Fiction Analysis Paper
Prompt
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a popular short story which, while published in 1948, has a very current theme. After reading this assigned story several times, annotating it, and thinking about its message, write an essay that analyzes one literary device that helps explain to readers what the story means in today’s world.
Objectives
To analyze a story using the fiction genre terminology;
To find and explain a story’s message/greater meaning;
To learn to write an analysis for a general audience;
To provide clear and supportive writing in a thesis-driven and well-supported essay in MLA format.
Assigned Story
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Requirements
1000 words (4+ pages) not including the Works Cited page; MLA formatting (Links to an external site.). Remember to include your word count at the end of your essay, and also a Works Cited page that cites your story.
Reminders
· Use examples (quotes or paraphrases) from the text to convincingly support the claims you’re making; don’t assume your readers are familiar with the story.
· When quoting, make sure to explain the specific parts in the quote that prove your point.
· Avoid simply summary or restating of the story, but use examples as support of how the literary element helps you to understand the story’s message.
· Ensure you have correctly spelled all names and titles. Put the name of the story in double-quotation marks. When referring to the author, write out her full name when first introduced (and later references can be last name only).
· Although you are not required to use other sources for this essay, if you do use anything else to help you with the content of this essay, your sources used must be cited.
