Literary Analysis/Argument Essay for Barack Obama's Book Dreams from My Father
-The introduction must include a brief summary of the text
-You must have at least one QSP (quote, summary, or paraphrase) from the text in the body of the essay to support the thesis statement.
The topic “Explain why Barack Obama titles the book Dreams from My Father instead of Dreams from My Mother? What dream does he feel he received from his father? What about his mother ? How did these dreams shape him? Is his text making a statement about the impact of parenting on a child’s dreams or some other point about dreams?
Use 12-point Times New Roman font and 1.5 space the entire paper. Margins should be one inch at the top, bottom, and both sides. Your name the date the class and Professor name at the top corner.
Introduction – the first paragraph in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader for your major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other essential background may include setting, an introduction of main characters, etc. The major thesis goes in this paragraph usually at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, make special attempts to link it to the sentence that precedes it by building on a key word or idea.
Body – the support paragraphs of your essay. These paragraphs contain supporting Example: (concrete detail) and analysis/explanation (commentary) for your topic sentences. Each paragraph in the body includes (1) a topic sentence, (2) textual evidence (a.k.a. quotes from your reading) and commentary (a.k.a. explanation), and (3) a concluding sentence. In its simplest form, each body paragraph is organized as follows:
1. topic sentence
2. lead-in to textual evidence 1
3. textual evidence 1
4. commentary
5. transition and lead-in to textual evidence 2
6. textual evidence 2
7. commentary
8. concluding or clincher sentence
CONCLUSION: this paragraph is final and should begin by echoing your major thesis without repeating the words exactly. Then, the conclusion should broaden from the thesis statements to answer the “so what?” question your reader may have after reading your essay.
A successful paper will have the following:
1. An obvious attempt to address the assignment;
2. A sentence that indicates a clearly discernible thesis;
3. An organization that is logical and easy to follow;
4. A clear and accurate characterization of the text’s main ideas;
5. A reasonably well-developed discussion;
6. Paragraphs with organizations that are logical and easy to follow (including topic and concluding sentences and transitions that indicate logical relations between your ideas);
7. Sentences that are grammatically complete, logical and easy to follow; and
8. A minimum number of surface feature errors—correct use of in-text citations, periods and question marks, correct spelling, absence of typographical errors, etc., including no use of any form of the pronouns “I” and “you.”