Women Writers (LIT 190) 1
MLA-Style Literary Analysis Paper, _____ /100 points
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Final Due Friday, February 20
Revision Option Due: Thursday, April 2
Content: Students will write a literary analysis paper, which applies a theory or literary analysis term to a
literary work from the anthology. The paper must be typed and consist of at least four double-spaced pages
plus a Works Cited page on the final page.
 Students should compose their paragraphs with clear topics sentences, a few sentences about the topic
sentence, and a quote or paraphrase with citation to support the point with each paragraph reaching eight or
more sentences. The quotes or paraphrases should not begin or end paragraphs but should support the ideas
in the middle of the paragraph.
 Students must also use the “How to Format an MLA Style Paper" tutorial (see the end of the syllabus) to set
up the paper properly. Students must also use the “Essay Cover Sheet” and abide by those writing
guidelines, or the paper will be given back to rewrite using it, and the paper will be considered late.
 One direct quote per page is allowed, and the rest of the paper should include the student’s original ideas or
paraphrases with proper citations of what is learned from that source. A direct quote must also be fewer than
two lines of quoted material: Block quotes are not allowed in the paper. Sections 1.5, 1.7, 1.9, Chapter 2
(plagiarism), Chapter 5 (Works Cited), and Chapter 6 (in-text citations) in the MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers contain citation guidelines and answers.
Research Requirements: Students must cite
 the work being studied from the textbook,
 at least one additional book, and
 at least two journal articles from the library databases for each paper.
Research resources are found through the DMACC library. (See the “Literary Resources and the DMACC
Library” section at the end of the syllabus.) Papers must show proper MLA-Style citations in the text and in the
Works Cited pages. Additionally, the MLA Handbook and the library’s MLA citation handout (available in the
library and the Academic Achievement Center) are the sources for creating citations, and I not only suggest
students see me to work on their papers and citations but also go to the Writing Lab.
Paper and Electronic Submissions: Students will upload the final paper into Turnitin before class, and students
must upload the paper with Works Cited page in one file—not two files. To test the paper for plagiarism,
students are encouraged to upload drafts as many times as they wish prior to the due date. If the student misses
the Turnitin due date, then he or she is responsible for sending me an electronic copy through DMACC email by
the end of that day: Students cannot upload the paper into Turnitin after the due date. Papers that are not turned
in within seven calendar days will be considered late and not be accepted.
Revision Policy: Students may revise the Literary Analysis Paper by the beginning of class on Thursday,
April 2, emailing me the revised paper. If the paper is improved beyond what I have suggested through
comments in Turnitin, the paper will receive an increase in grade as long as the paper was not late and was not
turned in to the Judicial Officer for plagiarism. If the revision is worse than the original, then I will not lower
the grade: The original grade will stand.
Women Writers (LIT 190) 2
Literary Analysis Essay Grading Rubric
Paper assignments are graded according to three primary elements of writing plus how evidence or research is
offered. All work must meet assignment requirements, practice formal rhetoric, and engage the reader. The
rubric used for each class assignment are similar to the one prepared below:
A
Total Score: __/100
Material
 clear thesis statement that content develops
 clear topic sentences and supporting details
o paragraphs developed to eight to ten or more
sentences
o quotes or paraphrasing used as support rather than
topic sentences/main ideas
o quotes limited to two lines or fewer
 appropriate resources used and cited:
o author/work being studied is cited in the paper and
Works Cited page
o at least one book cited in the paper and Works
Cited
o and at least two journal articles from the library
cited in the paper and Works Cited
 clear interest for the audience
 length/word requirements adhered: 4 pages
 accomplishes purpose of assignment/theory or literary
analysis term clear
Organization
 appropriate introduction: author and work studied
clearly indicated
 unified paragraphs with clear breaks
 smooth transitions
 logical order/progression
 appropriate conclusion:
o mentions the author and work again
o clearly pulls together the ideas studied
o does not repeat the introduction
Style/Expression
 clear and concise language (“Essay Cover Sheet”
adhered)
 appropriate tone (informal versus formal levels, first
and second persons eliminated)
Correctness: See “Essay Cover Sheet” guidelines.
 mechanics issues (capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling) do not interfere with meaning
 grammar and usage issues do not interfere with
meaning
 appropriate format (MLA style, mode, or design)
90100%
B
C
D
F
80-89% 70-79% 60-69% 0-59%
36-40
points
32-35
28-31
24-27
0-23
36-40
points
32-35
28-31
24-27
0-23
9-10
points
8 points
7 points
6 points
5
points
or
fewer
Grammar 2-3/page
/Spelling
issues: 0 8 points
9-10
points
4-5/page
6-7/page
8+/
page
7 points
6 points
5
points
or
fewer
Women Writers (LIT 190) 3
Literary Analysis Paper Help
Each of the literary analysis papers will follow the same focus and research guidelines, so students
should read the guidelines for research, length, etc., outlined in the Syllabus. This guide helps students find a
topic to explore for the paper itself. Students can write a paper that covers any of the works studied during the
class. The first paper topic should be chosen from the Middle Ages through the Eighteenth Century works, and
the second paper should be chosen from the Nineteenth or Twentieth Century works.
