Literary Analysis Student Santa Monica College T

Purpose of the Literary Analysis:The purpose of this literary analysis is to focus on a single literary element and interpret and analyze how one literary tool (your choice) is used to develop the major theme in the short story. It is important that you read all of the handouts on Canvas that explain the literary tools.

Theme:Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds,” develops the theme of the importance of the past on shaping characters’ present and future identity. For some, the past is a stumbling block, but for others it is something to embrace and hold onto.In this story, the piano is the key symbol that unites the past with the present. At first, ….disharmony–when the narrator, Jing-mei (June) goes back to the past to recount where the conflict between her and mother began at the piano recital and then –harmony–when she returns years later to her parents’ apartment and –in the present she is able to play both songs–in perfect harmony.

Important:Plot summary vs. Interpretation:A literary analysis is not summarizing the story, which is referred to as a plot summary. Your paper should show how evidence supports the main point of your paragraph and the thesis statement. Refer to the handout: Interpreting and Writing a Literary Analysis.

Evidence:Evidence must not be a bunch of short quotations from the work.When you provide evidence from the short story to prove the main point of the body paragraph the quotations should be 2-3 sentences in length and they must not be words taken from different parts of the story, which I refer to as “interrupted quotations.”There is no need to string a bunch of short quotations of one-to-two words, which will not prove the main point of the writing.Analysis is your explanation/interpretation of the quotes you include to support the main point and prove how it is used to support the theme of the importance of the past (heritage) in shaping present day cultural identity.

Assignment: Write a three-to-four page paper that interprets how one literary element is used to develop the central theme by choosing 3 questions for this one literary tool and organizing the essay chronologically.

Body paragraphs will prove the truth of your thesis statement with evidence and your interpretation—not plot summary.The quotations must be relevant to proving the topic sentence and your thesis statement.In the essay, the number of quotations in one paragraph is limited to two.Do avoid using one word quotations or interrupted quotations.Always use a signal phrase with the name of the character, cite it, explain and interpret how this quotation proves your main point and the theme of the story, and end the paragraph with a linking sentence.Do not simply dump a bunch of short quotations in a paragraph.

Method of Organization:Follow a chronological order for organizing body paragraphs. Begin with evidence from the start of the story and end with the last body paragraph before the conclusion with evidence from the end of the story.If for example, your analysis is on point of view.Your first body paragraph in the essay should include evidence to support a question that logically begins from the first part of the story to show how this point of view is important for developing the meaning of the story.

Helpful Handouts:(Refer to the handout:”Organizing the Literary Analysis,” Student sample essay, Literary Terms.

Evaluation:The total number of points for this essay is 60.The grade sheet is posted on Canvas

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