...THESIS STATEMENTS IN LITERARY ANALYSIS PAPERS *The thesis statement is one of the (if not the) most important parts of your paper—think of it as the foundation of a house—if your foundation is weak and poorly constructed, what do you think happens to the house? *The thesis statement is the announcement of your analytical argument that you intend to make and prove in the duration of your paper. It is a road map for the paper—it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. *It should be placed somewhere in the Introduction of your paper—Many like to put it as the last sentence(s) of their Intro which is fine. *Successful thesis statements provoke thought and should read beautifully. *Your thesis statement should include two parts: WHAT and WHY. *WHAT: What claim are you making about the text? *WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim important? Your thesis should answer the “so what?” question. *A thesis statement is usually, but can be more than, one sentence long. Examples of Literary Thesis Statements: * “Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.” *What’s wrong with this thesis statement? *An opinion about the book, not an argument. * “In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.” *Better? How so? What is still missing? *Doesn’t answer the “so what?” question—what is the point of the contrast? What does the contrast signify? * “Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry...
Words: 1211 - Pages: 5
...Jason Lepeska Lippincott English III GT/AP-4 17 January 2013 Research Paper The Great Gatsby was a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, and has motifs of class separation, the hollowness of the upper class, and the decline of the visions of America. The setting is New York City in the summer of 1922. Nick Carraway moves to New York in hopes of finding a job there. Nick has connections in this town, like his cousin daisy, and her husband, Tom. He moves into a home next to a wealthy Jay Gatsby, an extravagant man who loves throwing ridiculous parties. As the summer progresses, Nick finally gets invited to one of these parties, where he learns Gatsby is in love with Daisy. Nick helps set up Daisy and Gatsby, and they start spending time together. Tom gets angry and ends up driving Gatsby to his unfortunate demise. While a Feminist reading provides insight into the novel, Fitzgerald’s emphasis on the separated classes system and the materialistic beliefs of the upper class demonstrates that a Marxist approach to the novel is of more use. Feminism criticizes the patriarchal language used in novels, and how that reflects the masculinity in the novel (“Feminist Criticism”). Feminism also analyzes how status and positions in the novel relate to the contrasting man and woman. It recognizes more traditional writing, like mailman. Men tend to work towards solutions, while women work towards connecting and feelings (“Feminist Criticism”). It is exemplified in the book...
Words: 1831 - Pages: 8
...Comparative Literature Paper Lillian Beller World Literature October 14, 2012 University of Phoenix Comparative Literature Paper Selfishness and revenge are woven through “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner like a fine silk thread, supporting the theme of death in each. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, the cause of death is never obviously revealed but lightly hinted upon Emily as the cause. “The Cask of Amontillado,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the cause of death is revealed but no one knew the cause of Fortunato’s disappearance. These stories contain many differences as well as similarities ranging from imagery, symbolism, theme, and tone. The recognizable commonality of the two is the theme of death. Each of these stories portrays death, or murder, as a result of vengeance, revenge and betrayal. “The Cask of Amontillado” deals with the death of Fortunato and “A Rose for Emily” deals with the death of Homer and Emily. William Faulkner never admits that Emily is the cause of Homer’s death but gives the audience clues that suggest Emily was indeed responsible. Emily’s death seemed to be of natural causes (Faulkner, 1931, p 531). Edgar Allan Poe, in “The Cask of Amontillado” tells the audience of Montresor’s plot of revenge and murder of Fortunato. Betrayal and revenge are obvious throughout both stories. In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily first betrayed Homer after he...
