You are going to do a very close reading and analysis of a literary text. You will choose one area on which to focus your analysis; some examples are below.
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
Most literary analysis focuses on fiction (made up stories with characters and a plot created by an author). However, some nonfiction is also literature, and you will be analyzing a memoir, which means this is a true story. The characters are real people, and the events depicted happened.
Because this is a memoir rather than a piece of fiction, you may use sources outside of standard literary databases. However, they must all be academic. For example, you may want to use an article about trauma theory from a psychology database or incorporate information about the Holocaust from a history database.
What is a memoir?
A memoir is a work of non-fiction written from the perspective of the author and is an account of their life experiences based on their own memories. Unlike autobiographies, which usually come from celebrities or politicians and attempt to provide chronological facts about a person’s life, memoirs can be written by anyone with a story to tell. Memoirs are retellings of the author’s memories and they highlight accounts from people whose voices might have otherwise been unheard.
What are the benefits of reading memoirs?
Memoirs have endless educational value. Here are just a few to consider:
Academic sources have credibility. They can be trusted because they were created by researchers, subject experts, academic institutions, and so on. It is highly recommended that you begin your research by using the MDC databases.
DO NOT USE non-academic sources such as:
These sites are created for students who are trying to avoid reading the assigned piece of literature. We cannot prevent you from reading them; however, nothing from these sites can be used in your paper as academic research.
You will need:
