Dr. Peebles Assignment Essay 14.5 Double-Spaced Pages

En 202 Dr Peeblesassignment Essay 14 5 Double Spaced Pagesbring

Develop a focused position about the connection between a theme and an object or secondary character based on close reading. The essay should be 5 double-spaced pages, include a title indicating your central argument, and use the course anthology for examples. Select a material object or a minor character from the texts read so far, and analyze how it is presented in the story using close reading techniques such as identifying key terms, patterns, oppositions, and anomalies. Explore how these details relate to themes or conflicts in the work, including the vocabulary choices made by the translator if applicable.

Explain how the chosen object or character reflects, symbolizes, or questions a central theme. Consider its limitations, powers, cultural implications (not historical claims), and the interests or perspectives of its owner or user. Analyze its impact on other characters and connections within the story. Discuss the significance of your subject in its narrative context and its broader thematic implications.

Develop a thesis such as "seems to be X, but is really Y" or "although...nevertheless..." or a purpose-driven description like "The poet uses [technique] to say something about [theme]." Introduce this thesis in your introduction and support it throughout your analysis with specific textual details, quotations, and citations in MLA format. Include an introduction, conclusion, and a Works Cited page for the anthology. Avoid plot summary, overly broad historical claims, and unexplained descriptions. Carefully revise and proofread your work for clarity and coherence.

Paper For Above instruction

The connection between material objects or minor characters and central themes often provides profound insights into the narrative’s deeper meanings. This essay explores how a secondary character or an object within the story functions not merely as a narrative detail but as a symbol that illuminates core themes. By engaging in close reading of specific textual details—such as repeated words, patterns, and anomalies—one can uncover subtle but powerful connections that reflect larger conflicts or cultural ideas. The goal is to demonstrate that these literary elements serve as vital links to understanding the story's thematic fabric, revealing underlying attitudes, power dynamics, or societal values that might otherwise remain hidden.

For instance, consider the object of a locket in a story that ostensibly symbolizes love or memory. Close analysis of its description—perhaps its material composition, its location within the narrative, or the language associated with it—can reveal complexities such as its limitations or its capacity to preserve or distort memory. These details can also speak to cultural ideas about memory, eternity, or materiality. Conversely, a minor character—such as a servant or a foil—may embody contrasting traits that highlight themes of social inequality, loyalty, or resistance. Analyzing how this character is portrayed, the language used to describe him or her, and the character’s interactions can deepen understanding of the theme's nuances.

Developing a thesis that offers a nuanced view—such as "the object appears to symbolize purity but ultimately signifies confinement"—allows for a sophisticated argument. This thesis can be supported by textual evidence: specific quotations, descriptions, and patterns that demonstrate how the object’s presentation aligns with or challenges the thematic message. For example, if the object’s vocabulary emphasizes fragility or concealment, this might suggest themes of repression or vulnerability. Alternatively, a secondary character’s role as a loyal servant might seem to reinforce social hierarchy but could also symbolize the undercurrent of dissent or hidden agency.

In constructing the paper, it is crucial to embed these analyses within a clear structure—an introduction that states the thesis, a body that systematically discusses textual details and their significance, and a conclusion that synthesizes these insights. Proper MLA citations of quotations, as well as a full Works Cited entry for the anthology, are essential to academic rigor. Avoiding plot summaries or broad claims about historical context ensures the focus remains on textual analysis. The essay should showcase critical engagement with the text, highlighting how the chosen object or character deepens understanding of the central themes, ultimately contributing to a richer interpretation of the work as a whole.

References

  • Bloom, Harold. The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. Harcourt Brace, 1994.
  • Eagleton, Terry. The Event of Literature. Yale University Press, 2012.
  • Foucault, Michel. The Archeology of Knowledge. Routledge, 2002.
  • Johnson, Barbara. "The Voice of the Shuttle." The New York Review of Books, 1974.
  • Levin, Harry. Literature and Society. University of Chicago Press, 1969.
  • Saussure, Ferdinand de. Course in General Linguistics. Columbia University Press, 2011.
  • Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. In Other Worlds: Essays in Cultural Politics. Routledge, 1987.
  • Trilling, Lionel. The Liberal Imagination. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1950.
  • Wimsatt, William K., and Monroe C. Beardsley. "The Intentional Fallacy." The Sewanee Review, 1946.
  • Young, Robert. The Free-Choice labeled Thematic Analysis. Princeton University Press, 2000.