Short Story Unit Final Essay
Curriculum Objective: Write thesis‐driven essays that build a logical argument and support assertions with examples and evidence that are accurate, credible, and relevant.
Assignment: Author Mary Rival once wrote, “In order to deem a story as great, it must engage the reader, use language purposefully, and encourage the reader to learn something about himself or his world in the process.” Choose one short story that we have read together in class and evaluate it in light of Rival’s statement.
Content and Organization Criteria:
1. Your essay must be five paragraphs in length (500-750 words), including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
2. Introduction should include a catchy opening statement, the story title in quotation marks, the author’s first and last name, and your thesis (your opinion/argument—usually the last sentence of the intro).
3. Body Paragraphs should include a clear topic sentence that relates to your thesis, textual evidence, and thorough analysis. Since you want your audience to agree with your opinion, you must collect logical pieces of information from the short story to convince your reader that your thesis is accurate and thoroughly explain how the evidence illustrates your point.
4. Conclusion should include a very brief restatement of your thesis and main points in a fresh way and a thought-provoking concluding statement.
5. Title Page: Your essay must include an original title and title page. Your title page must include your essays title (centre of the page), your name, slot, date, and teacher’s name (bottom right-hand corner).
Style and Mechanics Criteria:
1. You are writing a formal, persuasive essay--choose your words carefully. Informal language (i.e. “Well, I think, like, this author is really chill because, like, he uses symbolism really well”) is not acceptable. Use words that make you sound intelligent, knowledgeable and convincing (i.e. “Hurst’s use of symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” allows the reader to more fully understand the true tragedy of Doodle’s death”).
2. Include page numbers after quotations. Ex: Hurst’s effective use of imagery can be seen in his description of the summer that Doodle’s life came to an end: “…the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle” (1).
3. Use linking sentences to introduce quotations. Use a colon (:) before the quote if the linking sentence is a complete sentence (as in the example above). Use a comma if the sentence is incomplete. (Brother’s guilt is evident when he says, “They did not know that I did it for myself, that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother” (3).
4. Proof read for mechanics (proper capitalization, grammar, spelling, sentence fragments, and run-ons).
Draft Due Date: Friday, October 9
Final Copy Due Date: Tuesday, October 13
**On the due date you are required to hand in typed final copy with title page, followed by planning notes, draft, and peer review.
Short Story Essay-Planning Sheet
Author Mary Rival once wrote, “In order to deem a story as great, it must engage the reader on an intellectual and emotional level, use creative language purposefully, and encourage the reader to learn something about himself or his world in the process.” Choose one short story that we have read together in class and evaluate it in light of Rival’s statement.
Short Story Choice: ______
Author: ______
Plot/Characters/Point-of-view: Engage the reader
Authors engage readers through relatable or believable characters, original/unique plot lines (twists/surprise endings), suspense, and present the story through a unique point-of-view etc. How does the author of your chosen story engage the reader?
Examples/quotations from the story that illustrate the author’s ability to engage the reader.
Style: Use creative language purposefully
Good authors use creative language (including imagery, symbolism, word choice, and figurative language (metaphor/simile) to do some thing, such as develop character, enhance theme or create tone. How does the author use creative language to accomplish a specific purpose?
Examples/quotations that show that the story has used creative language for a specific purpose.
Theme: The reader learns something about himself or his world
Good stories allow readers to learn something about themselves or the world around them. Some stories encourage the reader to see that people are often different than they appear on the surface; some stories cause the reader to consider the power of jealousy; some stories help the reader to recognize the impact our choices have on how others perceive us; some stories remind the reader about the damaging impact of pride. What has your story allowed you to learn about yourself or the world around you?
Examples/quotations that illustrate the author’s theme and what you have learned from the story.