The story of an hour

Spring 2022

Professor Cruz

 

Assignment: discuss how does the womans exterior and/or interior world force her to succumb in some way, and how does this affect the storys outcome?

Chopin The Story of an Hour

To begin, you will need to break down the question and identify key points:

What are the womans exterior and/or interior worlds like?

How does she succumb? What does she succumb to?

What is the outcome of the story? How do her thoughts and/or actions play a role in this outcome?

 

Do not simply take the question and turn it into the answer. Here is an example of what not to do:

In Faulkners A Rose for Emily, Emilys exterior world forces her to succumb,

profoundly affecting the outcome of the story.

 

This is a weak thesis statement because it says nothing specific in response to the question. If the reader still has to ask questions, the thesis is weak. A specific thesis, on the other hand, will generate one of two responses: 1) The reader will agree with you and will read on because people like to be right or 2) the reader will disagree and will read on to find fault with your statement. Either way, you will need strong textual evidence and explanations to convince the reader that your ideas are valid.

If you think you have an answer to one of these questions, jot it down. Then go back to the story and decide what points and evidence you might use to support it. If you cant find any, there is the possibility that your thesis is not viable.

Another common mistake students make is that if they do not have a solid thesis, they revert to telling the reader what happens in the story which will lead to an F.

Once you think you have a tentative thesis (nothing is final until you hand it in for a grade), you are ready to develop your outline.

Specifications:

Your rough and final drafts must be a minimum of 2 pages.

To support your claims, you must provide relevant textual evidence and adhere to proper MLA format.

Please do not use any textual evidence that is not directly pointed toward your thesis.

 

Use this checklist to ensure that your paper meets expectations. Failure to follow these specs carefully will cost you points:

 

___Double spaced, 12 pt. New Times Roman (or Times New Roman) Microsoft font

 

___Indent by hitting Tab key once only

 

___Do not space in between paragraphs

 

___Make sure that the last page of your minimum two pages comes down at least on the

     second page. If it is short, you will have failed to meet the specified minimum. You might

     want to fold it to check.

 

___One space after a comma and two spaces after a period

 

___Use official MLA heading in the upper-left hand corner.

 

___Your header in the far upper-right hand corner should include your last name and

     page number in the same size font as your text

 

___You are encouraged to create a good title.