Queer theory and Masculinity in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Instructions

The best analytical essays will not only use the principles of the Formalist perspective, but they will also adhere to the concerns of one of the other bodies of criticism that we've studied in class. You must choose one of the following through which to study your story of choice:Psychological CriticismFeminist CriticismQueer TheoryMasculinity StudiesMarxismPostcolonialism/New HistoricismMulticulturalismWhat do you mean by analytical?A paper is considered analytical when it uses the principles of Formalism (attention to symbolism, diction, etymology, repetition, foreshadowing, and other literary elements) to uncover the hidden meaning of the work. In other words, you should formulate a thesis statement (a hypothesis, if you will) that clearly states what you believe the author's intention was in writing this short story, and then you should demonstrate how that intention unfolds using the principles of Formalism as well as how these puzzle pieces help answer the questions often asked by critics in the field of either Psychological, Feminist, Queer, Masculinity, or Marxist Criticism. Pick one.Your paper should focus on different elements of the text that complement your thesis statement (see below for thesis instruction) and help prove to your reader that your specific understanding of this short story is feasible given this evidence.You should paragraph in a way that makes sense to both you and your reader. With that said, each paragraph should elaborate on a part of your thesis in a different way. The content of every paragraph should be unique as well as announced by your topic sentences.What is expected in an analytical research paper?"Research" does not simply mean looking at an author's childhood and life circumstances; while this may be helpful to your research, you will be expected to use scholarly sources (that is, essays from books and in peer-reviewed journals taken from SJC's databases) to "enter into the conversation" that already exists on this literature. Essentially, scholars have read and written about all of the stories that you've read this semester, and they've written essays that reflect certain analytical perspectives. You, too, will be writing an essay on the same literature from your own perspective, but you'll be expected to talk about what others have thought and said about the literature to help you with your own work.In a way, you'll be building off of their ideas by either agreeing, qualifying (agreeing with some exceptions), or disagreeing with them. The essays you use do not necessarily have to be about the same exact subject, but they should be relevant and helpful to your mission to write this analytical paper. For more on research papers and their purpose, please see the "Why Document Sources?" article that can be found on this page (the Helpful Resources page, which can also be accessed from the Home page of our course Canvas).Paper Guidelines and Requirements8-10 solid pages of typed material (this count does not include your Works Cited page)A strongly-crafted thesis statement which does the following:Clearly indicates the author's name and the title of the story that you will be analyzingSuggests what the author's intention is in writing the storyWhat are the forces that compelled the author to write this story? What was on the author's mind when he or she sat down to write this?Is specific about which critical perspective you will be takingPsychological, Feminist, Queer, Masculinity, Marxist, etc. Pick one of these. You don't have to announce it, but you can simply suggest which perspective you're using, as our author does below.Uses specifics from the storyIdentifying relationships, events, and characters' names is crucial to the success of your thesis statement. Don't intend to analyze the entire story. Pick one relationship or event to focus your attention on.Also claims why one can deduce this conclusionAsk yourself why the writer has written a story about this particular subject. Why is the author critical of this group/this attitude/this societal behavior? Refer to the sample thesis statement below.Sample Thesis Statement: In Ernest Hemingway's "The Last Good Country," the author reveals the complexities of gender identity in the relationship between the narrator and his sister, Littless, in order to portray the difficulties of growing up under the influence of the gender binary, especially for young men.This thesis statement's color coding corresponds with the elements of the coloring of all of the parts of a successful thesis statement above.

Answer