Short Story Analysis, English homework help

Short Story Analysis

Please read and you must follow all instructions:

For this assignment you will choose one short story from the list above to analyze. This assignment should be a minimum of 7 – 10 paragraphs or 2-3 double-spaced pages in APA format.

In your essay, be sure to discuss at least three elements of fiction (plot, theme, setting, point­of­view, antagonist, flashback, stereotype, flat characters, round characters, dramatic irony, and figurative language).

Create an original title for your short story analysis that describes the uniqueness of your particular piece.

Choices of Short Stories are located in attachments:

Edgar Allen Poe “The Cask of Amontillado” p. 190

Flannery O’Connor “A Good Man is Hard to Find” p. 224

Alice Walker “Everyday Use” p.256

Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown” p. 320

For this assignment, please write an essay in which you reflect upon the elements of fiction in your chosen short story. In addition, be sure to look at the many great ideas for writing about fiction interspersed throughout the fiction chapters in our textbook.

It can help to begin analyzing a work of fiction by considering an engaging question. For instance, “How does the setting in “X, Y, Z” story add to the overall theme?” or “How do the characters in “X, Y, Z represent the theme of racial conflict?”

Provide a thesis statement which incorporates at least three elements of fiction. A simple version of this would be: “Story A by Author B is the best short­ story because its setting, characters, and diction all show an easy­going, relaxed attitude that works perfectly to support its theme concerning the madness of modern life.” Note that this is just an example.

In your essay, be sure to discuss at least three elements of fiction and that they include quotes, examples and plenty of details/support; to the essay. When you quote or cite from the reading to support your elements and utilize these authors and include the page numbers from the included attachments (Kirszner & Mandell, 2012, p. ?).  

Note that while quotes and excerpts from the short-short story in question will help provide evidence for your reasons, the idea of this piece is NOT to summarize the plot (simply tell what happened in the story). Rather, talk about how the elements of fiction work together to create a memorable piece that you consider the “best” out of the choices given. Remember to put all borrowed phrases from the story in quotation marks.

Be sure, too, to create an original title for your short story analysis that describes the uniqueness of your particular piece.

Text: Kirszner, L. G. & Mandell, S. R. (2012). LIT (1st Ed). Cengage. ISBN­‐13: 9781111348830