• W, I Ch. 11 Writing about Fiction
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You should be working on your literary analysis essay. Look at these short stories and try to identify the literary elements of them. What is the plot, the theme, symbols, setting, etc. How do those things contribute of the overall effect of the story. When you write about fiction, you interpret what happens in the story. There is no right or wrong answer, just your own ideas of what you think the details mean. After you find your focus, look for outside sources in book or article form that support your argument. You might find very specific support that talks about the story/poem or character/symbol you’re writing about or you may have to broaden your search to more general terms.
When you write your analysis, pick one text that really interests you and focus on a specific literary element of the story or poem. You’ll need to quote examples from the story to support your thesis as well as information from outside sources.
Once you decide on a story or poem, spend a good deal of time reading and rereading it so you have a strong understanding of the work. Ask yourself questions. Your answers may turn themselves into part of your paper. For example, if you chose to write about “Desiree’s Baby,” you might look at some of the following questions:
Describe and explain the changes in Armand Aubigny's behavior as the story unfolds.
Why do you think there was an "air of mystery among the blacks" (middle page 3) and frequent visitors to L'Abri about 3 months after Desiree's baby was born?
Why was it assumed that Desiree was the reason her child was not white?
Why do you think Armand did not consider Desiree's origins before marrying her?
Before the last few lines of this story, are there any clues given by the author which hint at the...
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