Essay 1 Guidelines

INGL 3104 February 2015

Write an academic essay that provides a close reading of one of the stories or interviews read this
semester. Follow the guidelines on close reading from the handout, paying special attention to all
of the specific steps that it describes. Remember to focus on a specific passage. The guidelines
listed below should be considered before, while, and after you write.
Format
--12 TNR, double-spaced, indented paragraphs, standard margins
--Title, staple your work
--Minimum of five paragraphs, maximum of six
Introductory paragraph
--Background information
--Title of text, author, main idea
--Thesis statement (interesting, controversial, insightful) as last sentence
Conceptual focus
--Offer a substantial discussion of one or two of the following: point of view; language
and style; metaphors and symbols; or conflict (listed on handout, discussed in book)
-Link or somehow connect the concept you choose to your thesis statement.
-Make sure your essay pushed the reader to understand these concepts from the
perspective of someone familiar with literary criticism. Do not rely only on
popular understandings of these concepts. Seriously consider quoting your book
to deepen the readers understanding of your analysis.
--Relate literature to social experience at one of the following levels: human being,
student, Puerto Rican, and citizen of the world.
Evidence
--Use of at least two quotes, both of which should be properly cited using MLA as well
as introduced and commented upon.
--Consider having a separate paragraph for each quote, especially if quotes are long.
--Quotes should support your thesis, provide important context, or relate to the steps of
close reading.
--Consider the following verbs in commenting on quotes: suggest, indicate, demonstrate,
show, confirm, illustrate
Style
--Be creative; offer something original.
--Your thesis statement is a platform: use it to take the reader and yourself to new places.
--Remember that your reader has not read the text at the center of your work. Consider
telling an interesting story about the story. Remember that most good stories have a
beginning, middle, and end.
Structure
--Carefully develop the order of your essay. Make sure order is logical: what needs to
come first? What information can serve as a basis for examples? When should reader
learn about me? Exactly what should reader learn about me?
--Use complete sentences; present tense for discussion of literature; topic sentences for
each paragraph.
-- Make sure paragraphs have at least five sentences.
--Use spellcheck. Use Oxford comma.
--Avoid contractions and very casual words (e.g., stuff, gonna, things).
--Follow standard rules of capitalization.
--Use transition words and phrases (e.g., however, although, on the other hand, for
example, nevertheless).