Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston
(need to reference the story “Sweat”)
Essay Topics:
How does Hurston’s story demonstrate the richness of black culture?
Discuss the treatment of women in the story.
Discuss the role of race in the story.

The essays for this class are not RESEARCH papers. I am more interested in your ideas and analysis of the works themselves. Work closely with one or two works at the most or one idea per paper; don’t overextend yourself.
The goal of all writing is effective communication; formal expository writing (writing that explains concepts) is no different. Understanding formal essay structure is vital for success not only in this course, but in many of your other college classes as well.

The traditional five paragraph essay is stressed because it opens by telling the reader what will be discussed (introduction), explains the major concepts in detail (body paragraphs), and tells the reader what was discussed (conclusion). Just like a good speech, the reader is never lost in the process. This structure is emphasized in very formal writing and is ideal for standardized tests, in-class essays, and essays for most of your classes where you are explaining concepts and proving points. Five paragraphs won’t necessarily help you meet the goals of every writing situation in this class, but certainly understanding the basic concepts behind the different types of paragraphs will.

Good essays will have several important ingredients:
**an introductory paragraph that contains a clear thesis statement. This statement will tell what your whole essay is about and will reflect the main points of your body paragraphs. Think of your thesis statement as something you will either prove, disprove, or defend, you will set yourself up for a paper that reflects your ideas, not someone else’s. Avoid a thesis statement that is too general and invites plot summary like the following:
Mathilde loses a borrowed necklace and endures hardships to help pay for it.
The following thesis statement is specific, thought-provoking, and invites analysis:
Mathilde brings about her own misfortune by her dissatisfaction in life and her dishonesty.
(Roberts and Jacobs. Literature. Third Edition.Prentice Hall.)
Introductory paragraphs should also include some general information to introduce your topic and draw your reader in.

**body paragraphs (number depending on your topic) that contain a topic sentence which states the main idea of the paragraph that corresponds to a point in your thesis statement. The rest of these paragraphs should consist of explanations and examples to back up your topic sentence and each sentence should prove the topic sentence by using facts from the work for support. Unity is a very important ingredient in your body paragraphs. Straying from the main idea leaves your paragraph unfocused and makes it hard for your reader to follow.

**a concluding paragraph that contains a restated thesis and some information that sums up, says something significant, or makes a final point. Try to go beyond mere summary and repetition of the thesis statement. Avoid additional ideas in the conclusion. Now is the time to end the discussion, not begin a new thought.

While good development is far more important than having a certain number of words or pages, please try to adhere to the length requirement assigned for each essay. Many of your writing experiences in the future, whether in other college courses or in the workplace, will require a specific length.
Make sure you choose a clear focus for your essays and leave out details that have no bearing on the central idea–even if they are important to the story. Your role is to interpret or explain the story; thus, you will include only details that exemplify your central idea. Assume that your reader already knows the story, and DO NOT include plot summary.
Do not assume that details alone will make an intended meaning clear; you must do the connecting to make sure all relationships are explicitly clear. It is better to develop a few ideas well than to hit the high spots of many.
All essays should follow proper MLA documentation.
The format is as follows:
Last name and page number in upper right hand corner of all pages.
Heading: (in top left corner)
Name
Course Number and Section
Paper Due Date
The Title: (Centered)
Do not put the title in boldface or in all capital letters. Do not put quotation marks around or underline your own title. Your title should be specific to your paper. A good strategy is to put the author’s last name, the title of your work, and the main point(s) from your thesis in the title. For example:
Loisel’s Sacrifices in de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”
Spacing:
Everything (including the title and heading should be double spaced and all paragraphs should be indented five spaces.
The Works Cited Page (centered title) should be double-spaced, and all lines should be indented five spaces except the first line of each entry.
Points to Remember When Writing an Essay about Literature:
1. In the first paragraph of your essay, you should state the author’s name and the full title of the work with which you are dealing. Note that short story titles and short poem titles are placed within quotation marks, while titles of novels, plays, and long poems are underlined. Example: In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin characterizes Louise Mallard as a vibrant young woman who is tragically trapped in an oppressive marriage.”
2. Use present tense to discuss any work of fiction, including all characters, action, and even the author.
3. Be positive about your interpretation; never show doubt. Avoid using “I think that,” “I believe that,” “To me he is saying,” “looks like” and similar phrases. (“Perhaps,” “seems,” and “appears” are okay.)
4. Use third person, not first or second. Since this is a formal essay, do not address the reader as “you.”
5. Avoid retelling the story; that is not analyzing it. Your readers already know the story; your job is to interpret it.
6. Avoid slang expressions and informal language; a more formal (but not unnatural or stilted) style will tend to make the reader think you know what you are talking about.
7. The title of your essay must be more than the title of the work you are discussing.
8. Don’t let quoted words speak for themselves. Follow each quote with an explanation of what the quote means and HOW it supports your point. Readers interpret words and phrases differently, so they need to know what YOU think they mean.
9. Support your ideas with numerous examples and quotations from the work. Use the full name of the author the first time you use it in the essay, and the last name only after that. Be sure to introduce quotations with your own words.
10. Your thinking should dominate the paper; avoid the tendency to pad your paper with too many quotations.
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