ESSAY+ASSIGNMENT+TWO


 * Just in case you want to print it out or prefer a word document.


 * Short Story Literary Analysis Essay for “Paul’s Case,” “Sonny’s Blues,” “A&P,” and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem”**
 * American Classics, Mullen**


 * __Topic__**

Write a multi-paragraph, thesis-driven essay that analyzes a point a similarity in **three** of the four short stories we’ve read recently. The paper should be approximately three to four pages in length. **Due Friday, December 3, 2010 in class.**

Reminder: A thesis is a clear, concise, and arguable statement that limits and gives direction to a literary analysis essay. It should present a unique, interesting and original point of view towards the material. *Note: It does not have to be a complex sentence for this essay, but it certainly can be one.
 * __The Thesis Statement__**

· Precise, unambiguous language · The active voice that utilizes literary present tense. · An original argument · Insight into the literature.
 * An effective thesis includes the following features:**

· The authors of these stories create “outsider” protagonists to highlight the wrongs in society. · Despite their bad decisions and mistaken ways, the protagonists gain our sympathy. · The protagonists’ search for the unattainable dream reveals their naiveté. · The main characters in these stories each set out on a mission that distinguishes their determination to improve their lives in substantial ways. · These stories show the clash of cultures to emphasize the hopeless predicament of the outsider.
 * Sample Thesis Statements**


 * Organizational Plan**


 * __Introduction__**

__Begin with a general statement about your topic (alienation, culture clash, search for identity, unattainable dream, self discovery, etc.) to introduce it.__ As we grow up, all of us are taught the value of dreams, of how important it is to reach beyond the comfort of our daily life. __Develop the topic idea__. Whether it is NBA stardom, a seat at Harvard Law, or a star on the Hollywood “Walk of Fame,” dreams are meant to ignite our passions and give us purpose in life. Most of us, however, realize sooner or later what dreams make sense, eventually understanding what is possible to achieve in the realm of our own existence and ability. __Start to frame your particular point of view__. This sentence is a good place to list your texts. “A&P,” “Sonny’s Blues,” and “Paul’s Case” are stories that elaborate on the disappointing yet inevitable truth that most dreams can never be realized. __Write your thesis.__ While Sammy, Sonny, and Paul all sought something bigger and better in life, their inherent naiveté made it impossible for them to attain their dreams.
 * Sentence 1:**
 * Sentence 2 and 3:**
 * Sentence 4:**
 * Sentence 5:**


 * __Topic Sentences for your Body Paragraphs__**

These sentences must directly link to your thesis, even using words from the thesis. Notice how the key point **of a foolish quest for a dream** is included in every topic sentence. All body paragraphs should be based on the Twelve Sentence Model.

· In “A&P,” Sammy’s decision to quit his job is evidence of his lack of understanding about his prospects for the future. · Sonny’s unrealistic dream to become a jazz musician is developed in contrast to his brother’s stable position as a high school math teacher. · Dazzled by the glamorous life of the actors he meets, Paul foolishly believes he can live his dream in New York City.


 * __Your Conclusion__**

__Restate your thesis.__ The protagonists in these stories all search for a goal well beyond their reach, showing their lack of understanding of how the world works. __Show how the idea applies to each text.__ In “A&P,” Sammy walks out the door into the bright sunlight only to discover the girls are long gone, and so is his promise of a future. In “Sonny’s Blues,” Sonny refuses to give up his dream and, haunted by drugs and by his brother’s goals for him, continues to try to make a life as a piano player. In “Paul’s Case,” Paul’s wrong-headed search for an impossibly rich existence leads him to his grave disillusionment and, eventually, to death. __Draw a conclusion.__ According to these stories, only a realistic and educated person can hope to achieve success; those who seek short cuts or who fail to face the challenges imposed by a dream are doomed to disappointment. And in this way, imagination and dreaming, although consistently touted by American politicians and motivational speakers, are not necessarily roadmaps to success. Sometimes—perhaps more often than not—they are avenues to failure.
 * Sentence 1:**
 * Sentence 2, 3, 4:**
 * Sentence 5:**

· Short story titles are in quotation marks. · Commas and periods are inside quotation marks. · Citation format: · __First citation: Include author’s name and page number__. We first hear about Sonny’s predicament from his brother who tells us, “It was not to be believed and I kept telling myself that, as I walked from the subway station to the sidewalk” (Baldwin 29). · __Second citation: Just include the page number in parentheses__. But the narrator never feels comfortable; even at the bar where Sonny plays he worries, “And I was yet aware that this was only a moment, that the world waited outside as hungry as a tiger” (61).
 * __Format Topics__**