Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,”
and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”
American Classics
Mullen, Blue
Write a multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essay that analyzes a point a similarity in three of the
four short stories we’ve recently read. The paper should be approximately three to four pages
in length. Due Tuesday, December 6, 2011. This essay will be submitted on turnitin.com (link
is on the wiki). Class ID# is 4566739.
The Thesis Statement
Reminder: A thesis is a clear, concise, and arguable statement that limits and gives direction to
a literary analysis essay. It should present a unique, interesting and original point of view
towards the material.
An effective thesis includes the following features:
 Precise, unambiguous language
 The active voice that utilizes literary present tense.
 An original argument
 Insight into the literature.
Sample Thesis Statements
 The authors of these stories create “outsider” protagonists to highlight the wrongs in
society.
 Despite their bad decisions and mistaken ways, the protagonists gain our sympathy.
 The protagonists’ search for the unattainable dream reveals their naiveté.
 The main characters in these stories each set out on a mission that distinguishes their
determination to improve their lives in substantial ways.
 These stories show the clash of cultures to emphasize the hopeless predicament of the
outsider.
Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,”
and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”
American Classics
Mullen, Blue
Organizational Plan
Introduction
Sentence 1:
Begin with a general statement about your topic (alienation, culture clash, search for identity,
unattainable dream, self discovery, etc.) to introduce it.
As we grow up, all of us are taught the value of dreams, reinforcing how important it is to reach
beyond the comfort of our daily lives.
Sentence 2 and 3:
Develop the topic idea.
Whether it is NBA stardom, a seat at Harvard Law, or a star on the Hollywood “Walk of Fame,”
dreams are meant to ignite our passions and give us purpose in life. Most of us, however,
realize sooner or later what dreams make sense, eventually understanding what is possible to
achieve in the realm of our own existence and ability.
Sentence 4:
Start to frame your particular point of view. This sentence is a good place to list your texts.
“A&P,” “Sonny’s Blues,” and “Paul’s Case” are stories that elaborate on the disappointing yet
inevitable truth that most dreams can never be realized.
Sentence 5:
Write your thesis.
While Sammy, Sonny, and Paul all sought something bigger and better in life, their inherent
naiveté makes it impossible for them to attain their dreams.
Topic Sentences for your Body Paragraphs
These sentences must directly link to your thesis, potentially using key words from the thesis.
Try to make sure they’re driven by ideas, not simply by the stories. Topic sentences for the
thesis stated above might look something like this:

All of the stories possess characters yearning to live a life beyond their seemingly
restrictive societies.
 Unfortunately, these visions of grandeur stem from an ignorance of the pedestrian rules
of the real world.
 Wedged between their idealized lives and their obliviousness, these characters must
ultimately accept a life unfulfilled.
*Note: All body paragraphs should be based on the Twelve Sentence Model.
Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,”
and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”
American Classics
Mullen, Blue
Your Conclusion
Sentence 1:
Restate your thesis.
The protagonists in these stories all search for a goal well beyond their reach, showing their lack
of understanding of how the world works.
Sentence 2, 3, 4:
Show how the idea applies to each text.
In “A&P,” Sammy walks out the door into the bright sunlight only to discover the girls are long
gone, and so is his promise of a future. In “Sonny’s Blues,” Sonny refuses to give up his dream
and, haunted by drugs and by his brother’s goals for him, continues to try to make a life as a
piano player. In “Paul’s Case,” Paul’s wrong-headed search for an impossibly rich existence
leads him to his grave disillusionment and, eventually, to death.
Sentence 5:
Draw a conclusion.
According to these stories, only a realistic and educated person can hope to achieve success;
those who seek short cuts or who fail to face the challenges imposed by a dream are doomed
to disappointment. And in this way, imagination and dreaming, although consistently touted by
American politicians and motivational speakers, are not necessarily roadmaps to success.
Sometimes—perhaps more often than not—they are avenues to failure.
