Text: “The Endless Streetcar Ride into the Night, and the Tinfoil Noose.” [refer to the posted story]
Goals:
1. To continue the goals of the previous assignments: ie. following instructions; formal tone; correct presentation and grammar; meeting deadlines; producing a strong “heart of the essay” [an argumentative thesis statement, and argumentative topic sentences, fully developed and unified middle paragraphs]
2. To use quotations—presenting them correctly and using them, as concrete textual analysis/details, to create in-depth analysis so that you will show rather than tell.
3. To practise writing good beginnings and endings for an essay.
Requirements:
1. fully developed, unified paragraphs
2. Underline the thesis statement and each topic sentence; do not underline any other sentences. Introductory and concluding paragraphs do not have topic sentences.
3. End the first [introductory] paragraph with a one-sentence thesis statement.
4. The essay should have a minimum of three middle paragraphs and a maximum of four. Each middle paragraph should start with a one-sentence topic sentence.
5. A concluding paragraph.
6. A good title.
7. Formal tone and point of view.
8. Use words appropriate to your reading audience. You should be 100% certain that your reading audience [classmates] will understand the meaning of any terms or concepts you use.
9. Use present tense of verbs, which is standard use for analyzing literary texts [see Essay Do’s and Don’ts p. 168]. Even though the story uses a retrospective narrator, consistent use of present tense will prevent tense shifts and confusion as to what tense to use.
10. Do not base the thesis statement and analysis on psychological or creative interpretations. Focus, and write about, what happens in the story—what the characters say and do. The thesis statement, the topic sentences, and the analysis must be based on the story. “Life in general” will not produce an acceptable literary essay.
11. An acceptable essay must use accurate and relevant quotations from the story to support ideas raised. These quotations must be correctly integrated, formatted, and documented MLA style. Essays without quotations are unacceptable/failing essays.
12. Because we are using a common text and you are being provided with the story, there is no need to include a Works Cited page UNLESS you have used secondary sources—see below.
13. Use of secondary/outside sources is strongly discouraged. This is not a research essay. To meet English 100 course goals, the essay has to be based on your ability to analyze a literary text.
14. Re: research. If for some VERY good reason you include secondary sources, note that this research will then be part of the essay’s evaluation and you will be increasing your work load substantially. Thus, the essay will then be evaluated for the following:
a. If the sources are credible
b. If the information used is relevant to your analysis and accurate, not used as filler or to achieve word count
c. it must not overshadow or displace your own interpretation
d. it must be documented [cited] within the essay MLA style to prevent plagiarism
e. there must be a correctly presented Works Cited page, MLA style, to prevent plagiarism
f. I do not want to find in your essay any information about the story’s author, its publication, historical background about the Depression, general information about initiation stories, etc. The essay’s content should be based on what is IN the story so that you will be doing a literary analysis—a close reading of the story.
g. If research is used, a maximum of two outside sources is allowed.
h. Use of research does not mean essays receive a higher grade. In fact, research often weakens essays.
15. Since the story is set during the Depression years in the United States, it contains several allusions and references that you might not be familiar with. If you look these up/research them and include them in your essay, because this is factual information, this does not need to be documented. What would need to be documented are other people’s ideas, interpretations, about such information.
Examples:
1. Old Man: a popular, colloquial term some children use to describe their fathers
2. Cleopatra: the historical and legendary Egyptian queen often thought of as someone whose power resided in her sexuality, beauty, and charm, and her ruthlessness in defeating her enemies. She is sometimes regarded as the prototype of the romantic femme fatale.
3. Old Man River: The Mississippi River
4. Cubs: The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball as part of the National League Central division.
5. White Sox: a professional baseball team based in Chicago, competing in the American League.
6. Streetcar: a vehicle which runs on steel rails propelled by overhead wires.
7. Car cards in a streetcar: similar to modern-day posters which contain advertisements in the interior of buses
Introduction to the story:
To give you a context for the story, it is one of a collection of stories based on a retrospective narrator, Ralph Parker, who is looking back with a humourous perspective on his childhood in Indiana during the Depression era in the United States. Thus, the story is told from the viewpoint of an adult Ralph Parker, who is recounting an incident involving the main character, his younger self–the young Ralph. If you make references to the narrator, make sure to indicate this is the older, not the younger Ralph.
You will notice that the story uses many words that have been capitalized, which is part of the author’s style. Also, notice that the story contains many excellent uses of imagery and figurative language which are nice details that could be useful for your analysis.
Choose ONE of the following three topics as the basis for your essay about
“The Endless Streetcar Ride into the Night, and the Tinfoil Noose.”
Topic One: In many literary texts, a character has a misconception of himself or his world, and that destroying or perpetuating this illusion contributes to a central idea of the work. How does this statement apply to the 14-year-old Ralph of the story?
Or:
Topic Two: When people think back on their lives, there are usually incidents that stand out as being pivotal moments that reveal the process of growing up and understanding themselves and the world in which they live.
Why has the older Ralph chosen the incident of the blind date as one of the pivotal moments of his life?
Or
Topic Three: By identifying Ralph’s epiphany, explain how and why 2-3 specific elements in the story are responsible for this epiphany.
