ENG 340 - Shiller

Welcome to W&J and the Clark Family Library!

The Library at W&J is both a space and a collection of services that will help you as you navigate your studies at W&J.

This research guide is designed to help you navigate the research process as you work on what may be one of your first college-level research papers.

ENG 340/ Shiller (Contemporary British Novel)

Critical Article Analysis

Your task with this paper is to analyze a critical article on one of the novels we have read this term. Consider it an opportunity to practice your analytical skills on a small scale, with a single piece of literary criticism, before you tackle a capstone paper involving multiple sources. In any critical analysis essay, you systematically evaluate a work’s effectiveness, including what it does well and what it does poorly.

 Some of our novels have spawned more scholarship than others, which might guide you in a certain direction, but you should also be guided by your literary preferences. Don’t rule out Ishiguro—take a quick look at Never Let Me Go to see if that’s where your interests might lie.

Paper Format:

Introduction:

• State the title of the work, the author’s name and date of publication 
• Outline main idea(s) of article and identify author’s thesis 
• Evaluate the article’s approach to the primary source (the novel). What does it do well? Where do you find fault?

Summary :

• Briefly outline the main ideas of the article “The author argues that…,” “The author concludes that…” “The main points are…”

Analysis:

• Critically state what you think of the article. Your analysis may look at whether the work is understandable, clear, informative, original, exciting, well-written, well-researched, and with appropriate conclusions (This section should take up several paragraphs).

Conclusion:

• Restate your argument: what you think of this article and how it enriches your understanding of the novel (and where it falls short of being useful).

I thought a “formula” might come in handy, but remember that critical analysis should be fun! This is your chance to choose an article that interests you and to say what you think about it, while supporting your viewpoint with specific details from the text.

For Major Essay #2, you are required to meet with a librarian to help you, "find and improve your sources for this essay." Use the Make an Appointment with a Librarian tool, to set up an appointment with any librarian. Make sure that you indicate you are a member of Dr. Drew-Bear's class. It is helpful to make this appointment sooner rather than later so there is enough time for the librarian to help you find the best sources for your assignment.