formal literary analysis americanah 2

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ESSAY #3

Formal Literary Analysis: Americanah

3-4 pages, MLA format (including Works Cited), DUE to turnitin.com by midnight on 5/24.

*You are also required to complete a rough draft and peer-review; the completed peer-review form will be submitted to your partner by Friday 5/17 and to me on turnitin.com by 5/19 (please note that the 24th is the last official day of the semester) at 11:59pm. Please email me ASAP if you do not hear from your partner by Friday 5/17.

From Reading and Writing About Literature (pages 63-67 include an sample student essay):

“To analyze, by definition, is to take something apart and examine how the individual parts relate to one another and function within the whole…in your analysis essay, you will investigate how a particular piece of the literature functions, and how that piece contributes to the whole.”

So that’s your job in your first essay – to investigate how a particular piece of the literature functions, and how that piece contributes to the whole.

Typical formal elements for literary analysis include:

  • Plot development
  • Characterization
  • Tone
  • Irony
  • Symbols