Goals
- start the writing practice
- express familiar content in writing
- learn to organize a short literary analysis of a short text

Assignment
Write a one page analysis of Italo Calvino’s text “Serpents and Skulls” (typed, double spaced, 12 pt. font). You may use any of the observations and interpretations we talked about in class, as well as your own. Your audience knows Calvino’s text, so you don’t have to explain any content or characters and can simply refer to them. You may organize it as follows, although this is not binding:
Paragraph 1: In 1 to 3 sentences state what issues Calvino addresses in this text and formulate a thesis for your interpretation of it (last sentence of first paragraph).
Paragraph 2: write a short analysis of the text, focusing on issues connected with your thesis. Back up your arguments with evidence (quotations) from the text.
Paragraph 3: Summarize your findings (without restating your thesis, but instead expressing your results in more specific language). You may finish with a statement about the value or meaning that this text has for its reader.
Note: No penalty if you write more than three paragraphs. But you also do not have to write an exhaustive analysis of this text. Upper limit: 1 1/2 pages.

Evaluation
Since we analyzed and interpreted this story in class, evaluation of this assigment will focus primarily on your written presentation of the ideas from our discussion or your own ideas. I will evaluate:
- content (does the paper effectively present some of the main issues discussed in the text?)
- effective inclusion of evidence (quotations) to support arguments
- organization (do the introduction and conclusion do their job? is it easy to follow, does one statement logically follow another?)
- surface (spelling, grammar, vocabulary, style, etc.).

Assignment
a. Make a copy of pp. 443-447 of your anthology. Read chapter 2 of Shannon. Then read, re-read, and annotate lines 1-128 (or up to line 169, if you like--optional) in the manner described in Shannon’s chapter 2 (hand-written comments).
b. Type a few notes (about 1/2 page to 1 page) that contain the following: 1. your observations about some of the imagery; 2. a few sentences that summarize Faust’s problem, how he sees himself, his work and his relationship to the world around him. Since these are “notes,” you don’t need to write an introduction or conclusion or make an argument. Just observe, describe, summarize.
Evaluation
I will be looking at: your thoughtful annotations on the copied pages; your ability to detect and describe the metaphors (imagery) used in the text and your thoughts about why the writer may have used this imagery; how well you are able to summarize, in just a few sentences, some of the main ideas discussed in this passage.

Evaluation
I will be looking at: how well your ideas for the introduction lead the reader into the topic; a clear thesis (formulate in a complete sentence); subtopics with notes on what you would write about in a number of paragraphs; ideas for a conclusion that would connect with the thesis, but include results that come out of the investigation in the body of the paper.
You do not have to use the same numbering system as in Shannon pp. 78-80, although you may do so; but make sure that whatever system you use makes sense for organizing the paper and is consistent.

Goals
- learn to effectively use the process of outlining, writing a draft, polishing the final product
- learn to provide constructive feedback in the peer review process
- learn to compare the representation of a topic in two literary works
- learn to write a subjective literary analysis of 2 1/2 -3 1/2 pages (upper limit: 4 1/2 pages)

Assignments
- assignment 4: read, re-read and annotate your texts; write a one page outline for your paper, following the outline style you developed in assignment 3; include a fully formulated thesis.
- assignment 5: read Shannon chapter 5, pp. 100 – 132; write a first draft of 1-2 pages about one of the topics below, for the peer review session; it should have a working title and a fully formulated introduction (you can rewrite them later, but they need to be there for the draft) and several finished paragraphs; your audience knows the text, so you should avoid plot summaries. This is the draft version of paper 1; print and bring 3 copies of it to class.
- Paper 1: read Shannon chapter 5, pp. 132 – 163; produce the final version: revise, rewrite, amend and polish your draft based on the peer review feedback and Shannon’s suggestions; add material if you need more length, but also trim unnecessary verbiage; check your syllabus for a general description of the paper assignments and details on type font, margins, etc.; hand in the final version together will all copies of the draft that have feedback comments on them.

You are not required to use secondary sources (books, articles, internet) for this paper, but if you do, be sure to quote and document them properly and attach a “Works Cited” page. Plagiarism is a poor choice and will not be tolerated; see Shannon pp. 148-150 about this issue and consult your syllabus about the NC State academic integrity policy. The NC State Library has a Plagiarism Tutorial at: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/tutorial/plagiarism/index.html. Please ask your instructor if questions remain. For information on using research (if you do) and writing the documentation page, consult Shannon chapter 6 (pp. 164 – 196).

Topics for Paper 1
For both topics: choose two works from the following three and compare them: Voltaire’s Candide, Goethe’s Faust, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. Mention the two works in your title.
Topic 1: The motif of the quest in … What are the protagonists seeking? How do they go about achieving their goals? Are there sacrifices, pitfalls, a price to pay? What is the author’s attitude towards the quest and how does this show (satire, empathy, …)?
Topic 2: Social criticism in … What conventions, events, developments, or institutions do the authors criticize? Which literary devices do the authors use to express their criticism? Are there any parallels to social problems and their criticism today?