First, understanding what literary analysis is will write the paper. A literary analysis paper does not
summarize a work: It analyzes. We have all read the work, so the writer’s job is to pull a new belief or
understanding from the work—not retell it. Literary analysis applies a concept or theory from the work to help
explain how a concept works, what it means, or how it can be examined throughout a text, whether short fiction,
non-fiction, poem, or drama. Literary analysis shows how the story, poem, or play is strong or weak, reveals
something about human behavior, or examines a theory. Students have been examining theory in journal
entries: When the journal prompts request students to write about symbol, protagonist, plot, or other
characteristics, that is studying a concept. When prompted to write about the culture or understand a feminist,
cultural, or anti-feminist take, then a theory is being studied. The paper serves as a way to elaborate more upon
and delve deeper into those concepts. For example, studying Aemilia Lanyer’s “The Description of Cookeham” for its imagery or rhythm and rhyme would be an option, but taking a more theoretical approach might be
better, such as taking a feminist or Marxist view of what the Countess supported for Lanyer or other talented
young females might be worth the study, too. The Purdue Online Writing Lab has a Literary Theory and
Schools of Criticism site that helps students find theoretical ways of studying the works.
Next, students should understand the parameters for the topic and finding a topic. Students should try to
focus on one text, although a comparison of concepts from two texts would be manageable with this length of a
paper. Students should not compare three or more texts for this short of an essay. To find a topic, a student
should first think about the concept that:
 continues to linger or fascinate from the works studied thus far,
 relates best to his or her major,
 or that stands out as a study based on the Critical Approaches section of the text.
The Purdue OWL has a helpful Writing About Literature site that shows a student how to create a topic that is
arguable: Students should visit the site and click through the next buttons to see examples.
Basic Writing Guidelines
Students should compose their paragraphs with clear topics sentences, a few sentences/points about the
topic sentence, and a quote or paraphrase with citation to support the point. The quotes or paraphrases should
not lead or end paragraphs but should support the ideas in the middle of the paragraph. Additionally, no quotes
should be longer than two lines of writing. Students who use three lines or more or block quotes in this short of
a paper are typically padding the paper and are relying too heavily on one resource for the content of the paper.
This is why beginning with a clear topic sentence and main support ideas becomes helpful in writing the whole
paper. When the writer reached a thesis statement, the next step would be to map out the main points in the
paper, and students can use the framework below to compose the paper:
Works Cited
Writing About Literature. Online Writing Lab (OWL). Purdue University, 19 October 2011. Web. 22 December
2012. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/618/1/>.
Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism. Online Writing Lab (OWL). Purdue University, 14 May 2012. Web.
31 January 2013. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/01/>.
Women Writers (LIT 190) 4
Author and title of work studied:
Introduction’s Thesis Statement:
Main point 1:
Main support points:
1.
2.
3.
Quote/Paraphrase from a resource that supports the main point:
(_____ ___).
Main point 2:
Main support points:
1.
2.
3.
Quote/Paraphrase from a resource that supports the main point:
(_____ ___).
Main point 3:
Main support points:
1.
2.
3.
Quote/Paraphrase from a resource that supports the main point:
(_____ ___).
Main point 4:
Main support points:
1.
2.
3.
Quote/Paraphrase from a resource that supports the main point:
(_____ ___).
Conclusion’s Thesis Statement:
Women Writers (LIT 190) 5
Welcome to the Purdue OWL
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/). When
printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice at bottom.
Contributors: Mark Dollar, Purdue OWL
What Makes a Good Literature Paper Summary:
This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics,
how to begin to research, how to use information, and formatting.
Introduction
What Makes a Good Literature Paper?
An argument
When you write an extended literary essay, often one requiring research, you are essentially making an
argument. You are arguing that your perspective-an interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a critical
evaluation-is a valid one.
A debatable thesis statement
Like any argument paper you have ever written for a first-year composition course, you must have a specific,
detailed thesis statement that reveals your perspective, and, like any good argument, your perspective must be
one which is debatable.
Examples
You would not want to make an argument of this sort:
Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play about a young man who seeks revenge.
That doesn't say anything-it's basically just a summary and is hardly debatable. A better thesis would be this:
Hamlet experiences internal conflict because he is in love with his mother.
That is debatable, controversial even. The rest of a paper with this argument as its thesis will be an attempt to
show, using specific examples from the text and evidence from scholars, (1) how Hamlet is in love with his
mother, (2) why he's in love with her, and (3) what implications there are for reading the play in this manner.
