literary analysis
Sources: No secondary sources. You are only allowed to quote and paraphrase from the primary
literature you are analyzing.
Assignment Details
For this directed literary analysis, you will write an essay in response to one of the following
prompt questions. As you can see, two of the prompts involve fiction, and two involve poetry.
For your single essay, you are expected to include an introduction, thesis statement, 3-4 major
points (each with textual support), and a conclusion.
1. Modernist fiction is often characterized by innovative style and themes of
disillusionment, alienation (or isolation), and economic, social and moral collapse.
Discuss your choice of two of the following stories in terms of their modernist
characteristics: “Araby,” “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” or “A Rose for Emily.”
2. A “Simple” or “Classic” story plot is often characterized by a central character having an
epiphany—a realization of a fundamental change in character. Discuss the epiphany of
your choice of two of the following characters: Mama in “Everyday Use,” the narrator in
“Cathedral,” or title character in “Young Goodman Brown.”
3. The Romantic Poets were political activists and philosophers concerned with social
issues such as the French Revolution, corruption in monarchies, child labor, and
Industrialization. Using examples from “London,” “The World is Too Much with Us,”
and “Ozymandias,” analyze and explain how this group of poets made their concerns
known.
4. “My Mistress’ Eyes” and “How Do I Love Thee?” are both sonnets and may be
considered love poems; however, the poets of these two respective poems chose to
express love very differently. Using specific evidence from the poems, compare and
contrast these two pieces, making sure to discuss both content and form.
