Analytical Essay

Analytical Essay

You will be required to write one analytical essay, which will be worth 150 points of your final grade. These papers will at least 5 pages, double spaced, typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font with 1 inch margins. They will not be worth full points if they do not meet these requirements. Below are several guidelines which should help you do well on your paper:

1. This paper should be a well-researched analysis of a specific work of literature, art, architecture, or any other medium and its impact on the culture in which it was produced. You may also choose to analyze a particular philosophical, governmental, societal or religious concept drawn from the reading and discussion in class. For example, you could write on The Oath of the Horatii, by David (painting), or Thoreau's Walden (literature), or Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water (architecture), or Dadaism (philosophy of art), or Transcendentalism (philosophy). The choices are endless—if you need help deciding, contact me.

2. Your paper needs to be thesis driven. It should be focused—you will be making an argument about the significance of your subject. An example of a good thesis statement could be, "Henry David Thoreau solidified the romantic ideal of living a simple, secluded life when he wrote Walden in the 19th century."

3. Please spell-check and grammar-check your papers. Having someone else read it or reading it out loud to yourself helps immensely. I will not nitpick about grammar errors if there are only one or two, but if there are more I will dock the paper starting with 5 points and going from there depending on the errors.

4. I am requiring