A Doll’s House
A Doll’s House (Guidelines of the Paper)
Literary Analysis Paper on Ibsen’s
A Doll’s House (1879) – 100 points
Length: 3-4 pages (at least 3 full pages, 12-point Times New Roman in double-space).
Draft posting: Please post your draft (introduction) to Canvas by Tuesday, Feb. 28 for feedback (*This is not a graded assignment).
Paper DUE: Thursday, March 2, 11:59 pm.
*For this short analysis paper, you do not need to cite any outside sources. What I am looking for is your detailed and insightful analysis of the play, supported by effective textual examples.
Topics for the Analysis Paper (*Please feel free to combine the following questions)
1. Why does Nora feel unjust about her life and marriage?
2. Did Nora think she was supposed to play a doll-wife to please Torvald, or did she mask her true self? Is Nora a victim of patriarchal domination on women or has she perpetuated patriarchal domination by playing a doll-wife?
3. What has prevented Nora from knowing who she is and developing her sense of individuality as a human being?
4. What does Nora’s decision to leave the doll house signify? What does she realize about herself, Torvald, and their marriage? What does she reject to accept by leaving her husband?
Writing instructions:
· Please put a title on your paper that reflects the thesis.
· Please italicize the title of the play,
A Doll’s House. (MLA style)
· Three analytical points (the thesis of your paper) should be put at the end of your introduction. In this short paper, the introduction could be about 7-10 lines (one paragraph)
· Make sure that your thesis is clear, and the thesis has 3 analytical points (ideas, not characters) you want to argue and prove in the body paragraphs.
· Make sure that each body paragraph begins with a topic/summary sentence that refers to the main point of your thesis. In other words, you should NOT begin the paragraph with “When. . . .” Your reading response should not be a plot summary.
· Please avoid using expressions, such as “I think,” “We see,” or “You know” in analysis papers.
· Use a signal phrase when you introduce a quote. i.e. Torvald says, “. . . ” (Act 1, 535).
· Cite at least two textual examples (direct quotes) in each body paragraph to support your thesis, and
add your analysis after each quote.
· Do not cite more than 3 lines. In other words, pick the most important and relevant passages that support the main point of the paragraph and use ellipses (3 dots) after removing unimportant parts of the quotation.
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The Structure of the Short Literary Analysis Paper
Introduction – One paragraph in this short paper (about 7-10 lines)
– Introduce the literary work with a brief summation of your interpretation of the text (an interesting opening sentence).
– Provide a brief plot summary (about 3 lines) and connect it to your main points.
– Your thesis (three analytical points) should be put at the end of your introduction.
How to come up with a clear and strong thesis:
Your analysis paper should NOT be focused on HOW the character acted. Then, you are just describing the character, and this kind of paper tends to be a plot summary.
Instead, you should focus on WHY (e.g. WHY the character acted the way he/she did and what his/her action signifies.)
(Thesis example) Although Nora has believed she has been a dutiful wife to Torvald, upon encountering his accusation of her, Nora reexamines her view of Torvald and her role in their marriage. Nora’s decision to leave the doll house signifies (point 1) her realization of_____________, (point 2) her rejection of__________________, and (point 3)____________________.
Body paragraphs (about 15 lines each)
The second paragraph (about 15 lines) – Point 1
The third paragraph (about 15 lines) – Point 2
The fourth paragraph (about 15 ines) – Point 3
– Begin a body paragraph with a clear topic sentence that refers to each point in the thesis (your analytical point, not about the plot) *Check the PAGES regarding the instruction for topic sentences
– Be sure to provide a textual example (direct quotes) to support your point and put your interpretation and analysis of the quote. *Do not choose plot-related information as a quote.
– Please choose another effective quote to prove your point and provide your detailed analysis of the quote that supports your main point.
– Try to paraphrase your main point and end each body paragraph with your restatement of the main point.
Conclusion (about 7-10 lines)
– Recap your main analytical points (*Do not use the same sentences you used in your thesis), using different words and sentence structure.
– State the significance of your thesis.
– Please do not cite or include a quote in the conclusion.
– Refer back to the title of your paper and give a sense of completion of your idea/analysis at the end of your paper.
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Title Page
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