The Scarlet Letter. Character Analysis Essay

Transcription

1 The Scarlet Letter Character Analysis Essay

2 Due Dates: Thesis due 10/4 Body Paragraph Outline due 10/9 Rough Draft due 10/16 Final Draft due 10/23

3 Prompt: Choose a character from The Scarlet Letter and compose an insightful character analysis. A strong analysis will identify the character s internal and external qualities, address the conflict of the story and the character s place in it, and provide insightful commentary about the character. The hinge of your analysis will be your thesis statement; you must start by composing a strong and arguable thesis! After forming your thesis, you must choose the points you want to make to prove your argument. Each point will become the main topic of a body paragraph. Remember, your points are not valid unless you include evidence (in the form of context and quotes) to back them up! Important: Authors use their characters to communicate deeper themes such as perseverance, justice, forgiveness, honesty, etc. Ask yourself: What deeper meaning might Hawthorne be communicating through this character? You must incorporate this into your thesis statement!

4 General Guidelines: Length: 2 ½ - 4 pages Essay components: Introduction 3-5 body paragraphs Conclusion Proper MLA formatting throughout Pay close attention to submission instructions!

5 THESIS STATEMENT Argumentative Broad enough to relate to all evidences Narrow enough that it does not leave unanswered questions Expectations for each component: OUTLINE Must be in proper MLA outline form FOLLOW TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS ROUGH DRAFT Must meet minimum length (MLA format) to receive full credit Proofread! Submit via (.docx) for tutor evaluation FINAL DRAFT Must fulfill general expectations of a literary analysis essay Must adhere to the conventions of a formal essay Must be thoroughly proofread or it will be returned for revision No late submissions will be accepted Hard copy must be submitted with graded outline and graded rough draft on due date Must be submitted to Turnitin by 9pm on the due date SEE ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS POSTED ON WEEBLY FOR A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ESSAY REQUIREMENTS!!!

6 Expectations for a literary analysis essay: Literary present tense At least 2 textual evidences per body paragraph Textual evidence includes specific context, blended quote, citation Body paragraphs must contain commentary which ties the evidence to the thesis Transition wording between evidences

7 Expectations for any Core C formal essay: No 1 st or 2 nd person pronouns No contractions No slang/idioms Minimal use of be verbs and other weak verbs/adverbs Topic sentences must directly relate to thesis Solid structure throughout Transition wording between paragraphs (part of clincher or topic sentence)

8 Points to consider when evaluating a character (Taken from education-portal.com)

9 Character Traits Although you probably will find numerous details about the character s outward appearance, you will want to focus primarily on the character s inward characteristics. Authors will state details using direct characterization, but do not miss the more subtle details expressed through indirect characterization. Identify the role of the character: Protagonist? Antagonist? Observe verbal and non-verbal clues: Look for behaviors, motivation, personality type, relationships with other characters How does the character interact with the world around her? How does he/she face adversity? How does he/she react when offended or wronged How does he/she treat other characters? Does the character change throughout the story? Does he/she learn any valuable lessons?

10 Examine the Conflict Examining the conflict helps us understand our character s journey throughout the story. Conflict can be internal or external To understand a character, you must understand the conflict he/she faces What type of conflict does the character face? What (or who) creates the conflict? How does the character react to the conflict? Does the character learn any valuable lessons through the conflict?

11 Let s begin! Pick your character Identify the conflict your character faces Brainstorm several adjectives that would describe your character Form an opinion about your character What might Hawthorne be teaching us through this character? Use your ideas to form a working thesis statement.

12 What s next? Prove it! 1. Come up with 3-5 main points which will effectively prove your argument. (These will become your body paragraphs) 2. Find two specific textual evidences for each of those points 3. Form your outline