Instructions for the Analytical Essay, Oral Video, and
Power Point
Analytical Essay:
Topic: Choose and analyze ONE portrait from “The General Prologue” of The
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Content: Think about the following questions in writing your paper:
1. What is the effect of the choice of details?
2. What is the pilgrim’s “degree”—i.e., rank—and can you compare him with
other pilgrims?
3. What do we learn about the lifestyle of the Middle Ages or about Chaucer’s
viewpoint?
4. Can you develop three aspects of the portrait of the character you are
analyzing? List those three aspects in your thesis statement.
Length, Format, Sources, Documentation:
1. This should be a 500-word paper (minimum) with five paragraphs
(introduction with three-part thesis, three body paragraphs, and conclusion).
2. Quote from “The General Prologue” and use MLA documentation, 8th edition
(in-text, parenthetical citations after quotes AND a works cited page).
3. Do NOT use outside sources (from the library or the Internet) for your paper;
use the literary work in your textbook as your ONLY source.
4. See the OWL at Purdue for MLA style:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_a
nd_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
Honesty Policy: You should be aware of the Academic Honesty Policy stated
on the Syllabus; it is expected that this paper is TOTALLY your own work of
analysis and writing. Your essay will be submitted to Turnitin. If there is ANY
matching to Internet sources or to other student writings, you will receive a zero for
the assignment. Do NOT consult information on the Internet in any fashion, and
do NOT talk with friends/classmates.
Proofread: Proofread your paper carefully and correct errors in spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and sentences. Remember that in addition to
this being a literary analysis, it is also an English paper, and points will be taken off
for errors in mechanics. I recommend that you may make use of the Upswing online
tutoring at HCC, for which you need a 48-hour turnaround.
Review of the 500-word theme:
I. Paragraph I—Introduction—100-125 words (or 5-12 sentences)
• Lead-in (mention the title of the work, the author’s name, and the date
of composition)
• Provide a brief synopsis (2-3 sentences, with the gist of the work)
• Thesis statement—list the three major points to be developed in the
body of the paper
II. Paragraph 2—First Body Paragraph—100-125 words (or 5-12 sentences)
• Follow the topic sentence with support—and in a literary analysis,
that means quotations, quotations, quotations!
III. Paragraph 3—Second Body Paragraph—100-125 words (or 5-12
sentences)
• Follow the topic sentence with support—and in a literary analysis,
that means quotations, quotations, quotations!
IV. Paragraph 4—Third Body Paragraph—100-125 words (or 5-12 sentences)
• Follow the topic sentence with support—and in a literary analysis,
that means quotations, quotations, quotations!
V. Paragraph 5—The Conclusion—100-125 words (or 5-12 sentences)
• Mirror the introduction—restate the thesis, restate the major points
without being repetitive
• End with an important thought, a provocative idea, a quote
Thesis Statements: You are responsible for finding your own thesis statement,
which is the main focus of the paper. Develop a thesis statement that provides a
blueprint for your paper, listing three major points you hope to illustrate—each major
point to be developed in a body paragraph. Each body paragraph should have a
topic sentence and several example sentences—and in a literary analysis,
quotations from the work of literature are the examples.
Further guidelines on writing the paper: Do NOT summarize the literary work.
Your goal is to analyze one character. Do not retell the life of Chaucer. And this
concept for your paper comes out of your reading of the work, your interaction with
the work, your marginal annotations—your thought process!!
Grading: The Analytical Essay is, in essence, a project that includes the Oral Video
and Power Point that will receive ONE grade (0-100) for all three parts. The Oral
Video and/or Power Point will receive a grade of Complete or Incomplete; if the Oral
Video and/or Power Point are either missing OR have serious problems (too brief,
too sketchy, off topic), then points will be deducted from the Analytical Essay project
grade. Thus, the Analytical Essay will be graded last.
Oral Video:
Submit a 5-minute oral report video in which you explain the major points contained
in your Chaucer essay. Discuss what you think of the character in “The General
Prologue,” and read the passage in which Chaucer portrays that character.
Pronounce the words in Middle English as best you can. [In your preparation, make
sure you refer to the pages in your textbook that explain Middle English
pronunciation.]
