Explication of Fiction

Essay Paper

Explication of Fiction

Having completed the lecture and the readings for this week, select a short story that resonates with you and has themes that you feel you can discuss. Compose an essay that includes the following information, but not necessarily in this order.

  1. Give a brief (one paragraph) summary of your selected story.
  2. Is the story’s protagonist a hero or an antihero?
  3. How does the protagonist relate to society?
  4. What themes or ideas is this story about?
  5. What aspects of the story—its characters, narrator, dialogue, and setting—demonstrate these themes?
  6. What is the intended audience of your selection?
  7. What do you think the author wants the audience to understand about the themes you have identified?

Try to use only the course lecture, your textbook, and your brain. You do not need to conduct research, but you should where research is needed.

The format for this assignment is an essay. The document you submit should not be just a set of answers to questions. It should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. It should develop a line of reasoning based on a thesis about the story stated at the end of the introduction.

The essay should be one to three pages in APA style (citing your textbook material appropriately, according to the APA format).