Words: 1989 - Pages: 8
...What is wordpress? WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and a content management system (CMS) based on PHP and MySQL, which runs on a web hosting service. Features include a plug-in architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by more than 18.9% of the top 10 million websites as of August 2013.WordPress is the most popular blogging system in use on the Web, at more than 60 million websites. It was first released on May 27, 2003, by its founders, Matt Mullenwegand Mike Little, as a fork of b2/cafelog. As of 26 November 2013, version 3.7 had been downloaded nearly 10 million times.The new 3.8 version, named “Parker” was released yesterday. History of wordpress According to the official WordPress Codex, WordPress is the official successor to a blogging tool developed by French programmer Michel Valdrighi named b2/cafelog, which launched in 2001. In 2002 Valdrighi stopped developing b2, which in another world could have been where the story ends, however in January 2003 Matt Mullenweg, a university freshman who was using the b2 blogging software to post photos he was taking on a trip to Washington D.C., wrote on his blog that he’d be willing to create a fork of the project, which, together with a guy named Mike Little (who now runs a web development company named Zed1), is exactly what he did. Mullenweg and Little released the first version of WordPress in May 2003. Others soon joined Mullenweg and Little, including the originator of b2, Valdrighi. In April...
Words: 1813 - Pages: 8
...Intro cont. The Means to an End ► Artist Kara Walker ► Discipline Visual Art ► Silhouette Portraits Humanities in Healthcare Understanding Diversity in Cultures Roles of Nurses ► Non-bias or opposing self-interest on patients. ► Understanding and acceptance of any and all cultures/ethnicities. ► Equal treatment of all patients ► Not conforming to stereotypes Humanities in Healthcare cont. ► Broadening your exposure to different cultures and through the arts and artifacts presented, you become more aware and better prepared to give quality healthcare amongst the diverse communities. ► The 3 works being presented will display the perseverance, struggles, and some history of the Black American ethnic group. The Literary Work Objective Analysis ► Caged Bird by Maya Angelou A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting...
Words: 1448 - Pages: 6
...Themes Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Decline of the American Dream in the 1920s On the surface, The Great Gatsby is a story of the thwarted love between a man and a woman. The main theme of the novel, however, encompasses a much larger, less romantic scope. Though all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922 and is set in a circumscribed geographical area in the vicinity of Long Island, New York, The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure. The reckless jubilance that led to decadent parties and wild jazz music—epitomized in The Great Gatsby by the opulent parties that Gatsby throws every Saturday night—resulted ultimately in the corruption of the American dream, as the unrestrained desire for money and pleasure surpassed more noble goals. When World War I ended in 1918, the generation of young Americans who had fought the war became intensely disillusioned, as the brutal carnage that they had just faced made the Victorian social morality of early-twentieth-century America seem like stuffy, empty hypocrisy. The dizzying rise of the stock market in the aftermath of the war led to a sudden, sustained...
Words: 1678 - Pages: 7
...Vanessa Gregorio English 21 01 March 2012 Death as his Muse: An Analysis on Thomas Gray’s ‘An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’ The idea of death has always been an infamous concept. It has fascinated a lot of scholars, scientists, and artists alike, producing thousands of different theories and ideas trying to answer the mystery that surrounds such final and daunting thought. Death slowly crept up to the living and successfully immortalized itself in the form of ink on paper. As the field of literature ironically gave life to such pieces concerning death, one literary piece stood out because of its distinct qualities. Thomas Gray’s An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard exudes the exceptionality and the thought worth of a position in the canon of English Literature. Thomas Gray was born on 1716 in London, the only child out of eight who survived through adulthood. He studied in Eton College, where he met three of his most treasured friends: Horace Walpole, Thomas Ashton, and Richard West, all three of them coming from a wealthy family. After studying, he went on a Grand Tour of Europe, but had an unfortunate falling out with Walpole before the tour ended. Shortly after, the 24 year-old West died of tuberculosis (Koster.) These events were said to be the inspiration for the majority of Gray’s poems. After being a fellow for several universities for several years, Gray proceeded to live in Stoke Poges, where he stayed for the rest of his life until his death...
Words: 1575 - Pages: 7
...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...
