Choose one short story studied in Weeks 3 and 4 and provide a personal and scholarly interpretation of this short story in relation to its literary genre. Your interpretation will consider:
• What characteristics of the literary genre are present in the short story?
• Is your interpretation of the short story similar to what the author intended? Why or why not?
• Do the generic characteristics used impact reader expectations and experiences?
• Does the genre shape the meaning of the short story?
When interpreting, refer directly to the short story itself (its language, themes, imagery, structure as examples) to better communicate why you have responded to the short story in the way that you have. You want to justify your interpretation by engaging with the literary text itself.
Furthermore, you need to interpret your chosen short story in relation to its literary genre. You will be expected to demonstrate clear and logical written communication, refer to literary devices in your analysis and quote from your chosen text. Please make use of The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Termsto accurately describe the features of your chosen short story and one academic article that relates to its literary genre.
GENERAL TIPS
• provide a clear response to the topic, drawing on at least one academic source and your chosen text
• ensure that your writing is analytical, rather than purely descriptive
• write in a concise and clear manner, free from grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors
• correctly reference all ideas, quotations and information in accordance with Harvard or MLA style conventions. This includes providing both in-text citations and a reference list
• double-space your response and include a header or footer page number details, and
• consider literary devices, such as, but not exclusive to, language, theme, plot, characterisation and context in your analysis.
Do I need secondary sources?
Yes, please demonstrate your use of literary criticism to justify your response to the essay question. You will need to incorporate 1 academic source provided in the subject materials for your chosen genre. You can use Harvard or MLA referencing style as long as the same style is used consistently throughout.
Note: Secondary sources should not include social media accounts, online study guides or Wikipedia!MARKING CRITERIA