Remember that cell phones and tablets have cameras that can make videos—so do
iMac and other laptop computers. You could also use a camcorder or camera (with
movie function), then upload the video to your computer. Submit your video file in
the Video Assignment link provided within your online course.
Guidelines for the Oral Report Video:
1. Dress professionally for your video—as though you were addressing a group
of students in an HCC classroom.
2. Speak clearly and grammatically—with proper English; use no slang nor
profanity.
3. Make sure you are UNDER the five-minute time period allotted.
4. Practice several times before you record yourself.
5. Play back your recording to make sure the picture and sound are clear.
6. Don’t videotape in front of an open blind in the daytime—you will appear as a
dark blur.
7. Talk to the camera as though it is a person.
8. Make sure that there are no sounds from the environment—chirping from fire
detectors, televisions in the background, or phones ringing. If such sounds
occur, start over with your recording.
Your presentation should be one continuous recording. If you make a mistake, start
over from the beginning.
The Oral Report will be graded as Complete/Incomplete. If you receive an
Incomplete (meaning no file was submitted and/or the file was FAR too short, off
topic, or unacceptable), points will be taken off from the Analytical Essay project
grade.
Power Point:
To accompany your oral video, develop a Power Point presentation that summarizes
what you say in the oral video. Include pictures to illustrate Chaucer’s time period.
You may find pictures from the Internet, but you should give credit to each picture
with a caption that indicates the source, and your last slide should be a Works Cited
list in which you give credit. SUBMIT the Power Point Presentation file in the
Assignment link provided within your online course. Your presentation will be
analyzed by Turnitin for originality (see the section on Honesty above).
The Power Point will be graded as Complete/Incomplete. If you receive an
Incomplete (meaning no file was submitted and/or the file showed unacceptable
matching in the Turnitin check, or had other serious problems), points will be taken
off from the Analytical Essay project grade.
Some Points about Writing Papers
1. Make certain that works cited formats adhere to MLA guidelines. Put the works cited list in
alphabetical order, and format with a hanging indent.
A book by one author:
Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House. MacMurray, 1999.
An article in a journal found in a subscription database:
Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical
Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest,
doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966. Accessed 27 May 2009.
Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and
Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-
Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008,
www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009
Alonso, Alvaro, and Julio A. Camargo. “Toxicity of Nitrite to Three Species of
Freshwater Invertebrates.” Environmental Toxicology, vol. 21, no. 1, 3
Feb. 2006, pp. 90-94. Wiley Online Library, doi: 10.1002/tox.20155.
A work in an anthology:
Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short
Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.
For more on MLA guidelines, look also at the OWL at Purdue website:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/
2. Cite all summaries, paraphrases, and quotations in-text.
When citing a book or article, the normal format includes the author’s last name and the page:
(Commager 320). When the author’s name is used in the sentence itself, the in-text citation needs to
include ONLY the page: (320).
Examples:
Imperialism is “the practice, the theory, and the attitudes of a dominating
metropolitan center ruling a distant territory.” (Said 9).
According to Edward W. Said, imperialism is defined by “the practice, the theory,
and the attitudes of a dominating metropolitan center ruling a distant territory.”
(9).
When citing an article from a database such as JSTOR, open .PDF files, so that you will have page
numbers to cite.
3. When citing literary works, note that the in-text citations differ.
When citing lines of a poem (one not divided into parts), omit the page number and supply the line
number(s); precede the numbers with line or lines in the first citation ONLY (line 54), and after that,
use just the number (55).
When citing a poem divided into parts (such as Paradise Lost, which is divided into twelve books),
cite the division number plus the line number: (8. 324-25).
When citing a verse play, such as Hamlet (which is divided into acts, scenes, and lines), use upper and
lower case Roman numerals: (V. iv. 147-50).
When citing a prose play which may have different divisions (such as The Glass Menagerie, which is
divided into scenes and has no line numbers), cite based on the information which you have; so a
citation for The Glass Menagerie would cite the page and scene: (488; scene 4).
When citing a novel, begin with the page number, followed by a semicolon and then information on
the part or chapter of the work: (535; pt. 2, ch. 3).
4. When quoting 2-3 lines of poetry, use the slash to separate lines; also note the use of present tense in
the following:
Shakespeare comments on youth in “Sonnet 73”: “thou seest the glowing of such fire / That on the
ashes of his youth doth lie” (9-10).
