first impression
Objective: For this essay, you will be analyzing Erik Larson’s style, revealing what devices he uses to convey his message(s) to his readers. The majority of the paper should be comprised of detailed close readings that analyze how his use of language contributes to an overall effect on the reader. Feel free to draw evidence from your journal (but don’t do so blindly, without considering if there are better options! You may end up taking only general ideas from the journal.). Your analysis should show real depth and insight, going beyond the obvious, and beyond what we have discussed in class. Your paper should also show an awareness of the entire novel. Focusing only on one section may hopelessly distort your analysis.
Thesis: As always, you should have a specific, debatable thesis that drives the paper (i.e. not “An important part of Larson’s style is irony,” but rather something more to the effect of “In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson uses irony to __________.”).
Evidence: Your evidence should be relevant, specific quoted passages that support your claims. This evidence must not only be detailed, but its connection to the claim must be clearly explained. The quotations should be followed by insightful commentary that closely analyzes Larson’s use of language. This commentary should not stop at identifying types of rhetorical strategies (i.e. “the irony in the sentence is created by the ______”), but rather continue on to explain the larger function of that strategy in the book (i.e. “the use of irony at this particular point in the book causes the reader to ________, which might make him reconsider _______.”)
Context: It would be wise to consider Larson’s audience. To whom is he writing? What is his purpose? Why might he have chosen to write in this genre, in this style, using these specific rhetorical devices? How might his chosen audience have influenced his use of language?
Structure: This is
Thesis: As always, you should have a specific, debatable thesis that drives the paper (i.e. not “An important part of Larson’s style is irony,” but rather something more to the effect of “In The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson uses irony to __________.”).
Evidence: Your evidence should be relevant, specific quoted passages that support your claims. This evidence must not only be detailed, but its connection to the claim must be clearly explained. The quotations should be followed by insightful commentary that closely analyzes Larson’s use of language. This commentary should not stop at identifying types of rhetorical strategies (i.e. “the irony in the sentence is created by the ______”), but rather continue on to explain the larger function of that strategy in the book (i.e. “the use of irony at this particular point in the book causes the reader to ________, which might make him reconsider _______.”)
Context: It would be wise to consider Larson’s audience. To whom is he writing? What is his purpose? Why might he have chosen to write in this genre, in this style, using these specific rhetorical devices? How might his chosen audience have influenced his use of language?
Structure: This is