Words: 221284 - Pages: 886
...de Guzman, Francesco Maria C. Humanities I – TFD2 2012-41947 Prof. Morales The Dead Man Walking They hail me as one living, But don't they know That I have died of late years, Untombed although? I am but a shape that stands here, A pulseless mould, A pale past picture, screening Ashes gone cold. Not at a minute's warning, Not in a loud hour, For me ceased Time's enchantments In hall and bower. There was no tragic transit, No catch of breath, When silent seasons inched me On to this death ... -- A Troubadour-youth I rambled With Life for lyre, The beats of being raging In me like fire. But when I practised eyeing The goal of men, It iced me, and I perished A little then. When passed my friend, my kinsfolk, Through the Last Door, And left me standing bleakly, I died yet more; The Dead Man Walking They hail me as one living, But don't they know That I have died of late years, Untombed although? I am but a shape that stands here, A pulseless mould, A pale past picture, screening Ashes gone cold. Not at a minute's warning, Not in a loud hour, For me ceased Time's enchantments In hall and bower. There was no tragic transit, No catch of breath, When silent seasons inched me On to this death ... -- A Troubadour-youth I rambled With Life for lyre, The beats of being raging In me like fire. But when I practised eyeing The goal of men, It iced me, and I perished A little then. When passed my friend...
Words: 4343 - Pages: 18
...Beginning theory An introduction to literary and cultural theory Second edition Peter Barry © Peter Barry 1995, 2002 ISBN: 0719062683 Contents Acknowledgements - page x Preface to the second edition - xii Introduction - 1 About this book - 1 Approaching theory - 6 Slop and think: reviewing your study of literature to date - 8 My own 'stock-taking' - 9 1 Theory before 'theory' - liberal humanism - 11 The history of English studies - 11 Stop and think - 11 Ten tenets of liberal humanism - 16 Literary theorising from Aristotle to Leavis some key moments - 21 Liberal humanism in practice - 31 The transition to 'theory' - 32 Some recurrent ideas in critical theory - 34 Selected reading - 36 2 Structuralism - 39 Structuralist chickens and liberal humanist eggs Signs of the fathers - Saussure - 41 Stop and think - 45 The scope of structuralism - 46 What structuralist critics do - 49 Structuralist criticism: examples - 50 Stop and think - 53 Stop and think - 55 39 Stop and think - 57 Selected reading - 60 3 Post-structuralism and deconstruction - 61 Some theoretical differences between structuralism and post-structuralism - 61 Post-structuralism - life on a decentred planet - 65 Stop and think - 68 Structuralism and post-structuralism - some practical differences - 70 What post-structuralist critics do - 73 Deconstruction: an example - 73 Selected reading - 79 4 Postmodernism - 81 What is postmodernism? What was modernism? -...
Words: 98252 - Pages: 394
...Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 2012 Examination Guide These materials are owned and copyrighted by the College Board. They may not be posted on the Internet or on any other public document sharing site. The materials in these files are intended for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Violations of this policy may be subject to legal action including, but not limited to, payment for each guide that is disseminated unlawfully and associated damages. V isit our website at w ww.collegeboard.org/clep f or the most up-to-date information. © 2011 The College Board. College Board, CLEP, College-Level Examination Program, SAT and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. inspiring minds is a trademark owned by the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web: www.collegeboard.org. Introduction This is the only official guide to the 33 College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) exams. CLEP exams are administered on computer test centers across the country. This Guide has been written mainly for adults who are making plans to enroll in college, but it contains information of interest to others as well. College-bound high school students, current college students, military personnel, professionals seeking certification and persons of all ages who have learned or wish to learn college-level material outside the college classroom will find the Guide helpful as they strive...
Words: 14147 - Pages: 57
...Internal Truth Fun Home written by Alison Bechdel is a tragicomic memoir that is chronicle of her childhood and young adult life in Pennsylvania, focusing on her difficult relationship with her closeted homosexual pedophile father. The main focus in this memoir are sexual orientation and social gender role; which for both Bruce and Alison, was something they were about to learn. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), “Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both sexes. Sexual orientation also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions”. Sexual orientation is something that everybody will experience sometime in their life, which for once allows us to be “standard”; but, the difference of identities is what makes us all anomalous. Within this world, society is made up of heterosexuals, homosexuals, and bisexuals, who are either feminine or masculine. Not one is better than the other, but particular identities like masculine females (dykes) or feminine males (fags) have the worst “to cope with the social stigma against homosexuality, [and] this pattern of prejudice can have serious negative effects on health and well-being” (APA) . We shall explore in further detail, how Alison’s open lesbian life succeeds against her father’s closet-hidden gay being and which is feminine or...
