Topic Proposal and Thesis for Literary Analysis Essay

The Literary Analysis Essay is your first official essay of the course. Please read the description of the assignment below and complete the topic proposal planning activity to help prepare you to write your paper next week. 

You will be using "Bloodchild" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" as your two choices for your Literary Analysis. 

Notes on Genre for Question 8

Topic Proposal

We've been practicing to prepare us for this moment: writing our first paper. Your paper is a literary analysis--a close reading of some aspect of the story. You will select one particular story to write on. 

For the topic proposal, you will propose THREE different ideas--three different arguments. You can develop ideas and arguments for both stories. But each argument should only focus on one particular story

Follow the directions below to help you develop a topic-- you can ALWAYS come up with arguments responding to one of the prompts. 

For each of the TWO stories: 

1. Identify major themes, topics, or questions that arise from the story

2. Pick one of those themes, topics, or questions and then I want you to answer this question: What is the author saying about this theme and why? 

3. How can you transition that into an argument? You do not need to actually develop a thesis statement. In three-five sentences, explain the argument and your ideas for the paper.

**You do not need to submit this part of the brainstorming**

What you need to submit: 

1. The THREE top argument ideas you have for your paper--please be detailed. This is three-five sentences for each argument where you detail your ideas for the paper

2. The TOP argument--THE ONE of the three that you plan on writing for your paper.  You can highlight this argument or note somehow that this is your top argument.

This isn't the prompt, but your three-five sentence response to the question/prompt (you can highlight one of the first three you choose from). 

3. Your initial draft of a thesis statement for your main argument. Remember- thesis statements are NOT questions--they are arguable claims. Thesis statements should be ONE SINGLE sentence.

This will help you plan and prepare for what you will need to include as evidence. This also gives me the opportunity to provide you with detailed feedback on your thesis before your draft and paper are due.

Literary Analysis Essay.pdf

If you are struggling to come up with your own argument ideas for the paper, you can respond to one of the following prompts: 

1. Power dynamics are central to the story in "Bloodchild"; select a particular power dynamic between two characters, analyze it, and connect it to the role of power in the story as a whole with direct examples from the story.

2. Is "The Yellow Wallpaper" a Realist or Female Gothic text? Why? Defend your response with direct analysis from the story

3. Octavia Butler wants to argue that "Bloodchild" is a love story--how is "Bloodchild" a love story? And how does that affect the meaning of the story as a whole? Don't be afraid to get creative in how you look at love pushing beyond the obvious (sexual love/romantic love/familial love/abusive love etc.) using direct examples from the story. 

4. "The Yellow Wallpaper" depicts a woman's ultimate triumph over the restrictions placed on her by her husband and a male-dominated society. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Defend your response with direct analysis from the story.