How to write a reflective paper?

How do I write a Literary Criticism Paper?

• My Final paper (literary criticism/research paper) for English 102 is due tomorrow and I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to write this. What type of information should i have in the paper? Should i discuss the setting, characters, plot, theme etc.? I have to use one of these four methods of critiquing- sociological, mythological, feminist, historical. The only directions i have say that i need to research a literary piece and analyze it using a method of literary criticism, gather convincing evidence, and to accurately present the evidence. I'm trying to write this paper on the book of short stories "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" by David Foster Wallace

• Answer:

  I'm only in lowly AP English, but I'm actually doing something similar. Your "lens" so to speak should analyze the story pretty much only from that viewpoint. Mythological should analyze the story on how the myth meets the goals of a myth, like explaining the unknown or teaching it's readers a moral lesson, sort of like an allegory. To start the whole thing, I would pick a story you like, and see how it can be analyzed. Better yet, pick a few stories and see what other critics have already written about it to see which story has the most criticism, and go from there. I've found it helps to look at a bunch of criticism and develop your "lens" based on what you find. To answer your other question, you should only include plot, theme etc. if you're writing a stylistic essay, which I can see is not an option given to you. Here are some quotes I have on a worksheet on your lenses. Socialogical A focus on society as a whole and evaluation of the social factors at work. The work may make a commentary on the demographics and the way certain groups interact. The themes relate to people and how they co-exist within society. More specific examples include: Race-Based Theory Feminist Focuses on issues related to sex, gender and sexuality brought to light within the social context of the literary work. Usually seeks to highlight the disparities in gender equality or create understanding for character motivation due to expected gender roles. Archetypal Myth Theory This approach derives from Northrop Frye and attempts to place literature into the major categories, subjects, and characters into which all literature falls. The literature will have an obvious plot, characters, symbols, and conflicts that seem reminiscent of other literature to which it can be compared Historical This literature's greatest merit is that it shows the customs and events of a certain time period and goes beyond entertainment to educate on the times of an earlier period. One would discuss what those details are in detail and how they reveal the culture and values of the time. One could argue that the historical context of the piece in imperative to the conflict and thus, the piece is not universal or timeless. A lot to read, but i hope this helps.