Yezierska’s novel Bread Givers tells the story of a woman who rises in the world by gaining an education
L354 Guidelines for the Short Papers
The short papers should make an interpretive argument about a
single text that we have studied this semester. They should be from
1200-1500 words in length, double-spaced, and conform to MLA style.
The papers must have a clearly articulated thesis statement,
which is supported by a close reading of the text, including relevant
quotations. Thesis statements must advance a particular interpretation of
the text and not simply restate obvious features. For instance, “Yezierska’s
novel Bread Givers tells
the story of a woman who rises in the world by gaining an education” would NOT
be an acceptable thesis because it merely summarizes an aspect of the
plot. A good thesis provides room for argument, so that other readers
might disagree with your interpretation. For instance, someone could
disagree with this thesis: “Although early in Yezierska’s novel Bread Givers, Sara
seems to reject her Jewish heritage in favor of assimilation to American values
and customs, by the end of the novel she acknowledges the importance of her
heritage to her future, and she strives to reconcile Old and New World
values.” You don’t necessarily need to cram the whole thesis into a
single sentence – you can spread it over two or three -- but you should make
the thrust of your argument clear to the reader by the end of your second
paragraph, at the latest.
No research is required for the short papers.
Instead, concentrate on building your own interpretation of the text. If
you do need to consult other sources, keep the references brief and cite the
sources in MLA style.
Use quotes
from the text to support your argument. Cite key
passages and then discuss them. If something is worth quoting, it’s worth
talking about. Don’t ever fall into the trap of believing that “the
quotes speak for themselves,” or somehow make your argument for you.
Use long quotes (over
three lines) sparingly, and only when your reader needs to have the exact words
in front of him to understand what you’re saying about the text. As a
rule of thumb, your comments after a quote should be at least as long as the
quote itself. If you don’t have that much to say about the quote,
paraphrase part of it to provide context and only quote the key words.
Pay attention to the transitions between
paragraphs. Each transition should advance your argument by making a
connection between the ideas in the two paragraphs.
The conclusion should
do more than merely restate your thesis. After all, the first time your
readers saw your thesis we hadn’t read your paper. By the end of the
paper our understanding of your argument should be more nuanced, and the
conclusion should reflect a deeper understanding of the text than was possible
at the beginning.
I enjoy discussing possible paper topics and commenting on draft
essays, and I’ll be happy to help you along the way, but you’ll need to take
the initiative and ask for help. See me before or after class, during
office hours, or make an appointment. If you have a draft, you can also
send it to me by e-mail, and I’ll add marginal comments. If you send me a
draft a week in advance of the deadline, I’ll have comments to you in a day or
two, and then you’ll have time to revise.
For more information on what I’ll be looking for and how your
paper will be evaluated, consult the “Evaluation grid for the short paper” in
canvas.
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