American Novel Critical Analysis

American Novel Critical Analysis

Based on your reading and interpretation of your chosen American novel, you will write an analysis that explores a theme, character development, symbolism, etc. presented in the novel.

Directions:

1. After reading and completing signposts, decide what seems to keep popping up. Generate some ideas for topics that interest you. Brainstorm questions you have about those topics.
2. Look for these concepts in the scholarly sources we will find in the library and online. (You are finding smart people who have written about your topic).
3. Take direct quotes from your novel and the outside sources. Make 60 notes from criticisms and your own notes from the novel. You will have 60 quotes all together. It is better to have too much information than not enough.
4. Create a thesis- Remember- Topic, position, reason!
5. 3-5 pages of analysis
6. Work cited page- Refer to page 8. You must use 3 sources in addition to your American novel.

Sample Thesis:

Thesis: In The Awakening, Kate Chopin portrays Edna Pontellier’s search for self through a series of awakenings that test her spirituality and society’s protocol.[unique_solution]

Thesis: In Beloved, Toni Morrison shows how the impact of slavery can destroy every aspect of a person’s future through its effects in motherhood, the haunting of guilt, the struggle for freedom, and the desire for healing.

Thesis: In Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton illustrates the failure of marriage through lost love, new love, forbidden love, and all the aspects that contribute to the tone of the novel.

Essay Structure:

1. Introduction
   1. Title
   2. Author
   3. Main Characters that will appear in the paper
   4. Thesis
2. Body paragraphs (3-5 paragraphs)
   1. Topic Sentence- Introduces entire paragraph
   2. Makes a claim, introduce example that ties in with topic
   3. Direct quote that illustrates claim from either novel or outside sources
   4. Explains the significance of quote, shows how it fits the claim, points back to the topic sentence.

***Repeat this formula multiple times throughout paragraph

*** Remember each BODY paragraph must have quotes from the novel(primary source) and scholars (outside sources).

• Conclusion
  1. Restate thesis
  2. Summarize every paragraph
  3. Closing sentence