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Paper #1: Literary Analysis Essay
LENGTH: 2-4 pages (Works Cited not included in count)
One of the unspoken messages behind the poems, short stories and plays we are reading this semester is that art imitates life.  In that comparison, we will see through literary art that the decision about how and what we do affect more than just ourselves by examining current issues in American culture through literary arguments and analysis.  As the literary selections assembled make clear, our actions and choices are but one link in a much larger chain, one that connects us to countless fellow citizens in so many ways.
Using an argument presented somewhere within one of the thematic readings this unit, you will write a 2-4 page a literary analysis essay in which you explore an issue presented in the literary work in order to make the appropriate connections between the creative work and the real world.  
The content for Unit #1 is thematically arranged in the area of Love and Family Identity in order to teach students how to develop a sound argument about today’s society by analyzing literary examples.  Much of our analysis will revolve around considering why people think the way they do, how these ideas are developed, and what views the authors may be conveying about these issues. 
For your Literary Analysis Essay, you may choose a topic that relates to a theme we covered within this unit.  Below are a list of areas you may explore, or you may select one of your choosing with permission of your instructor. 
The topic you choose should explore a problem presented within this unit’s reading for which you can make the appropriate connections for your own position on a single controversial, arguable issue that was addressed in a few readings covered this semester as support by outside research you’ve conducted.
Here are some areas you may want to consider in relation to the text you’ve chosen from our unit, in order to narrow in on a topic suitable for literary analysis:
1)    Examine how people put too little or too much emphasis on their love lives.  
2)    Explore how family influences the way people perceive sexual activity and how it influences relationships and/or the way individuals perceive themselves, their worth, etc.
3)    Examine how family sways an individual’s perceptions of love, gender, and/or sexual orientation.
4)    Analyze how gender stereotypes are perpetuated within the family dynamic
5)    Discover what it means to be a parent.
6)    Select either agape, phileo, storge, or eros, and then explore the meaning of love
7)    Explore the long term effects of the parent/child relationship.
Please remember that you will need to narrow the scope of your topic once you’ve conducted enough research into your area of interest in order to write an academic argument essay in which you explore a single topic that is on a timely, complicated, controversial and arguable issue. 
Consult the Outline Worksheet for Essay #1 for details on how to organize this paper.
Before beginning to work on this assignment, read several sections of various chapters in Arguing about Literature Part 1″What is Argument”  (pgs. 1-16) “How to Argue about Literature” (pgs. 34-36 and 45-57), and “The Writing Process” (pgs. 89-104). To help you get started in your analysis, look for details within the plot, the portrayal of characters, dialogue, sound and visual cues, and/or even framing preferences that might send messages about love and family.
The quality of your interpretation of the assigned readings will be extremely integral to the quality of your essay in using both the material we covered as well as sources you find outside of class. 
Remember, quality research is defined as such: well-documented information that is framed to the audience properly (in this case, in the form of a literary analysis) and responsibly by using quotes, paraphrasing, and summarization. 
You will be required to cite and implement at least TWO sources for this essay broken down as such:

Incorporate one argument explored within only one literary piece – either a poem, a short story or a play – we covered this unit from our textbook Arguing about Literature.
Identify at least one current events article published within the last few years from a credible news source which highlights the issue found in society in order to demonstrate the timeliness of the issue. 

This paper is not asking for a review of your chosen text (i.e. whether you like it or not). Instead, stay focused on the analysis in terms of the messages it sends about one’s identity in regards to the influence of Love and Family. Beyond the introductory paragraph, do not spend time summarizing the literary text you’ve chosen. Focus instead on making a clear set of points regarding the messages about Love and Family Identity being sent within your chosen text.
Key Requirements:

In this essay, you will how a creative work is modeled after real life situations.  You must make a claim, offer reasons and evidence in support of your position, in order to bring your reader to a logical conclusion.
This paper must adhere to MLA style or APA style guidelines. Confirm with your instructor which format he or she would prefer you use on this assignment.  Information about these style guides and your academic pathway is listed on the syllabus.  Additionally, there are modules within this unit on both MLA and APA style specifically for this assignment.  You will need to properly cite the following:
Incorporate one argument explored within only one literary piece – either a poem, a short story or a play – we covered this unit from our textbook Arguing about Literature.
Identify at least one current events article published within the last few years from a credible news source which highlights the issue found in society in order to demonstrate the timeliness of the issue
This paper must be at least 2 – 4 pages in length AND must be at least 1000 words long. This generally equals 3 complete pages. Do not exceed 4 pages. The works cited page is not included in the page count.  If you do not meet the minimum length requirement, you will not earn a passing grade on the paper.
Make sure to upload each assignment as a Word document (.doc or .docx) in the Assignments tool within the Assessments tab above. 
This paper must be typed, double spaced, font: Times New Roman 12.

Any plagiarism on this paper or any of the steps in the writing process will lead to immediate failure of this course, so please do not make that mistake.
The Writing Process

MANDATORY: Submit the Outline Worksheet in the Assignments section of the course. This worksheet can be found in the Assignments tool and the Learning Unit #1 folder as a Microsoft Word document that you can download. It asks you to develop your thesis statement as well as the topic sentences for your body paragraphs. After you submit this completed worksheet, I will reply to you with feedback on your thesis & topic sentences and specific suggestions as to how these might be revised to more successfully craft a quality paper.
OPTIONAL: Submit a 1st draft to the online tutoring site BrainFuse, following the BrainFuse link on the home page of this course (under Student Resources). This draft should be your best attempt at the completed paper, not a “sloppy copy” or an incomplete paper. Instead, seek to develop your very best version of the paper at that point, complete with proper proofreading and editing. You may expect the tutor’s online feedback within 24-48 hours; use those observations to improve the paper for the final version.
Submit the final draft of Paper #1 in the Assignments section of the course.

On your Outline Worksheet you will receive feedback and a grade that indicates credit for submitting the assignment. However, the grade is ultimately of less importance. Instead, the FEEDBACK provided by your instructor is of ultimate importance. Utilize this feedback to proceed in the writing process in order to develop a quality first and final draft that will earn a successful grade.
How is this paper graded?
I will grade your paper based on the following elements:

Proper essay structure, including a detailed, quality thesis statement.
Proper grammar, spelling, syntax, and sentence mechanics.
Proper academic tone.
A clear, thoughtful, sophisticated, intelligent, and well-supported analysis.
Supply evidence from at least two sources as outlined above that are timely, relevant, and credible.
Appropriately quote, paraphrase, or summarize the new information that was discovered within a single literary text.