5. Note that periods go AFTER citations, AND a quote within a quote goes in single quote marks:
Jane M. Healy, a noted educational psychologist, takes issue with “interactive” software for children,
arguing that “some of the most popular ‘educational’ software . . . may be damaging to independent
thinking, attention, and motivation” (20).
Spelling argues that during the 1970s American automobile manufacturers met consumer needs “as
well as could be expected” (26), but not everyone agrees with him.
6. Note the format for a source referred to by another source, with Boyd (the source) quoting from
Davino:
George Davino maintains that “even small children have vivid ideas about nuclear energy” (quoted
in Boyd 22).
7. Make certain quotations are verbatim, punctuated properly, and introduced with an independent
clause. An introduction to a quote such as “Arthur Miller writes” is inadequate (compare the
introduction below). Immediately after the quotation, a comment is needed before proceeding to the
next point. Long quotations should be blocked one inch from the left margin of your paper , quote
marks are omitted (and note for the following example, the page and act are cited):
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, the most poignant defense of Willie Loman comes
from his wife, Linda:
He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a
terrible thing happened to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be
allowed to fall into his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must
finally be paid to such a person. (56; act 1)
Indeed, as Miller’s intent is to illustrate that “terrible thing” (56; act 1), Willie Loman
becomes a universal symbol.
8. Your thesis statement should be very specific—it should contain key words/phrases which anticipate
each and every body paragraph/section. Each body paragraph should begin by alluding to a portion
of the thesis; make use of a topical organization.
Avoid wordy thesis statements, such as: In this paper, I am going to write about the three aspects of . . .
Avoid nonspecific thesis statements, such as: Hawthorne’s story includes three important symbols,
which I am going to discuss in this paper.
This is a good example of a thesis:
In “Young Goodman Brown,” as Hawthorne focuses on the theme of man’s isolation from
society, the dramatic effect is heightened through the symbols of the forest, the blazing rock,
and the pink ribbons.
9. Do not re-tell the plot of the literary work in the body of the paper; assume that your reader has read
the literary work.
10. Mention names of the critics liberally. It is weak to write many critics feel or a critic says. Use the
name and provide a quotation. Never refer to an author or critic by first name alone; use the full
name (Paula Backscheider) or just the last name (Backscheider). Make sure names of critics are
spelled correctly.
11. Refer to PMLA, American Literature, College English as journals. A work within the journal PMLA,
such as “The Art of Impersonation: A General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales,” is an article.
12. Refer to titles correctly, using quotation marks or italics as required: Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare’s
Hamlet, Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130,” Donne’s “The Flea,” “Missing Fathers: Twelfth Night and the
Reformation of Mourning.” Note that commas and periods go inside end quote marks.
13. You is unacceptable in a formal college paper. Consider the following: In colonial times, you had to
make your own candles. The 21st century reader of the paper did not live in colonial times; thus, it
would be better to write: In colonial times, housewives had to make their own candles. One may also
write, Hawthorne addresses the reader . . . .
14. Do not use contractions such as should’ve, as they are informal; writing should have is better.
15. Use different from instead of different than in a formal college paper.
16. Do not use abbreviations such as e.g. Instead, write for example.
17. Do not write the reason is because, which is redundant.
18. Do not begin a sentence with Well.
19. Avoid utility words such as nice, funny, things, and great.
20. Avoid clichés such as what goes around comes around.
It is your responsibility to talk to your professor about your papers when you have questions—about sources,
organization, writing, etc.—prior to the due date. Expect to be graded on quality of sources, documentation,
content, organization, sentences, grammar, word use, punctuation, spelling, and format
Writing about a Poem
Do NOT refer to a poem as a “story”—EVER.
Talk about images, metaphors, similes, themes. There is a glossary of literary
terms in the back of your book.
Do NOT assume that a poet is writing about himself or herself. Refer to the
speaker of the poem.
Do NOT talk about personal experience or provide anecdotes when doing a
literary analysis. Focus on the poem ONLY. Provide a three-part thesis, and in the
body paragraphs, provide quote from the poem.
Thesis Statements
Your thesis statement should be very specific—it should contain key
words/phrases which anticipate each and every body paragraph/section.
Avoid this kind of thesis (avoid “I” and “In this paper, I am going to write
about . . .”): In this paper, I am going to write about the three aspects of . . .
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