warm-up exercise: short analysis
OK, I have already given you quite a lot to think about, and looking at literature as a series of mysteries to be solved by focusing on small clues is unconventional; I get that. For this exercise, we are going to a very short, incomplete paper, and in many ways I am going to talk you through it.
First, read Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-lighted Place" in this week's Readings folder on Canvas. Yes, it is another very short story, but we've already seen short does not mean easy.
Then write a brief analysis (not a plot summary) of the story in which you try to figure out the central idea based on my prompt below (and, yes, I will be helping). You will develop a thesis, explain how this is portrayed in the story, and then quote one or two passages that support or illustrate your claims. All quotations will be followed by parenthetical citations, and there will be a single Works Cited entry--the story.
NOTE: in this class, except for the Research Paper, you do not use outside sources; you just quote examples from the literature itself.
There's a little bit more to it than that, but, essentially, that's the assignment. The "more to it" will be explained below, but first,
what's the point?
This exercise is designed to get you started writing, to set up your paper in MLA 8/9 format and to produce a very short Works Cited page (also in MLA 8/9 format). This is important because any essays you submit that are not done in MLA 8/9 format will not be accepted; they will have to be re-done as late papers, and late papers lose points.
The assignment will be submitted the same way you submit your essays--as .pdf or .docx files attached to your e-mail and sent to me at JRCORBALLY@GMAIL.COM; if you have any questions about How to Submit Your Work or how to set up a paper in MLA format, please review the Writing Assignments page for our class.
If you are unsure how to set up your document or do a Works Cited page in MLA 8/9 format, then this is also a check to see if you are adept at following step-by-step instructions. Check the required set-up videos and go to the Files section on Canvas where you will find some MLA resources (one is a reference called MLA Sample that you should print out and use as a reference. IMPORTANT - do not just think you know MLA 8/9 format..
on to the "more to it stuff"
This paper is very short, just one page of text in MLA 8/9 format and a final page with one Works Cited entry, the short story. Both the Sample Student Exercise and the MLA Sample file show you how to document a file you got from your Canvas site).
For this exercise, just follow this template:
Start with a brief (exciting I hope) opening paragraph that introduces your reader to the story; pick a detail or two, and feel free to quote/cite here as well, but this should mainly be in your words. Then write a transition to the main paragraph, something like "Although much of the story is just a discussion of why the old man, who seems to have everything he needs, tried to kill himself, there are strong clues throughout that reveal that he has lost all faith that life has any meaning." Keep it simple, and, yes, you may use that transition word-for-word if you like (I would).
The next paragraph will be your ONE body paragraph, your longest paragraph. In it you will explore some things in the story that reveal that idea (theme) from the transition sentence above (that is actually your thesis statement). Explain it in your words, and then you must directly quote supporting evidence from the story (word-for-word, followed by a parenthetical citation) and explain the significance of that quoted passage in your own words. Again, look at the Sample Student exercise, which is about a different story). Your second paragraph might look something like this:
Blah, blah, blah make an observation in your words blah blah blah. According to the story he had lost all faith in life and was
"in despair."
Ironically, "nothing" is exactly the old man's problem. Nothing in life has value for him; even the money is pointless. This is expressed more-fully in the nada speech near the end. "Quote" (Cite). Blah blah blah and maybe end explaining the significance of the title, which is also expanded in this ending.
"What about?"
"Nothing."
"How do you know it was nothing?"
"He has plenty of money." (Hemingway 1)Finally, starting 1" from the top of its own page, you will have your MLA 8/9 Works Cited. Be very sure it is in the correct format; do not guess please. IMPORTANT NOTE! Be sure you are ALWAYS reading ALL Announcements on Canvas; I will put up a special, short mini-lecture showing you how to do a Works Cited entry for a story/file you found on Canvas, and the story you will be reading IS in the Weekly Readings on Canvas, so that needs to be your source.
and that is it
That is the whole assignment. Future assignments will not be this short; this was just a warm-up exercise so that you can get feedback before the first full paper is due.
final special note:
This story is unusual; most of it is short dialogue, and as you see in the story, that is always indented (new paragraph) whenever you shift speakers, so this, plus longer quoted sections are indented as block-format quotations. Normally that does not require quotation marks, but dialogue does (you actually have quotations within a quotation above).
If you need more examples than what appears in our lectures, I'm including one (from a different class) showing an MLA 9 paper with long and short quotations both; they are highlighted just for ease of seeing them, but you do NOT highlight quoted passages in YOUR papers.
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