Make sure about the following things:
- include discussion of  literary devices;
- for quotations: do not just use the ones that were highlighted in class but find your own as well! - include a fair amound of comparison, either going back and forth between works on your subtopics, or in a lengthy paragraph near the end;
- write a good conclusion that is not too short, but avoid direct repetition from your introduction.

Evaluation
assignment 4: same as for assignment 3: I will be looking at how well your ideas for the introduction lead the reader into the topic; a clear thesis (formulate in a complete sentence); subtopics with notes on what you would write about in a number of paragraphs; ideas for a conclusion that would connect with the thesis, but include results that come out of the investigation in the body of the paper.
assignment 5: I will look at the following: effectiveness of introduction and presence of a clear thesis; presence of several paragraphs of literary analysis, including analysis of literary devices; presence of quotations from the texts analyzed and successful integration into the argument; presence of comparison of the two works; easy to follow organization.
Paper 1: this is the final version of the paper and counts 10% of your grade for the class. I will evaluate it using the following scoring rubric:

Literary Analysis Scoring Rubric

                                                                        Excellent          Average       Needs Work

Introduction: Does the introduction lead the                         10         9         8         7         6
reader into the topic and end with a clear thesis?

Literary Analysis: Does the main body of the paper            40         36       32     28         24
present several arguments that support and illustrate the
thesis? Does it include an analysis of literary devices?

Conclusion: Does the conclusion effectively summarize      10         9         8         7         6
the main findings and follow logically from the analysis
presented?

Quotations: Are they well-chosen so they support the         10         9         8         7         6
arguments? Are they integrated well and presented
correctly?

Organization: Is the paper’s argumentation easy to follow;  5         4.5         4         3.5     3
does one section follow logically from another?

Length and Depth: Is the paper long enough; is the topic     10         9         8         7         6
covered in great enough detail for the conclusions made?

Grammar, Spelling, Style, Tone: Is the paper free of             5         4.5         4         3.5     3
grammatical errors, spelling mistakes; is the style
readable and the tone appropriate?

Readers’ Comments: Have you adequately                            10         9         8         7         6
addressed some of the readers’ comments?
 

Peer Review Feedback

How should you proceed and what comments should you make?

1. Read the paper through once to see what it is about; correct “little” things like spelling, grammar, etc. if they catch your attention.

2. Read the paper again, focusing more on content and organization. You may want to use the above scoring rubric as a guide to what you should look for. Write comments in the margins where the argument is not clear to you, where you think the writer should or could elaborate, where you think the writer digresses too much and moves too far away from the topic, where you see a problem with the integration of a quotation, etc.

3. If you have further comments or suggestions for improvement, write them at the end of the paper.

4. Write your name at the end of the paper you reviewed.

Be as constructive as you can with your feedback and think of ways the problems you have spotted could be solved and the writing improved. But if you’re not sure how to solve a particular problem you’ve detected, you can still alert the writer to the problem.

Goals
- polish your skill of developing a literary analysis through the stages of annotation, note taking, outlining and production of draft and final product
- polish your skill of providing constructive feedback in the peer review process
- polish your skill of comparing the representation of a topic in several literary works
- learn to write a longer subjective literary analysis of 4-5 pages (upper limit of 6 pages)

Assignments

W6: Production of draft:
- annotate your texts as you learned
- assemble notes
- make an outline for yourself
- refer back to Shannon, esp. pp. 100 – 163, to refresh your memory on writing mechanics; also to assignment 5.
- write the first draft of 2-3 pages (could be the first 2 pages, or a short version of your paper) and bring 3 copies to class.

You are not required to use secondary sources (books, articles, internet) for this paper, but if you do, be sure to quote and document them properly and attach a “Works Cited” page. Plagiarism is a poor choice and will not be tolerated; see Shannon pp. 148-150 about this issue and consult your syllabus about the NC State academic integrity policy; ask your instructor if questions remain. For information on using research (if you do) and writing the documentation page, consult Shannon chapter 6 (pp. 164 – 196).

Final version:
- address the comments from your teacher and peers to improve your paper
- develop your paper to 4-5 pages
- write a good conclusion
- check if your introduction and the thesis still work after you have completed the paper; rewrite or modify them if this is not the case!

Topics for Paper 2
Compare and contrast at least 2 texts from 2 different authors.
1. The Function of Setting in ... (Mann, Woolf, Kafka, Brecht, ...)
Discuss how the setting in these texts contributes to the main theme. Include such issues as the history, particular location, spatial relations and the meaning of movement from one space to another, the social meaning of space and place, etc.
2. The Representation of Animals and Animal Symbolism in … (Kafka, Rilke, Woolf, Blake, …). What function do the animal metaphors have in the texts? What ideas do they convey? How does the author portray the relationship between humans and animals; the borderline between human and animal?
3. Modernist Representations of the Inner Life in … (Mann, Woolf, Kafka, …). Analyze how these authors describe different states of mind, thoughts, emotions, desires, etc. Also describe which narrative styles these authors use to convey the inner life of their characters and how this shapes the form of their narratives.

Evaluation and Peer Review
Refer back to your assignment sheet for Paper 1; the same Literary Analysis Scoring Rubric and the same Grading Scale will be used; and the same suggestions for Peer Review Feedback  will be useful. Please bring these materials with you to the peer review session.