Good Country People.
Discuss the significance of characters’ names in “Good Country People.”
Must be a literary analysis of some aspect of the work—not a biographical sketch. It is also NOT a researched paper, so you will not include quotes from outside sources though you may certainly look at outside sources to give you ideas. Only source to be used is Flannery O’ connor’s Good Country People
General Essay Guidelines
• Your essay must include an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs which develop the thesis statement, and a concluding paragraph which summarizes the arguments presented in the body paragraphs.
• Introductory paragraph
The introduction MUST include the following:
-the name of the work(s) you will be discussing
-the author of the work
-the main points that you will develop in the body
-a thesis statement which presents an argument which has two possible sides
Example: Although Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn might seem superficially similar, the reader quickly realizes that Huck is actually far more mature and caring because of the abuse Huck has received throughout his childhood.
The introductory paragraph should NOT
-state “This paper will contrast X and Y”
-state “I will look at why Oedipus could be considered blind”
-begin “This story is about . . . “
-have a thesis statement that states a fact, such as “Huck and Tom have many similarities and many differences.”
• Body paragraphs
Each body paragraph should each begin with a topic sentence that is related to the thesis statement and which indicates the point the entire paragraph will be developing.
Example: Tom and Huck’s differing attitudes toward the plans they devise indicate their fundamentally different views of life.
The body paragraphs MUST contain direct quotes integrated into your own sentences that support the topic sentence. Introduce each quote before it is used. Then explain how the quote supports the point you are making. At the conclusion of each quote, you must place in parentheses the author’s last name and the page number on which the quote is found. Closing punctuation (periods and commas) goes after this parenthetical citation, NOT within the parentheses or before them.
Example: Because Huck has had to survive almost on his own, he has become a master of ingenuity. For example, when his father almost kills him during a drunken fit, Huck quickly concocts a plan to escape and cleverly makes it look as if he has been murdered. He “pull[s] out some of [his] hair, and bloodie[s] the axe good, and [slings] the axe in the corner” to make it look as if a robber has killed him (Twain 287). This quick thinking works beautifully even though the plan doesn’t have the silly and unnecessary frills that one of Tom’s would have.
Every statement and every example within the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.
• Concluding Sentences
Each body paragraph should have a concluding sentence that summarizes and reemphasizes the points made in the body paragraph.
Example: As one readily can see, Huck’s quick thinking has developed because he has been forced to rely on himself.
• Transitions
You should include transitions (bridges between different topics) both between paragraphs and within paragraphs when you begin a new point.
Example: Huck’s and Tom’s differing purposes in concocting plans parallel their differing views of the importance of following society’s dictates. Huck does what he has to survive no matter what society says is right, while Tom only plays at being a robber or freeing a slave.
• Conclusion
The concluding paragraph should sum up all the major points in your essay and restate the argument from your thesis statement. Do not include quotes in the conclusion. It should NOT include any new points that you have not mentioned in the body of the paper. It also should not begin “In conclusion” or “To conclude.”
• Conventions for literary analysis
1. Use PRESENT TENSE to discuss literature.
2. Use third person (one or the reader) instead of first person (I or we) or second person (you). You are presenting an argued analysis, not a personal opinion paper.
3. Follow MLA guidelines to cite the quotations you use and to prepare your Works Cited page. You can find a summary of these guidelines in your Composition I grammar book and your Composition II literature book, or you can purchase the MLA Handbook: Sixth Edition which gives you complete information.
4. Good grammar and mechanics are still required even if they aren’t being taught in the class. Teachers assume that once you have completed Composition I, you understand the conventions of the English language and will use standard English in your compositions. If you are still having problems with grammar, you should visit the Writing Lab for help and review those problem areas in a grammar textbook.
5. Above all, remember that essays about literature have a point! You are trying to prove something (something you will constantly direct the reader’s attention to), not simply throwing facts on a page. Don’t assume that your reader will make the connections if you give him the information. Clearly state the connections, the points that you are trying to prove and how your quotes prove them, throughout the paper.Place this order with us and get 18% discount now! to earn your discount enter this code: special18 If you need assistance chat with us now by clicking the live chat button.