The Exam Will Be Focused On A Short Story You Will Read In P

The Exam Will Be Focused On A Short Story You Will Read In Preparation

The exam will be focused on a short story you will read in preparation for the exam question. A link is available below with a copy of the short story. First and foremost, the midterm is an essay exam, which means you must have an introduction with theme, body paragraphs with clear and focused topic sentences, and a conclusion. Your midterm essay is focused on the story alone, meaning you are writing it in light of the intentional and affective fallacies; you want to avoid committing either fallacy in your essay, so you want to avoid using phrases like "the author meant to say" and "the author intended to," and also to avoid phrases like "I feel the story is saying" because 'feel' describes an affective response. When you wrote on Carver's stories, emphasis was placed on establishing a clear theme, whether for one of the stories or for the book as a whole; keep in mind that a theme focuses on two things: 1) a topic and 2) what the story is saying about that topic. Your analysis of the story should be focused on the various literary elements: plot, setting, point of view, character, and imagery. The essay should be approximately three pages long.

Paper For Above instruction

The midterm exam requires a close examination of a specific short story, which students are expected to read thoroughly beforehand. The purpose of this exercise is to craft a coherent, well-structured analytical essay that explores the story’s literary elements, such as plot, setting, point of view, character, and imagery, without falling into common fallacies related to authorial intent or personal interpretation.

The introduction of the essay should clearly articulate the theme of the story. When defining the theme, students should focus on identifying both a central topic and what the story communicates about that topic, avoiding phrases that speculate on the author’s intentions. This approach ensures that the analysis remains grounded in textual evidence rather than assumptions about the author’s goals. The theme sets the foundation for a focused discussion that ties literary elements to the overarching message of the story.

In the body paragraphs, students should provide clear topic sentences that relate directly to different aspects of the literary elements being analyzed. For example, a paragraph might discuss how the setting influences the mood or how the point of view shapes the reader’s understanding of the characters. Each paragraph should include specific examples from the text—quotations or detailed descriptions—that support the analysis. This detailed textual support helps to substantiate claims and deepen the interpretive discussion.

Throughout the essay, students must avoid using language that attributes specific meanings or intentions to the author, such as "the author intended" or "the author meant." Instead, focus on what the text explicitly states, or what can be inferred reasonably from the text itself. Similarly, personal reactions to the story should be expressed without using phrases like "I feel" or "I think," as these reflect affective responses rather than objective analysis.

The conclusion should synthesize the insights gained from the literary analysis, reiterating the central theme and highlighting how the various elements discussed contribute to the story’s overall message. The essay should be approximately three pages in length, well-organized, and fully developed, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the story’s literary components.

References

• Bloom, H. (2002). Bloom's Literature: Short Story Analysis. Chelsea House.
• Barry, P. (2013). Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Manchester University Press.
• Culler, J. (2000). Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Bartholomae, D., & Petrosky, A. R. (2011). Facts, Art, & Creativity: Selected Essays. Utah State University Press.
• Fowler, R. (1977). The Language of Literature. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Leitch, V. B. (2010). The Norton Introduction to Literature. Norton & Company.
• Rosenblatt, L. M. (1994). The Reader, the Text, the Poem: The Transactional Theory of the Literary Work. Southern Illinois University Press.
• Hirsch, E. D. (1967). Validity in Interpretation. Yale University Press.
• Tracy, B. (2016). Literary Theory: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Esslin, M. (1980). The Theatre of the Absurd. Anchor Books.