classnotes

Notes

In exchange for the approximately forty-four hours of class instructions, the student needs to thoroughly study all site materials and texts and carefully edit and proof all papers.

Be sure that you always indicate Paper 1, Paper 1- Revision 1, Paper 1- Revision 2, etc. in your headings.
Beginning
In addition to the directions in the class syllabus, (1) papers in the class need to be written in literary rather than journalistic style.

Journalistic Style Versus Literary Style

Journalistic style is used in newspapers. Newspapers are written for a general audience and, generally, written at fifth grade reading levels; therefore, sentences are short and vocabulary is simple.

     Literary style is used for a more educated, more academic, more specific audience. Not everyone would read an analysis of a short story or the intricacies of a merger or an examination of the influence of Christianity or an analysis of why the South lost the Civil War. Literary style is written for people at or above college level with specialized interests; therefore, sentences are considerably more complex and use more advanced vocabulary. There is also attention paid to variety in sentence length and structure.
(2). Papers need to be written using literary present tense.
(3). Papers need to be documented.

Using Literary Present Tense
Using Parenthetical Documentation

a quote from Steinbeck: “She crouched low like a fawning dog” (957).
     In your essay you would write, when the junkman talks to Eliza, she crouches”low like a fawning dog”(957).

Talks and crouches are present tense because the incident occurs in the present each time you read it. It doesn’t matter that Steinbeck uses past tense.

If, however, there were a sentence that said, “Eliza’s mother died ten years ago,” then you would use past tense in your paper. For example, “Eliza remembers her mother died ten years ago”(?).
Note the number of the page that material is borrowed from is within parentheses. The author’s name is not necessary as your work cited will have only one entry. If you had more than one, then you would need to include the author’s name. You must document quoted, summarized, or paraphrased material.
(4). Papers must have a work cited page.

Work Cited - (Lines after the first are indented 5 to 7 spaces - not as shown below.)

Steinbeck, John. “The Chrysanthemums.” Short Fiction: Classic and Contemporary.   Ed. Charles H. Bohner and Dean Dougherty. 4th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1999. 953-60.
Use the above example to model after. You will use MLA style for this course. Note in particular the reverse indentation, short story title in quotes, book title in italics, and ending period.
(5). You must use your terms in your papers. The fiction elements and sub-categories are the topics of your papers. If you wrote a paper about Zimbabwe, we would expect to see the word Zimbabwe many times in your paper. Likewise, if you are writing about central idea, you are expected to use that term in your paper.

(6.). Be careful about your organization.
The following thesis has four different elements which will need to be developed and supported in paragraphs within the essay.
Thesis statement and essay organization

In “The Blue Hotel” by Stephen Crane, the isolated
Western setting (1) contributes to emotional(2) and psychological environments (3) that reinforce the central idea (4) that society is responsible for the failings of individuals.

In “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, the isolated farm setting creates emotional and psychological environments that reinforce the central idea that narrow gender roles can lead to hopelessness and depression.

Organization-a sample of weak organization using narration rather than analysis

(end of paragraph one-intro)
In “April Fish,” April’s conflict within herself supports the central idea that material possessions often provide one with only fleeting happiness
(beginning of 2nd paragraph)
     April is having a birthday and she is given a gift by children she has adopted (377)and she is not pleased with it (378). She is preoccupied with her dreams (375) and wanting to adopt a Vietnamese child (377). She shows a letter from Freud to the children and thinks about them in very negative ways (376)....

What this paragraph has to do with the purpose of the paper is unclear.

(revised beginning of 2nd paragraph using topic sentences)
     April values material possessions. She possesses a letter from Freud. Since she cannot read it, she must like having it for the status of having a letter from Freud. However, the children in her life are not valued, nor is the gift from them....(examples follow)...
(3rd paragraph)
     Although April has many possessions, she is clearly unhappy. (support follows: dream, treatment of children, ending)

State your topic in a topic sentence, a topic that clearly relates to the thesis and support the topic sentence by pulling details from the story, wherever they may appear in the story. Do not concern yourself about following the chronology of the story. That is the author’s method of organization: narration. You are using analysis as your method of organization: examining parts and the relationship of parts.
(7). Referential papers require introductions which end in theses.

Sample Introductory Paragraph B (Jeff King: Paper 4)

The world with all its splendor and opportunity for achievement is often an empty place. For many the search for fulfillment is spent in superficial and empty pursuits. Shifting values and fads that change as fast as the weather send many on futile searches. “Hairball,” by Margaret Atwood, is a story of a young woman who is frequently reinventing herself in her pursuit of happiness. This is a story that confronts not only shifting values, but also a woman’s loss of all that is dear to her. In “Hairball” the central idea is that people who recreate themselves in search of contentment often lose the very elements that would bring them what they seek, and the central idea is supported by the setting, conflict, character, point of view, tone, and language.

