PAPER 4—LITERARY ANALYSIS for an English Class Write a six to seven-page analysis of W. Somerset Maugham’s novel The Razor’s Edge. In addition to the novel, you are to reference at least four outside sources (for a total of five). Your analysis should be based squarely on the techniques of “Chapter 6: Analysis.” Note in particular the “How to Write an Analysis” section and the two parts to formulating an analytical thesis. Rely on the “Guidelines for Writing Analyses” box, and the sample student analysis by Linda Shanker, “The Case of the Missing Kidney: An Analysis of Rumor” (pg. 188 in WRAC). Also review the student sample literary analysis: “Caspian’s Narnia: An Imperialist Nation?” before continuing with this assignment. Choosing an analytic topic lens soon will help you to focus your efforts. After the next section, you will find some suggested analytic approaches frequently used in literary study. Choose the one that is most fascinating to you. MORE ON WHAT IT MEANS TO ANALYZE Synthesis with a Twist. An analysis is basically a synthesis with a very specific kind of focus. To analyze the novel The Razor’s Edge, you first need to find a thoughtful source that you feel can help illuminate the novel in a clearer and deeper light than a casual read-through yields. Think of your goal as showing a casual reader just how deep the novel really is. After you find your analytical tool (in an external source such as a cultural context document, a critical approach essay, or an essay on a specific aspect of psychology, philosophy, or history, for instance), you must be able to explain the central concept of that source very clearly. Once you do this, you can then apply that tool to scenes, experiences, images, characters, and symbols in the novel. You are synthesizing your analytical tool/source with the novel in a very specific way—shining it like a specific kind of light from a specific direction on the subject of the novel in order to see the novel’s details, cracks, crevices, and patterns. Student Example of Analysis: Be sure to review the student essay titled “Caspian’s Narnia: An Imperialist Nation?” This essay is a clear example of literary analysis. In the essay, the student explains Johan Galtung’s theory of imperialism, explained in his article, “A Structural Theory of Imperialism.” After clearly explaining this analytical tool, the student then applies the tool to C.S. Lewis’ children’s novel to help readers better understand the construct of Lewis’ magical world. Lewis never mentions Galtung’s theory in the novel, and it is likely that Lewis didn’t even have these theories in mind when writing the novel—novelists usually just want to tell a compelling story. Nonetheless, the concept helps us to understand the experiences of the characters in a deeper way, and so it is an excellent choice as an analytic tool. I highly recommend that you reread this student essay now to see how it develops this analytic pattern, for this is what I will be looking for in your analysis of The Razor’s Edge. SUGGESTED ELEMENTS OF AN ANALYSIS (from Behrens and Rosen) Create a context for your analysis. Introduce and summarize for readers the object, event, or behavior to be analyzed. Present a strong case about why an analysis is needed: Give yourself a motivation to write, and give readers a motivation to read. Consider setting out a problem, puzzle, or question to be investigated. Introduce and summarize the key definition or principle that will form the basis of your analysis. Plan to devote an early part of your analysis to arguing for the validity of this principle or definition if your audience is not likely to understand it or if they are likely to think that the principle or definition is not valuable. Analyze your topic. Systematically apply elements of this definition or principle to parts of the activity or object under study. You can do this by posing specific questions, based on the elements of your analytic principle or definition, about the object. Discuss what you find part by part (organized perhaps by questions linking the principle to the subject), in clearly defined sections of the essay. Conclude by stating clearly what is significant about your analysis. When considering your analytical paper as a whole, what new or interesting insights have you made concerning the object under study? To what extent has your application of the definition or principle helped you to explain how the object works, what it might mean, or why it is significant? Prompt 3: Narrative structure. Think about what makes a good story. Obviously, the characters and plot play a large role in the success of any story. However, consider how a good story with interesting characters and an engaging plot can be quickly derailed by poor narrative technique. As we have discussed, The Razor’s Edge’s narrative structure is rather unique. How is Maugham’s narrative style different from more traditional narrative structures? How is it similar? Obviously, these are not random occurrences throughout the novel; rather, they are deliberate choices. So, what purpose do these similarities and differences serve in Maugham’s story? How do they influence our reading of the novel? SOURCE REQUIREMENTS You are required to use five sources in this essay: SOURCE ONE: Integrate short quotes of the primary source from which you have drawn your analytic tool. You will be referring back to the ideas of this source frequently. SOURCE TWO: Integrate Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge. This source should feature prominently in your essay as it is your subject. SOURCES THREE, FOUR, & FIVE: In addition, synthesize three other complimentary academic quality sources to help support your points. These sources may be from one of the LAC’s useful databases such as Infotrac Expanded Academic ASAP, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Literature Resource Center, or InfoTrac Psychology (www.cerrocoso.edu/lrc (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. > “Article Databases (Indexes).” You might use a source from our eBooks collection or from the physical library. It’s up to you. These sources should complement (add complexity, depth, and/or confirmation) your analysis of the subject. Requirements: Six to seven pages (typed, double spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font, 1” margins). Includes an arguable thesis statement. Remember, a “thesis is a claim about which reasonable people could disagree” (130).Additionally, it should state and establish you use of a certain principle or definition that will be your analytic tool. The body of you synthesis should be organized logically, developed using a paragraph-by –paragraph logic throughout the paper. Carefully chosen quotations and/or paraphrases from the source you are using as your analytic tool. Carefully chosen quotations and/or paraphrases from Maugham’s The Razor’s Edge. Carefully chosen quotations and/or paraphrases from at least three additional academic sources from the Cerro Coso databases, the Cerro Coso library, and/or Google Scholar. All quotations should add complexity and/or to bolster a point you are making. Additionally, all quotations used must include a properly formatted and punctuated parenthetical citation as well as a properly formatted entry on a works cited page. Careful adherence to MLA Style and format. This includes proper format and punctuation of class information. (Follow Gary Enns’ MLA Style Using MS Word 2013 handout, formatting your paper in MLA style.) An intriguing, appropriate, and creative title properly capped and centered. Adherence to Standard American English, which means that grammar shows very few, if any, major errors, such as fused sentences, run-ons, and comma splices, and few minor errors. Additionally, essays use capitalization, spelling, apostrophes, semi-colons, colons, and other punctuation correctly.
