You will turn in a response paper that analyzes one of the works in our textbook that is not on our reading list. This can be from any era, but it must be in your textbook. You should follow the same process you used for Essay 1, and consider reviewing your feedback from that assignment.
For these essays, you will analyze this work from a literary standpoint, using critical lenses, literary elements, or other approaches. Remember: this is not simply “What you think” as a consumer; instead, this is a chance to examine the literary forces at play (character, theme, symbolism, language, etc.). First person language is acceptable on a limited basis, but avoid “I think”/”I believe” statements. You should use only the primary text for this analysis; do not do any outside research and especially do not Google your piece – this is not a research paper.
Length: 1,000 words (about 4-5 pages, including a Works Cited page citing your snigle source). Graded using the literary analysis rubric.
IMPORTANT: remember that you are analyzing this as a literary work, NOT analyzing the crime. This should not resemble a psychology, sociology, or criminology paper. It may help to imagine it as fiction to ensure you do not speculate outside of the course guidelines. For example, it is not appropriate to write a paper about whether Lizzie Borden truly killed her parents, or why children kill their parents. It IS appropriate to write a paper that discusses how newspapers portrayed or characterized Borden, based on the language provided.
