The Lost Beautifulness by Anzia Yezierska
The Assignment: ? Choose one of the stories below to write about for essay #1:
o “The Lost Beautifulness” by Anzia Yezierska
o “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
o “The Cariboo Café” by Helena Maria Viramontes
Decide which critical theory/ approach you would like to apply in your essay, and use the questions, main theorists, and central ideas associated with the approach to help you develop and structure your argument:
o Psychoanalytic Criticism
o Feminist Criticism
o Gender/Queer Criticism
o New Historicism Criticism
***Though we have not covered the below theories in class, you may also apply these lenses to the story
you choose to analyze, too:
o Marxist Criticism
o Critical Race Criticism
o Post-Colonial Criticism
Create a clear thesis and argument throughout your essay that analyzes a major theme in the story using aspects of the theory you choose.
Include literary terms where they relate i.e. narrator, characters, motifs, setting, plot, etc.
Support your argument with elements of fiction you find in the story, specific details and examples from the work, and outside literary Theory of the work. (Research sources must be based in literary critical theory.)
Nuts and Bolts:
At least 2,500 words (about 6.5pgs)
At least TWO scholarly sources to support your argument: please use direct quotes, examples and details from these sources: NO Wikipedia, Shmoop, 123HelpMe, Enotes, etc. Stick to .edu websites and/or GWC Library references.
Quotes, details and examples from the story you are analyzing to support your argument (you should reference at least five different quotes, scenes, examples, etc. from the story as support
ALL elements of an essay should be evident: **consider your audience to be skeptical and uniformed readers; therefore, may I suggest a BREIF summary of the story you choose in the intro paragraph** hook/attention getter, thesis/main claim, support for your claim throughout the essay, analysis and reasoning as to why your argument is reasonable and probable, a conclusion that reinstates key points of your essay and discusses theme
MLA format: double spaced, 12pt font, proper heading, works cited page
**Remember, this is not a summary assignment or a book report, but an analysis of literature through literary theory and criticism to help you reach a deeper understanding of the text**
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