Text: “The Endless Streetcar Ride into the Night, and the Tinfoil Noose.” [refer to the posted story]
Goals:
1. To continue the goals of the previous assignments: ie. following instructions; formal tone; correct presentation and grammar; meeting deadlines; producing a strong “heart of the essay” [an argumentative thesis statement, and argumentative topic sentences, fully developed and unified middle paragraphs]
2. To use quotations—presenting them correctly and using them, as concrete textual analysis/details, to create in-depth analysis so that you will show rather than tell.
3. To practise writing good beginnings and endings for an essay.
Requirements:
1. fully developed, unified paragraphs
2. Underline the thesis statement and each topic sentence; do not underline any other sentences. Introductory and concluding paragraphs do not have topic sentences.
3. End the first [introductory] paragraph with a one-sentence thesis statement.
4. The essay should have a minimum of three middle paragraphs and a maximum of four. Each middle paragraph should start with a one-sentence topic sentence.
5. A concluding paragraph.
6. A good title.
7. Formal tone and point of view.
8. Use words appropriate to your reading audience. You should be 100% certain that your reading audience [classmates] will understand the meaning of any terms or concepts you use.
9. Use present tense of verbs, which is standard use for analyzing literary texts [see Essay Do’s and Don’ts p. 168]. Even though the story uses a retrospective narrator, consistent use of present tense will prevent tense shifts and confusion as to what tense to use.
10. Do not base the thesis statement and analysis on psychological or creative interpretations. Focus, and write about, what happens in the story—what the characters say and do. The thesis statement, the topic sentences, and the analysis must be based on the story. “Life in general” will not produce an acceptable literary essay.
11. An acceptable essay must use accurate and relevant quotations from the story to support ideas raised. These quotations must be correctly integrated, formatted, and documented MLA style. Essays without quotations are unacceptable/failing essays.
12. Because we are using a common text and you are being provided with the story, there is no need to include a Works Cited page UNLESS you have used secondary sources—see below.
13. Use of secondary/outside sources is strongly discouraged. This is not a research essay. To meet English 100 course goals, the essay has to be based on your ability to analyze a literary text.
14. Re: research. If for some VERY good reason you include secondary sources, note that this research will then be part of the essay’s evaluation and you will be increasing your work load substantially. Thus, the essay will then be evaluated for the following:
a. If the sources are credible
b. If the information used is relevant to your analysis and accurate, not used as filler or to achieve word count
c. it must not overshadow or displace your own interpretation
d. it must be documented [cited] within the essay MLA style to prevent plagiarism
e. there must be a correctly presented Works Cited page, MLA style, to prevent plagiarism
f. I do not want to find in your essay any information about the story’s author, its publication, historical background about the Depression, general information about initiation stories, etc. The essay’s content should be based on what is IN the story so that you will be doing a literary analysis—a close reading of the story.
g. If research is used, a maximum of two outside sources is allowed.
h. Use of research does not mean essays receive a higher grade. In fact, research often weakens essays.
15. Since the story is set during the Depression years in the United States, it contains several allusions and references that you might not be familiar with. If you look these up/research them and include them in your essay, because this is factual information, this does not need to be documented. What would need to be documented are other people’s ideas, interpretations, about such information.
Examples:
1. Old Man: a popular, colloquial term some children use to describe their fathers
2. Cleopatra: the historical and legendary Egyptian queen often thought of as someone whose power resided in her sexuality, beauty, and charm, and her ruthlessness in defeating her enemies. She is sometimes regarded as the prototype of the romantic femme fatale.
3. Old Man River: The Mississippi River
4. Cubs: The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball as part of the National League Central division.
5. White Sox: a professional baseball team based in Chicago, competing in the American League.
6. Streetcar: a vehicle which runs on steel rails propelled by overhead wires.
7. Car cards in a streetcar: similar to modern-day posters which contain advertisements in the interior of buses
Introduction to the story:
To give you a context for the story, it is one of a collection of stories based on a retrospective narrator, Ralph Parker, who is looking back with a humourous perspective on his childhood in Indiana during the Depression era in the United States. Thus, the story is told from the viewpoint of an adult Ralph Parker, who is recounting an incident involving the main character, his younger self–the young Ralph. If you make references to the narrator, make sure to indicate this is the older, not the younger Ralph.
You will notice that the story uses many words that have been capitalized, which is part of the author’s style. Also, notice that the story contains many excellent uses of imagery and figurative language which are nice details that could be useful for your analysis.
Choose ONE of the following three topics as the basis for your essay about
“The Endless Streetcar Ride into the Night, and the Tinfoil Noose.”
Topic One: In many literary texts, a character has a misconception of himself or his world, and that destroying or perpetuating this illusion contributes to a central idea of the work. How does this statement apply to the 14-year-old Ralph of the story?
Or:
Topic Two: When people think back on their lives, there are usually incidents that stand out as being pivotal moments that reveal the process of growing up and understanding themselves and the world in which they live.
Why has the older Ralph chosen the incident of the blind date as one of the pivotal moments of his life?
Or
Topic Three: By identifying Ralph’s epiphany, explain how and why 2-3 specific elements in the story are responsible for this epiphany.