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Literary Analysis with Template
Writing in the Humanities ENG 112 
Assignment Snapshot: 
Mode: Literary Analysis Essay
Research Requirements: 
Relevant short story assigned to you – “The Nightingale” by Hans Christian Andersen
Formatting and Citation Style:
MLA 9 Format—1” margins, Times New Roman 12 Point Font, Double Spaced, Before/After spacing at 0, Heading and Headers, In-text citation, and Works Cited Page 
Length:
3+ pages (equals essay content on page 4)
Complete draft can be reviewed by the English Studio prior to the due date and it should be submitted in Moodle
FAQ – Does the reference page count as one of the 3 pages? 
Can I use long quotes?
No 
Do not use long quotes
For this assignment, you will read an assigned short story and write a thesis-based essay that provides an in-depth analysis of the work.  
Thesis:
Your thesis statement should specifically argue how a specific technique used by the author (such as symbolism, setting, narration, plot, or character) contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not use ethos, logos or pathos as a device for this paper. Choose from the list of literary devices.
Keep in mind that the thesis should be specific, arguable, worthwhile, and have three reasons in the plan of development.
Thesis Templates:
In specific work, author uses strategy or device to purpose of the work or theme…(plan of development).
Through the use of strategy, character, or idea, author achieves purpose or reveals theme…(plan of development).
NOTE: 
This essay is not a summary or an overview of the story like you might find on Shmoop or an NC Live article titled “Overview.” While those kinds of sources explicate everything about a text, your essay is going to narrowly focus on a specific aspect(s) of the work, and you will back that main point up with EVIDENCE from the work!  DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR STORY!!! This should be YOUR interpretation! 
The works cited page will contain the story you are analyzing.
The following template may be used.  This content says “book,” but you are aware the reading is a “short story.”

As you learned in this unit, a Rogerian argument is one that presents two sides of a debate and argues for a solution that will satisfy both sides. Given the two articles linked below that present opposing sides of an issue (mandatory uniforms in schools vs. some kind of ‘dress code’), construct your own 2-3 page Rogerian argument essay in which you attempt to arrive at a concrete, workable solution or “middle ground.”
The essay should contain the following components:
❒ 1. An introduction that accurately presents both sources (i.e., author, title, year of publication, and their relative position in the debate), as well as your middle ground thesis statement.
❒ 2. A body paragraph that summarizes the pro-uniform rationales. (Both articles can be used, but focus on Anderson).
❒ 3. A body paragraph that summarizes the anti-uniform/pro-dress code rationales. (Both articles can be used, but focus on Deane).
❒ 4. A body paragraph that critically compares and contrasts both sides of the debate.
❒ 5. A conclusion that further develops your proposed middle-ground solution and demonstrates how it satisfies both sides of the debate.
Article 1: “School Dress Codes and Uniforms Policies”
Article 2: “Dressing Diversity: Politics of Difference and the Case of School Uniforms”
Sample Touchstone
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. Refer to the Sample Touchstone for additional guidance on structure, formatting, and citation.
1. Introduction
❒ Have you briefly and accurately introduced the author, title, and publication context (year, journal, etc.) of Article 1?
❒ Have you briefly and accurately introduced the author, title, and publication context (year, journal, etc.) of Article 2?
❒ Have you ended the introduction with a thesis statement/claim that presents a clear, workable solution that could be viewed as a “middle ground” between the two sides?
2. Body Paragraphs
❒ Have you included a summary of the pro-uniform stances in the first body paragraph (including accurate page-numbered citations)?
❒ Have you included a summary of the anti-uniform stances in the second body paragraph (including accurate page-numbered citations)?
❒ Have you included at least three direct quotations, supplementing them with your own explanation of their relevance?
❒ Have you adequately compared and contrasted both sides of the debate (with cited examples from the articles) in the third body paragraph?
3. Conclusion
❒ Does your expanded claim address both sides of the issue, including specific points raised in the articles?
❒ Have you backed up your claim using cited facts from both sides of the argument?
4. Reflection
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions including specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
How does the Rogerian model of argument help you better understand the topic that’s being discussed? Why is it a good practice to acknowledge both sides of the argument? (3-4 sentences)
How might the Rogerian approach help you gain insight into your own argumentative essay? (2-3 sentences) The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
E. Additional Resources
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
APA Style: Quick Answers—References
This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.