Argument Reinforced with Secondary Sources
Argument Reinforced with Secondary Sources
Because they are longer works, novels tend to present many opportunities for analysis and interpretation. Be very careful when you think about what you want to tackle in this essay. It would, for example, be a major mistake to decide to tackle the whole of Deliverance. You simply do not have enough time or space to do so, and any attempt at it would be superficial. Instead, you want to be narrow in your focus. Think in terms of characters, symbols, or messages. You should determine what you find to be the most interesting aspect of the novel and move from there. For example(don’t use these yourself, but model yours on them, being sure that you have a multi-part thesis structure that may be more than one sentence long!) How does the depiction of the river change over the course of the book, and what does that say about the characters’ experiences on it? What is Dickey’s point about man and his relationship to nature and himself? Or, what does Ed’s interactions with women say about his self-satisfaction with his role in the civilized world? How does his feminization of the mountain function as a seduction and repudiation of his Atlanta life? Why would he want to do that? Or, why does Bobby survive and not Drew? What’s the distinction about their roles in civilization vs. nature? What is Dickey trying to say, and why does that matter? Obviously, there are a lot of ways to get to the end, but keep in mind the following: Your thesis must be arguable. In other words, “Dickey presents a novel concerning the redemptive power of violence” does not work because that’s generally how we understand the novel’s function. There is no “so what,” or personal take. Speaking of the personal take, you want to convince me that your interpretation of the novel is plausible. While I wouldn’t need to agree with you 100%, if you can show me what you see and you use evidence from the text and other secondary sources to say why your interpretation matters (“so what?”), that’s usually enough. Do not provide an ending that is merely a summary or reiteration of your essay. The conclusion is the place where you offer a last nugget of insight, ask a question, or propose an alternative. Requirements MLA style (if you are shaky on MLA, use Purdue OWLto look it up), 1500words. Two drafts (each draft must be at least 1500 words) with substantial revision between them.Be sure to quote, summarize, and paraphrase from the novel and the secondary sources, but the bulk of your writing should be your own words and argument. Use and integration of at least three secondary sources.
