Paper #2 Analysis

 

Paper #2 Analysis

The next paper asks you take a position.  Answer it thoroughly from the novel, the book!  This is VERY different from your 1st paper!!

Essa Essay prompt:

In       In Alex Espinoza’s novel, Still Water Saints, we meet several characters in the first few chapters. We are getting to know Perla, the owner of the botanica; a neighborhood young woman, Rosa; and Juan Sandoval. Choose one of these characters and write an essay that analyzes them based on the information that you have. Who are they? What motivates them? What kind of person are they? Who influences them? These are just a few questions you could use to understand your character.

Procedure:

1. PRE-WRITE

List, cluster, free write, outline- use any pre-writing strategy that you know.  Get the ideas out on the page. Refer to your handbook (if you have it)  or check on the Perdue online website below.

One way of pre-writing would be to put a character’s name at the top of a blank sheet of paper and then make a large list of characteristics about that character. You will probably have more items listed than you will need. Then just start free writing. You can make corrections, frame a thesis and add quotes later. Consider it a really rough draft.

Check out this website for some very helpful pre writing techniques.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/01/

WRITE in 3rd PERSON (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Third person: he, she, it, one, they, naming the subject. It DOES not use I, we, you, your, us. Your first paper on “Location” was 1st person, not 3rd person. Check in a  handbook for information on tone and point of view at:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/980/03/

The introduction of your paper includes a brief summary of the portion of the book , not too much and not too little. Introduction also includes full name of author and title underlined or italicized. Chapters are in quotation marks.

3. MULTI-PARAGRAPHS 650-1,200 WORDS

The body of the essay contains multi-paragraphs and supports and explains the thesis in about 650-1,200 words. The body analyzes and takes a position. This will ask you to summarize, analyze, and argue. The body also sets the context for the information, therefore you need to say as much about the book as necessary in order to establish the setting for your paper. 

For example, if you are going to a movie and want to tell a friend about it, you give background or what the movie is all about, before you launch on your opinion. This is the context.

4. QUOTATIONS

The body must include 2-4 SHORT quotations from the book.  Please, no more than 4. You have been working on quotations already. Quotes are introduced with signal phrases (Pocket handbook, pages 93-98)  plus read the piece on quoting in the Misc. Button.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion is important and includes 5-10 or more sentences. It further explains the thesis that was asserted in the introduction.

6. MLA FORMAT FOR TOP OF PAPER

Essays are in MLA format. I am most concerned with the style in which you quote the material.  You probably will have some quotes within a quote for this paper. Again, check out information in the Purdue Online Writing Lab:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/02/