name of the book: the Norton introduction to literature
You will write a formal critique of William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” of at least 1000 words but no more than 1200. The essay will be evaluated for complexity of content, logical structural arrangement, use of direct quotes in support of claims, overall stylistic fluency, consistent tone, MLA style, and punctuation. You will not need any outside sources, only the story itself.
The essay must feature a strong opening paragraph which references the title of the story and the author. Further, it should give some context for the main claim or theme the writer will explore, leading logically to a strong thesis statement, i.e. a declarative sentence that involves information, opinion, and relevance.
The supporting paragraphs should build on specific explorations of formal elements that back up the thesis statement, connecting them directly with the thesis statement. Essentially, you should show your critical thinking on the page; think of this as an extension of the types of discussions about the stories we’ve had in class but more formally rendered. You are making a case for a particular reading of the story. Get your evidence together and sell it in such a way that the reader can see things from your point of view.
There is no specific number of paragraphs you should write in support of your argument. Remember, though, that you should only attack one main point per paragraph, united through a clear topic sentence.
You must stay in third person throughout the essay. No first person “I” or second person “you.” The best way to do this is to state your interpretations as facts, supporting them with evidence from the text. Don’t qualify with statements that begin “I think” or “I believe.”
If you get stuck on how to put an essay like this together, take a look at an example student essay about “Cathedral” in the text book on pages 49-51. This is not necessarily a stellar essay, but it gives you a model to consult as you work on your own project.
Some ideas to consider for “Sonny’s Blues” would be the role of music, sibling rivalry, race and the desire for social mobility, coming-of-age, narrative structure, and many others. For “A Rose for Emily” you could explore the burden of history, the role of memory, narrative viewpoint, social restrictions of women and African-Americans, among others. Remember, these are just a few ideas. The topics for development are practically myriad.
