Fiction essay
Now you’ll write an essay examining one of the short stories in the chapter entitled “Stories for Further Reading.†This is Chapter 10 in the 6th edition and Chapter 11 in the 7th edition.
Select any story that appeals to you.
You will write a five-paragraph essay examining three literary elements in your story. The word count should be between 500 and 750 words. This is not a research paper. You will write about your opinion of these elements. The entire paper must be in your own words. Although you may quote from the story to back up your opinion, you will not quote any references. I want to know what YOU think.
Remember, the structure of a five-paragraph essay is as follows.
1. Introduction–in this paragraph you explain the purpose of your paper. This paragraph includes your thesis statement.
2. Body paragraph–in this paragraph, you will explore the first literary element. For instance, you might want to examine the plot of your story.
3. Body paragraph–in this paragraph, you will explore the second literary element. For instance, you might want to examine the theme of your story.
4. Body paragraph–in this paragraph, you will explore the third literary element. For instance, you might want to examine the characterization in your story.
5. Conclusion–in this paragraph, you will restate your thesis and summarize your paper.
Let’s examine some guidelines for your essay. The literary elements from which you may choose include the elements we’ve explored in these lectures:
* Plot
* Characterization
* Point of View
* Theme
* Setting
* Tone and Style
* Symbol
Select three of these elements to explore in relation to your story. Pick the elements you feel are the strongest in your story.
Your essay must follow MLA format. Example essays that use this format appear in your book.
Finally, let’s explore some tips to help you write your essay.
Essay Tips
Here are some points to keep in mind as you’re writing your fiction essay:
* Write about the story in present tense. When you explore literature, you do so in the present.
* Write the essay in third person.
* Incorporate quotes from the story to prove your point.
* State your opinion as a given, and don’t include phrases such as “I believe†or “I think.â€
* Explain only the relevant details of the story. Don’t retell the plot

FICTION ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS
In Module/Week 3, you will write a 750-word (3–4 pages) essay that compares and contrasts 2 stories from the Fiction Unit. Before you begin writing the essay,. Gather all of your information, plan the direction of your essay, and organize your ideas by developing a 1-page thesis statement and outline for your essay. Format the thesis statement and the outline in a single Microsoft Word document using current APA..

The Fiction Essay is due must include a title page a thesis/outline page, and the essay itself,followed by a works cited/references/bibliography page of any primary and/or secondary texts cited in the essay.

Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic

Choose 2 of the following short stories to compare and contrast in your essay:
• “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson,
• “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne,

Also, make at least 1 of these elements of fiction the focus of your essay:
• Setting,

If you need help focusing your essay, ask yourself questions that correspond to your chosen
• ?
• What are their outstanding qualities? Does the author give any indication as to how or why the character developed these qualities?
• What are the characters’ emotions, attitudes, and behaviors? What do these indicate to the reader about the character?
• Can the characters’ motivations be determined from the text?

Setting
• Where and when do the stories take place (remember to include such details as geographic location, time of year, time period, if the setting is rural or urban, etc.)?
• Do the settings make the stories believable or credible? How does setting impact the plot of the story, and how would the plot be affected if the story took place in another setting?
• Are the characters influenced by their setting? How might they behave if they were in a different setting?
• What atmosphere or mood does the setting create (for example, darkness may create a mood of fear or unhappiness while light or bright colors may create one of happiness)?
• Is the setting or any aspect of it a symbol, or does the setting express particular ideas?
• Does setting create expectations that are the opposite of what occurs?