Literary Criticism Analysis

Rough Drafts Due: November 9 and 11 (A) and November 10 and 12 (B)
Final Draft Due Date: November 19th (A) and 20th (B) on paper and Turnitin.com
You will be reading, annotating, and investigating a scholarly critical article over Jane Eyre,
Great Expectations, Crime and Punishment, or Macbeth and writing (typed, double-spaced, 12
pt. Times New Roman font with one inch margins) a critique of the literary criticism article (in
800-1,000 words). The article should be as current as possible. Do not grab the first article you
find; there are great articles and there are not-so-great articles. Attach a photocopy of the article
to the back of your paper so I can read it. Include an introduction that gives a brief overview of
the article along with your own thesis statement*, which is the focus of your analysis of the
article. After summarizing the article in paragraph form in the second paragraph, you are to write
another paragraph or two agreeing or disagreeing* with the major assertions of it. Use evidence
from the article and the novel to support your assertions. Write a conclusion that restates your
analysis of the article with varied language (from the introduction). The last page will be a
works cited list that includes the article and the novel.
The article must be at least two pages (600-750 words). Remember, choice is everything! No
Wikis, and you must find a reputable source. Also, be careful for some of the articles are mostly
quotes from the text, and you cant summarize and analyze the quotes (see me if you have any
questions about your article before you proceed). If you find an article on your own that is not
from one of the suggested databases or links, please show it to me for approval before you begin
your analysis. Additionally, you must use MLA format to acknowledge your source and the
novel both within your essay (parenthetical citations) and on a separate works cited sheet.
Find databases at www.tiny.cc/stratfordlibrary. Mrs. Stultz, our librarian, recommends
using the following databases: Literature Resource Center, Twaynes Author Series,
Artemis, Scribners Writers Online, and Artemis. **The password for these
databases is learn.**
You will bookmark an article in our diigo group Literary Criticism 2015 to share and comment
on by 11/5 (A) and 11/6 (B). This is worth a daily grade. Youll have to create a diigo.com
account first and then give me your e-mail address to send you an invitation to join the group.
Other useful links are listed on my Weebly page under AP English Literature, but I highly
recommend consulting the databases that Mrs. Stultz recommends first.

Literary Criticism Analysis Rubric

Attach this to the final draft! If you lose it, print out another copy from my webpage.
Introduction with thesis statement

/10 points

Acknowledge both the article title and its author, as well as the primary source and
the author.
Brief overview of article and novel that is being critiqued.
Summary of article paragraph

/20 points

Acknowledge the title of the article in and the authors full name.
Acknowledge the primary source that is being analyzedboth the title and the authors
full name.
Should include main points of article, particularly those that you analyze.
Agree/Disagree paragraphs

/30 points

Start each paragraph with a topic sentence about the point you are agreeing or disagreeing
with and make it clear what your opinion is on the authors idea
Bring in quotes from the article to explain the authors viewpoint
Explain why you agree or disagree with the authors viewpoint
Bring in quotes from the novel or play (primary source) to support your
agreement/disagreement of the article.
End each paragraph with a closing statement about the idea you analyzed in the
paragraph.
Conclusion

/10 points

Restate thesis using different language from the introduction. Remember to

Grammar conventions

/20 points

This includes correct sentence structure, varied and appropriate diction, comma placement, transitions,
capitalization, spelling, and punctuation conventions. This is the only paper in which Ill allow you to use
the personal pronoun.
MLA Documentation/Works Cited page

/10 points

Correct MLA parenthetical citations within your essay of the article and the primary source.
Correct MLA works cited list that contains documentation of both the article AND the primary
source. Indent subsequent lines of same entry. Entries should be double-spaced and on a
separate page.
Format: MLA heading and pagination, use of 12 pt. Times New Roman, and double-spaced lines. No
extra spaces between paragraphs allowed.
Deductions for formatting:

_______/10 pts.

TOTAL:

_______ /100 points