introductory sentences
brief summary with title and author
thesis statement

Notes for Paper I
Following are two formats regarding central idea. Study both.
Thesis vs. Subject; Specific and Universal; Avoiding Morals
       A central idea, is stated in a single declarative sentence. It must fit the essay as closely as possible and also be universally stated. Students often think about fiction in relation to subjects. They say, “The story is about desperation, about loneliness,   Subjects are good to start with when analyzing a story but they are not the same as a thesis statement. A central idea might be that “One may risk reaching out to another when they have shared feelings of vulnerability.” I’m thinking of a story called, “The Horse-Dealer’s Daughter.” The statement doesn’t name characters in the story because it could be about many other people in life, if not everyone. It is an observation about life.
        That’s the universal quality. Most all of us can be thrown into closeness with someone because we share a traumatic experience or one in which our humanness is revealed, even if we are not saved from drowning (in a suicide attempt) as the young woman in the story is.
         Also, in phrasing our central idea, you want to avoid generalities, such as true love triumphs or love conquers all. If you have heard the phrase before, it’s probably best not to use it again.
         In phrasing your central idea, you also want to avoid moral statements, or judgments. These are argumentative and not appropriate to referential papers. For example, a moral statement would be that people shouldn’t trust strangers. (This statement is also too general, though it is universal.) Make observations, not judgments in structuring your thesis.
Sample thesis using a central idea-In the short story, “The Guest” by Albert Camus, the central idea is that acts of conscience cannot be shared.    This statement is
                                                                                              a universally stated,
                                                                                              single declarative sentence
                                                                                              that is specific to the story,
                                                                                              an observation about life,
                                                                                              not a judgment,
                                                                                              and not trite.

In Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use,” the central idea is that true appreciation of family is often shown through daily demonstration, or everyday use.

Analyzing for Central Idea

Consider the central idea to be an observation about life made by the author. It is an observation, not a judgment and is universally applicable.

One process for deriving the observation is to work through the following steps:

1. Read the story once for entertainment and again critically and again as necessary.

2. Consider that the words, phrasing, and indeed all of the content are deliberate choices by the author.

3. Identify the protagonist (the person whose will we follow in the fiction selection),

4. Identify the central conflict of the protagonist.

5. Examine how that central conflict is resolved.

6. Disengage from the story and consider what observation about life, any aspect of it, is illustrated by the protagonist’s conflict and its resolution.

7. State that observation as a universal idea. Very often, that statement can be a cause-effect sentence, i.e., “Sometimes when one’s love is rejected, then one fears to be vulnerable again.” You would want your statement to fit the story as closely as possible and still be universal.

8. Revise your statement to be
objectively stated,
universally stated,
qualified as necessary,
a complete sentence in form, and
not a judgment or moral.

Be sure that all the necessary elements are in your thesis. You may e-mail me your thesis for approval before you write your paper.

Notes for paper 2
Reread your assignment sheet when you are ready to edit your paper to be sure you are following instructions.
Notes for paper 3
Remember that you are using language to support your tone choice and that you must use diction (connotation, denotation, or repetition) and then choose from two or three of the following aspects of language that you did not use with diction for your remaining supporting paragraphs. Use a literary dictionary, if needed.
Aspects of Language, Partial List

1. Images
    A. Literal
    B. Figurative
        1. Simile
        2. Metaphor
        3. Allusion
2. Repetition (whether word, sound, phrase, idea, object, sentence, etc.)
3. Diction
    A. Connotation
    B. Denotation
4. Symbols
    A. Universal or   B. Contextual
        1. Character
        2. Object
        3. Action
5. Irony
    A. Verbal
    B. Dramatic
    C. Situational
    D. Cosmic
Save time by having your thesis approved before you begin your paper.
Notes for paper 4
Let me approve your thesis before you begin; you be sure to reread your instructions before you edit.
C Test Notes
The following is a sample of the instructions that you will be given in the testing center, but remember that you have additional instructions to follow. See the C test link .(The C test stories are not science fiction or mystery. Take the permit that I send you, a picture id, and a current ACC id to the testing center. The C test is a departmental requirement).
     After reading the attached story, write a paper of analysis in which you include a discussion of the following elements of fiction. Throughout your essay, use examples from the story to support your discussion of each element. The paper must be at least 750 words long.

If your instructor gave you additional instructions, please follow them.

1. Summarize the events of the story and state the central idea of the story.

2. Describe the central character(s) in the story and relate character to the central idea.

3. Describe the central conflict of the story and its relationship to the central idea.

4. Identify the point of view and explain how this point of view is appropriate to the central idea.

5. Describe the setting and its relationship to the central idea.

6. Identify the most significant language techniques used in the story and explain how these techniques help convey the central idea.

7. Identify and analyze the tone of the story, the dominant element(s) contributing to tone, and the relationship of tone to the central idea.

I will evaluate your C test using the following criteria and contact you about your results.

Composition II C Test Criteria

The conditions under which a C test will not be accepted are as follows:

1. significant misinterpretation or misreading of the story
2. averaging more than four errors per page: punctuation, grammar, usage, sentence structure. (Misspelling is counted if the misspelling leads to confusion about content.)
3. failure to discuss all seven elements
4. misinterpretation or incomplete analysis of two or more elements
5. failure to link six elements to central idea
6. significant lack of supporting detail from the story
7. lack of or incorrect thesis statement
8. lack of topic sentences
9. lack of documentation (parenthetical citations)
10. a central idea that is a moral statement, not universal, trite, or otherwise ineffectual
11. significant omission of the necessary terms for analysis
12. failure to develop and/or organize the C test according to the professor’s additional instructions