• Use MLA formatting
• Write a minimum of 900 words
• Include adequate quoting and paraphrasing from original source but not from outside sources
• Word-for-word text from the novel must include quotation marks
• Absolutely every quote and paraphrase must include a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence
• Use 3rd person (do not use “I” or “you” words) Outline: The outline of your essay should include the following sections:
1. Introduction (thesis makes a claim, which is an opinion about some aspect of the story)
2. Body
a. Summary (what happened)
b. Analysis (present the evidence—quotes, paraphrases, specific references to parts of the text, etc.)
c. Response (what does it all mean—for readers and society in general?)
3. Conclusion
4. Documentation (works cited page)
At the very minimum, you should have a separate paragraph for the intro, summary, analysis, response, and conclusion sections. Furthermore, it is understandable if one of those sections—such as the analysis section—is more than one paragraph. The main point is that you should not have fewer than 5 paragraphs, which would mean you are missing one of the sections.
Making a Claim: Before you write, you will want to have some claim or opinion in mind about some specific aspect of the story (see list above—plot, character, etc.). This claim is your thesis and will require support in the body of your paper. This claim, or thesis, should be included as the last sentence in your introduction. A thesis does not simply make an announcement (something readily obvious) like:
• In “Harrison Bergeron,” Vonnegut writes about equality.
• Vonnegut includes a unique plot in Slaughterhouse-Five that really gets readers’ attention.
• Include a Works Cited page for your quotes
narrow your topic down and focus on one or possibly a combination of two of the following:
• Plot (sequence of events)
• Character(s)
• Setting (time and place but also broader
social, historical, and cultural setting)
• Theme
• Language (word choice, sentence structure, figures of speech, etc.)
• Tone (mood)