Exercise 5:
Analysis of the Modern Hero
Instructions
Read Arthur Miller's "Tragedy and the Common Man" and "Faulkner
and the Decline of Man: The Nobel Prize Speech." Then, write a brief essay
on one of the following topics:
a) The Modern Hero in Faulkner's
"Old
b) Sam Fathers as the Modern Hero in Faulkner's "The Bear."
c) Ike McCaslin and the Continuation of the Hero in
Faulkner's Wilderness.
Structure of the
Essay
The paper should be organized as a traditional thesis-support essay. The thesis
should make a claim about the element you select from the list above. Here's an
example:
Ike McCaslin
reflects the temperament of the modern hero
in his refusal to accept his birthright, his inheritance of the land.
In support of this thesis, you
would need to define the key terms "temperament," "modern
hero," and "birthright" as it applies to Ike McCaslin
in Faulkner's The Bear. Then you would need to demonstrate how Ike's
decision to reject the seductions of his bride in her attempt to secure the
land reflects the values of his mentor, Sam Fathers, the real modern hero in
the work.
Content of the
Essay
Assuming the familiarity of the reader with the story, the essay should avoid a
summary of the narrative line and focus on supporting the thesis. Use short
quotations worked into the text of your own analytical sentences to provide
support for the paragraphs. This is not a research paper and should reflect
only your reflections supported by references to specific passages in the play.
Each topic sentence should be a claim that adds support to your thesis.
Format of the
Essay
Key-in the essay into the computer and save it. Each line should be
double-spaced with only a single double space between each paragraph. Block
only those quotations longer than four lines of your text.
Criteria for Grading
Your paper will be graded according to the following standards:
1) Development - Does the
essay satisfactorily develop the thesis and meet the minimum page
requirement?
2) Organization - Does the essay reflect the thesis-support format?
3) Use of Source - Does the essay make use of important supporting passages in
the short story? Are all references to the store correctly documented?
4) Style - Does the essay reflect diction and syntax appropriate to a literary
analysis?
5) Correctness - Does the essay reflect mastery of basic writing conventions
(spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage)?
For further information,
see "Standards for Writing and Evaluating Literary Essays."
Sample Essay
You will find in this site a sample essay to give
you a better idea about how to organize and develop your paper.
Submission
Students must save all assignments in Microsoft Word.
This page was last modified on February 10, 2006,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey Grimes.
