Writing Focus - Literary Analysis

Girl on computerNaturally, all this information about writing a literary analysis is leading somewhere. You will be writing your own analysis. You will read a literary selection and complete one of the following literary analysis prompts. You should review the steps for writing a literary analysis before you begin. In this assignment, you can select between two different prompts or purposes. Once you have selected a prompt, read and annotate one of the three possible literary works.

Select one of the following prompts:

  1. Identify at least three different character archetypes evident in the literary selection, and explain how that character exemplifies that archetype.
  2. Identify at least three elements of the hero’s journey evident in the literary selection, and explain how the selection exemplifies the hero’s journey.

Select one of the following literary works to read and analyze:

Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali (Chapters One through Four)

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (Chapters Five though Eight)

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (Chapter One, Chapters Eight though 10)

Essay iconOnce you have read, analyzed, and annotated one of the literary works, you will need to respond to either prompt in a Literary Analysis Essay. A Literary Analysis Essay should be written following the standard essay format. The standard essay format includes an introduction with your thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Before you begin, access the Literary Analysis Rubric to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.

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Once you have completed your Literary Analysis, please submit your work to the dropbox.