Critical Analysis of Literature - Essays 

American Literature 1865-Present - ENG 237 

British Literature 1785 - Present - ENG 234 
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During this semester, you will submit 2 critical analysis essays, ​4 pages minimum 
in length, that fulfill 30% of your grade for the course.  
 
CA Essay #1 is due 10/26/18 
CA Essay #2 is due 12/6/18 
 
Follow the guidelines below for both essays: 
● The purpose of a critical analysis essay is to carefully examine and 
sometimes evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature. 
○ This process should help you better appreciate and understand the 
piece of literature as a whole. It is an ARGUMENT - one that you 
must develop and defend.  
● It is not a research essay (that comes later). It is also not a plot summary.  
● It is your job to establish a definitive thesis and then defend it. Your 
analysis must include specific references to text, including details that help 
you defend your position.  
○ You must quote/paraphrase at least four specific parts of text(s) you 
are analyzing in your essay.  
○ Use MLA guidelines for your references to the literature. 
○ For these essays you will only use the PRIMARY SOURCE(S), no 
outside sources are permitted. 
■ JUST YOU AND THE LITERATURE 
■ I will be reading closely to ensure that your analysis is entirely 
yours - not a combination of you and another literary critic.  
 
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For each essay you will select the piece or pieces you are going to analyze. You 
will need to discuss your topic with me before you begin the writing process. 
During the first few weeks of the course we will work through various pieces of 
literature that will model for you the approaches you could potentially take for 
these projects. Here are some other possible approaches you could consider: 
● Discuss the effectiveness of a poet’s use of imagery to develop a theme. 
● Compare/contrast a writer’s presentation of a common theme in two 
separate works. 
● Discuss how a writer uses setting to emphasize a time period or theme. 
● Analyze a character flaw and how it impacts the overall work. 
 ● Consider what you know of a specific literary time period and explain how 
a particular work reveals/illustrates the values, morals, or issues of that 
time period. 
 
If you opt to use poetry, you may select up to 3 pieces by the same author, or 2 
pieces by 2 different authors.  
 
The possibilities for these essays are endless, and as we move through 
discussions in class, you will understand more completely the directions you can 
take.  
 
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CA #1 - Due on March 16th​ - includes literature from week 1 - week 8. You may 
select any piece(s) from this period of study - but if you opt to work with a piece 
we have used in class, then you must select an additional piece (by the same 
author or different), to work with as well. 
 
CA #2 - Due on May 4th​ - includes literature from week 9 - week 16. You may select 
any piece(s) from this period of study - but if you opt to work with a piece we have 
used in class, then you must select an additional piece (by the same author or 
different), to work with as well.