers that ignore
feedback will be downgraded.
Step 9: Turn in final draft at Loyola 32 by 10:15 am (no class).