Short Story Essay Assignment | Online Homework Help

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ASSIGNMENT For this assignment, you will not be using your own experiences to analyze the stories. Instead, you will take a more formal analytical approach. This essay should be written in third person point of view, not first. You must choose from the three stories in this section: “A Worn Path,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “Everyday Use.” In our readings, we have focused one element per story (plot in “A Worn Path,” point of view in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and symbolism in “Everyday Use.”) You are welcome to write your essay on any one of those elements in those stories. However, you are not limited to them. You can choose any element to discuss in a specific story. Below are some examples of how different elements can be used: “A Worn Path” Character: compare the story’s Phoenix to the mythological Phoenix Setting: show how the story’s cultural setting influences Phoenix Conflicts: explain how the story uses the four different types of conflict “The Tell-Heart” Symbolism: explore the symbolism of the heart Plot: explain the epiphany of the narrator Character: show how the narrator is or is not insane “Everyday Use” Character: contrast Maggie and Dee Point of View: explain how and why the mother’s perceptions change Plot: chart the story along the plot line These are just a few of the possibilities. You can write on any element in any of the three stories. THESIS Once you have chosen a story and element, you should construct your thesis statement. The thesis statement should include the topic of the essay (the specific element) and your interpretation of the function of that element in the story. INTERPRETATION An interpretation is an opinion. You should see this assignment as a persuasive essay in which you make an argument for your opinion of the story. INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION The introduction of the essay should do the following: (1) identify the author’s name and the story’s title, (2) summarize the major subjects/themes of the story, (3) present thesis statement. The conclusion of the essay should do the following: (1) restate thesis, (2) tie thesis in with the story’s major ideas, (3) explain the broader significance of the interpretation (point to the world outside the story

Symbolism

A symbol is an image or object in a literary work which suggests another level of meaning.

Other elements in a literary work can be symbolic as well.

There are three general types of symbols:

• Universal: A symbol that embodies universal suggestions of meaning (for example, water, light vs. dark, the mystical numbers 3 and 7, etc.)
• Cultural: A symbol that embodies a specific meaning to a culture (for example, color symbolism, animals)
• Authorial: A symbol that embodies a specific meaning to a story or poem

Symbolism can serve many functions in a literary work, including:

• Provide characterization
• Establish setting
• Create a mood or tone
• Reflect the theme

When discussing symbolism, it is important to avoid making assumptions.  Simply saying X symbolizes Y will not suffice.  You must explain how the symbol suggests another level of meaning.

Also, remember: sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Point of View

All stories have a narrator – a voice telling the story.  Whether the narrator is a character in the story or the author of the story or someone/something else, the reader’s understanding of the story is influenced by that voice.  It is the reader’s point of view into the story; it is how the reader comes to know the truth of the story.

There are three basic points of view for any piece of writing:  first person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (he/she/it/they).  Most stories are told in first or third person.

• First Person

A story told in first person is seen through the eyes of one of the characters.  This point of view can be somewhat limiting for a writer in that he or she can include only what the narrator knows.  An unreliable narrator limits the reader’s perspective even further, since everything is filtered through the character’s ignorance, hostility, naiveté, personal agenda, or other impairments.

First person can also open up the internal workings of a character more fully than other points of view. The reader can truly understand what it means to be someone else.

• Third Person

A story told in third person is usually seen through the eyes of the author.  There are three types of third person point of view:

Third person omniscient:  the narrator is all-knowing, so the thoughts and feelings

of any and all characters can be revealed.

Third person limited:  the narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of only the

main character.

Third person dramatic:  the narrator reveals none of the thoughts and feelings of

the characters, so the reader must infer them from other means.