For your final essay, you have two options. Please choose only one. For either o
For your final essay, you have two options. Please choose only one. For either option remember to proofread carefully and format in APA. This means including an APA title page, in-text citations, and a reference page. It also means indenting paragraphs, double spacing, and picking an original title.
Option one: Literary Criticism Essay
600 to 1,000 words
APA format
1) Pick one of the types of literary criticism we’ve discussed this semester (all options are listed below):
New Criticism
Reader-Response Criticism
Structuralism
Deconstruction
Psychoanalytic Criticism
Historicism, New Historicism, and/or Cultural Studies
Postcolonialism
Ecocriticism
2) Analyze one of the literary works we’ve read for class this semester through the lens of this type of literary criticism. Discuss the work’s literary elements and the choices the author made to support your analysis. Include the terms from the PowerPoints on your literary theory lens.
For example, you could:
Write an analysis of “Sonny’s Blues” through the lens of Historicism, New Historicism, and/or Cultural Studies.
Write an analysis of “The Lady with the Dog” through the lens of New Criticism.
Write an analysis of “Bloodchild” through the lens of postcolonialism.
These are just some examples. You can chose any work and any type of literary criticism that interest you as long as we’ve read them in class. The only exception is:
*You may not choose your literary criticism lens and the work you are analyzing from the same week. Check the week that we discussed your choice of literary criticism. Do not choose any of the works we discussed that week. For example, you cannot analyze “The Lady with the Dog” through the lens of reader-response criticism, since we discussed both in the same week.
Option two: Short story + Mini-Essay
600-800 word short story + 350-500 word mini-essay
APA format
Part 1) For this creative option, you may write your own original short story. It can use any POV and be written in any style you like. However, it should employ the literary techniques we have discussed in class and, above all, be spellchecked and proofread.
Part 2) Additionally, you must write a 350-500 word “mini-essay” in which you use one of the types of literary criticism mentioned in Option 1 to analyze your essay. This mini-essay must have the components of an effective essay as we discussed, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. All paragraphs must contain the necessary elements for their type (introduction, body, conclusion) as defined by our course resources.
While this option is largely your own creative work, it should still be proofread carefully and formatted in APA.
Note: Both parts of the assignment should be included in one document with one title. You only need one title page. Include the mini-essay after the short story. You must cite your own original short story just as you would any published story. This includes in-text citations and an entry on the References page. The References page entry may be formatted in this way: Smith, J. (2024) The professor’s cat. Original Short Story.
n either Option 1 or Option 2, you may cite short stories from the modules like this:
Author’s last name, First initial. (Year of publication [search for it]). Story title. Class Handout.
Example: Baldwin, J. (1957) Sonny’s blues. Class Handout.
You will be graded on:
Content
APA formatting
Essay structure
Writing principles
To ensure your essay’s success, follow these requirements:
All writing must be original to this essay. You may not resubmit writing you’ve written prior to this assignment for this class or any other class.
This is a formal essay and should written with prose in paragraph form.
Meet the word count minimum. Submissions that don’t meet the stated word counts for each option will lose points. Only your writing counts toward the word count minimum. Direct quotes and APA formatting text (title page, references, etc.) do not count.
Cite all ideas you take from other sources with both in-text citations and entries on the References page, including quotes and paraphrased plot from short stories, poems, and other outside sources. This is required whether you paraphrase ideas with your own words or you quote sources. You must also cite the PowerPoints when using the information in them on your type of literary criticism.
Do not violate the plagiarism or AI plagiarism policies.
Your submission must follow the guidelines and format in the APA template to avoid losing points.
The structure of your paper and your paragraphs must match the requirements of “The Basics of Outlining” document in the Course Resources module.
Your text must follow the principles presented in the PowerPoint: The Mechanics of an Effective Essay in the Course Resources module.
Your paper must be revised and edited according to the principles presented in the PowerPoint: Revising Your Essay for Success.
Use good writing techniques.