You also want to avoid a thesis statement like this:
Spirituality means different things to different people. King Lear, The Book of Romans, and Zen
and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance each view the spirit differently.
Again, that says nothing that's not already self-evident. Why bother writing a paper about that? You're not
writing an essay to list works that have nothing in common other than a general topic like "spirituality." You
want to find certain works or authors that, while they may have several differences, do have some specific,
unifying point. That point is your thesis. A better thesis would be this:
Lear, Romans, and Zen each view the soul as the center of human personality.
Then you prove it, using examples from the texts that show that the soul is the center of personality.
Women Writers (LIT 190) 6
Literature Topics and Research Summary:
This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics,
how to begin to research, how to use information, and formatting.
Literature Topics and Research
What kinds of topics are good ones?
The best topics are ones that originate out of your own reading of a work of literature, but here are some
common approaches to consider:
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A discussion of a work's characters: are they realistic, symbolic, historically-based?
A comparison/contrast of the choices different authors or characters make in a work
A reading of a work based on an outside philosophical perspective (Ex. how would a Freudian
read Hamlet?)
A study of the sources or historical events that occasioned a particular work (Ex. comparing G.B.
Shaw's Pygmalion with the original Greek myth of Pygmalion)
An analysis of a specific image occurring in several works (Ex. the use of moon imagery in certain
plays, poems, novels)
A "deconstruction" of a particular work (Ex. unfolding an underlying racist worldview in Joseph
Conrad's Heart of Darkness)
A reading from a political perspective (Ex. how would a Marxist read William Blake's "London"?)
A study of the social, political, or economic context in which a work was written — how does the
context influence the work?
How do I start research?
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The Internet
Once you have decided on an interesting topic and work (or works), the best place to start is probably
the Internet. Here you can usually find basic biographical data on authors, brief summaries of works,
possibly some rudimentary analyses, and even bibliographies of sources related to your topic.
The library
The Internet, however, rarely offers serious direct scholarship; you will have to use sources found in the
library, sources like journal articles and scholarly books, to get information that you can use to build
your own scholarship-your literary paper. Consult the library's on-line catalog and the MLA Periodical
Index. Avoid citing dictionary or encyclopedic sources in your final paper.
How do I use the information I find?
The secondary sources you find are only to be used as an aid. Your thoughts should make up most of the essay.
As you develop your thesis, you will bring in the ideas of the scholars to back up what you have already said.
For example, say you are arguing that Huck Finn is a Christ figure; that's your basic thesis. You give evidence
from the novel that allows this reading, and then, at the right place, you might say the following, a paraphrase:
According to Susan Thomas, Huck sacrifices himself because he wants to set Jim free (129).
If the scholar states an important idea in a memorable way, use a direct quote.
"Huck's altruism and feelings of compassion for Jim force him to surrender to the danger" (Thomas
129).
Either way, you will then link that idea to your thesis.
Women Writers (LIT 190) 7
Formatting Summary:
This handout provides examples and description about writing papers in literature. It discusses research topics,
how to begin to research, how to use information, and formatting.
Formatting
What about MLA format?
All research papers on literature use MLA format, as it is the universal citation method for the field of literary
studies. Whenever you use a primary or secondary source, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing, you will
make parenthetical citations in the MLA format [Ex. (Smith 67).] Your Works Cited list will be the last page of
your essay. Consult the OWL handout on MLA for further instructions.
Note, however, the following minor things about MLA format:
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Titles of books, plays, or works published singularly (not anthologized) should be italicized unless it is a
handwritten document, in which case underlining is acceptable. (Ex. Hamlet, Great Expectations)
Titles of poems, short stories, or works published in an anthology will have quotation marks around
them. (Ex. "Ode on a Nightingale," "The Cask of Amontillado")
All pages in your essay should have your last name the page number in the top right hand corner. (Ex.
Jones 12)
Tip
If you're using Microsoft Word, you can easily include your name and page number on each page by
following the these steps:
1. Open "View" (on the top menu).
2. Open "Header and Footer." (A box will appear at the top of the page you're on. And a "Header and
Footer" menu box will also appear).
3. Click on the "align right" button at the top of the screen. (If you're not sure which button it is, hold the
mouse over the buttons and a small window should pop up telling you which button you're on.)
4. Type in your last name and a space.
5. Click on the "#" button which is located on the "Header and Footer" menu box. It will insert the
appropriate page number.
6. Click "Close" on the "Header and Footer" window.
That's all you need to do. Word will automatically insert your name and the page number on every page
of your document.
What else should I remember?
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Don't leave a quote or paraphrase by itself-you must introduce it, explain it, and show how it relates to
your thesis.
Block format all quotations of more than four lines.
When you quote brief passages of poetry, line and stanza divisions are shown as a slash (Ex. "Roses are
red, / Violets are blue / You love me / And I like you").
For more help, see the OWL handout on using quotes.