Format Topics
 Short story titles are in quotation marks.
 When you aren’t citing a quote, commas and periods are inside quotation marks.
 Citation format:
 First citation: Include author’s name and page number.
We first hear about Sonny’s predicament from his brother who tells us, “It was not to be
believed and I kept telling myself that, as I walked from the subway station to the sidewalk”
(Baldwin 29).
 Second citation: Just include the page number in parentheses.
But the narrator never feels comfortable; even at the bar where Sonny plays he worries, “And I
was yet aware that this was only a moment, that the world waited outside as hungry as a tiger”
(61).
Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,”
and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”
American Classics
Mullen, Blue
 Short story titles are in quotations marks.
 Citations come immediately after the quoted material and look like this: “No great book
has a happy ending” (34).
 Clever and insightful title. It should not be underlined or in italics.
 Avoid the construction that begins This without a noun following it.
 Avoid “This shows…”
Avoid “I think or believe…” and “You…”
 Make sure all your pronouns agree. Avoid “Each person decided their dream was the
best.”
 Use sentence variety. Some long sentences, some short sentences, some complex
sentences, some simple sentences.
 Check to be sure you have used the 12 sentence paragraph format in your body
paragraphs.
 Check to be sure your introduction looks like
and conclusion like
 Make sure each topic sentence is directly connected to your thesis and provides an
umbrella for your body paragraph
 Make sure you claims are arguable.
 Make sure you provide context for your quotes.
 Make sure your comments after precisely analyze the quotes
 Make sure all your paragraphs end with a clincher.
 Make sure you vary your word choice. Make sure you have some fun and apply your
best intellectual energy to this juicy, delicious paper. Mmmmmm…literary analysis!
Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,”
and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”
American Classics
Mullen, Blue
Formal Paper Scoring Guide
100-90 These well-organized and well-written papers clearly offer a thoughtful, persuasive argument
about the texts. The thesis presents an articulate overview of that argument. Within the
discussion of each text, the claims are arguable and focused. Quotations from the texts are
well-chosen and specific; these references are successfully integrated into the writer’s prose.
Analysis includes full coverage of the texts. Though not without flaws, these papers offer a
convincing argument or interpretation of the literature, as well as consistent control over the
virtues of effective writing, including well-chosen verbs and seamless transitions. They
demonstrate the writer’s ability to read perceptively and to write with clarity and sophistication.
89-80 These papers also demonstrate an understanding of the texts; however, compared to the best
papers, they are less thorough and less precise in their analysis. There may be a problem with
the wording of the thesis or with one or more of the claims. In addition to minor flaws in
interpretation, their analysis is likely to be less supported and less incisive. That said, they still
suggest an adequate comprehension of the texts and their relationships. Integration of textual
evidence may lack sophistication. While these papers demonstrate the writer’s ability to
express ideas clearly, they do so with less mastery and control over the hallmarks of mature
writing and analysis than do papers in the highest range.
79-70 While these papers deal with the assigned task without important errors, they lack depth and
may be uneven in terms of the texts, perhaps with gaps in coverage. Textual evidence is not
integrated into the writer’s prose with sophistication and insight. At times, one may question
the evidence chosen. Though the writing is sufficient to convey the writer’s thoughts, these
papers are typically not as well-written, conceived, organized, or developed, as upper-half
papers.
69-60 These lower-half papers often reflect an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of one or
more of the texts. Typically, they fail to respond adequately to part of the assignment. The
analysis may be weak, inaccurate, or unclear. These papers demonstrate uncertain control over
the elements of college-level writing. They usually contain recurrent stylistic flaws and/or
misreadings, and they often lack enough persuasive evidence from the text.
59-0
These papers compound the weaknesses of papers in the “D” range. They may seriously
misread the texts. Frequently, they are unacceptably brief. They are poorly written on several
counts and may contain many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. While some
attempt may have been made to address the assignment, the writer’s observations are
presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence.