Literary Analysis Essay

Drafts Returned to Students: Week 5
Length Requirement: 2- 3 pages

Format: This assignment should be typed, double-spaced throughout,
Calibri 11 or Times New Roman, 12 pt. font. Papers should have 1 inch
margins. Make sure to title your essay and include the MLA Heading in the
top left corner which includes your name, my name, the class, and the
date. (See the sample student essay in your textbook for an example.)

Purpose: To demonstrate competence in writing at the collegiate level. In
addition, this essay is designed to prompt you to reflect on the major
concepts of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, as well as rhetoric in general.
Audience and purpose: Suppose that you are writing for the college
community in particular and literate, thinking Americans in general. You are
presenting yourself as an instructive example of how to achieve a worthy
goal in life.

Length: Your essay should be comprised of five well-developed
paragraphs. It should be at least two pages long and no more than three
pages. Please place your name, course number and date in the upper right
hand corner of the paper. Give your paper a title that reflects your topic
question, and center it before the first line of your text).
Introduction and thesis statement: The introductory paragraph should begin
by engaging the reader’s interest and end in a clear thesis statement that
focuses the essay, expresses a distinct idea, and forecasts the paragraphs
that follow.

Style and tone: Write formal academic prose. Use complete sentences.
Slang should be used only in special cases, for example, when you are
quoting. The first-person pronoun (“I”) should be generally avoided. The
goal is to make statements you can prove with development. Generally
avoid the second-person pronoun (“you”), unless there is no better
alternative . Avoid clichés: Think your own thoughts and write your own
words.

Note the following:
There should be no quotes from outside sources in your paper. Quotes
from the story are acceptable, even encouraged.

Topic Questions (Pick 1):
1. In the short story, “The Necklace,” is Mathilde a sympathetic
character? Why or why not?
2. Does “The Necklace” have a moral? What is it, and what is its
significance?
3. How is the role of women in 19th century Europe reflected in
Mathilde’s character.