Words: 2817 - Pages: 12
...ADM3360A [THE FINE PRINT: THE HIDDEN AGREEMENT] [For Professor Gilles LeVasseur] Table of contents 1. Executive Summary ……………...……………………………………………… 3 2. Introduction ……...……………………………………………………………… 4 3. Clause-by-Clause Analysis ……………………………………………………… 8 4. Discussion ……………………………………………………………………….. 18 5. Recommendation ………………………………………………………………… 21 6. Legal Corrective Measures ………………………………………………………. 23 7. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….............. 24 8. Appendices ………………………………………………………………………. 25 9. Works Cited ……………………………………………………………………….. 31 10. Contract…………………………………………………………………………… 32 2 1. Executive summary This paper will study a contract, common in business law; but more specifically, this report will analyze a credit card agreement from CIBC Visa. In studying this contract, it will show what a contract is and the legal framework that it implies. In studying the clauses of this contract, one will familiarize oneself with the legal terms and jargon that all contracts consist of. In explaining these clauses, one might be able to divide them into twelve main principles that a contracting agreement should consist of. This paper will then analyze the clauses and any potential flaws or problems, and later suggest changes that should be applied. These can be considerable change, for instance, adding or...
Words: 6856 - Pages: 28
...| ADM3360A | | | [the fine print: the hidden agreement] | [For Professor Gilles LeVasseur] | Table of contents 1. Executive Summary ……………...……………………………………………… 3 2. Introduction ……...……………………………………………………………… 4 3. Clause-by-Clause Analysis ……………………………………………………… 8 4. Discussion ……………………………………………………………………….. 18 5. Recommendation ………………………………………………………………… 21 6. Legal Corrective Measures ………………………………………………………. 23 7. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….............. 24 8. Appendices ………………………………………………………………………. 25 9. Works Cited ……………………………………………………………………….. 31 10. Contract…………………………………………………………………………… 32 1. Executive summary This paper will study a contract, common in business law; but more specifically, this report will analyze a credit card agreement from CIBC Visa. In studying this contract, it will show what a contract is and the legal framework that it implies. In studying the clauses of this contract, one will familiarize oneself with the legal terms and jargon that all contracts consist of. In explaining these clauses, one might be able to divide them into twelve main principles that a contracting agreement should consist of. This paper will then analyze the clauses and any potential flaws or problems, and later suggest changes that should be applied. These can be considerable change, for instance, adding or removing clauses or can be simply a small change, such as changing a few words in a clause or fixing a spelling error. This...
Words: 6831 - Pages: 28
...Lesson Nine A Dill Pickle Part One Warm up I. Dictation Katherine Mansfield (1888—1923), British short-story writer, was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She is considered one of the greatest masters of the short-story form. At the age of 18 she settled in London to study music and to establish herself as a writer. In 1918 she married English literary critic ,John Middleton Murry. Mansfield's middle class provided the setting for many of her stories and mortality—perhaps due to her illness—dominated her writing. Her background years were burdened with loneliness , illness, jealousy and alienation —all reflected from her work in the bitter depiction of marital and family relationships of her middle-class characters. As a New Zealand's most famous writer, she was closely associated with D.H. Lawrence and something of a rival of Virginia Woolf. Her short stories are also notable for their use of . Much influenced by Russian writer Anton Chekhov, Mansfield depicted events and _____ changes in human behavior. II. Poem Appreciation Camomile Tea ——by Katherine Mansfield Outside the sky is light with stars; There's a hollow roaring from the sea. And, alas! for the little almond flowers, The wind is shaking the almond tree. How little I thought, a year ago, In the horrible cottage upon the Lee That he and I should be sitting so And sipping a cup of camomile tea. Light as feathers the witches fly, The horn of the moon is plain to see; By a...
Words: 7321 - Pages: 30