How to write a close analysis essay on short stories?

[josswm17]

How do you connect ideas and use quotes efficiently?
I'm lost.
Also, I'm at a very low cohort school and my marks so far have been:
B/20, A/40, A/20, A+/60, A/40.... what should I be aiming for?

[Lolly]

Sorry joss, I'm not doing any close analysis on short stories, but your question is quite broad and hard to answer! Maybe pm me a paragraph or something, or put it on the submission and marking board? ( Keep in mind though I'm still learning about this stuff myself )

[Hutchoo]

It really depends on what author you're writing on.
e.g  Katherine Mansfield uses the environment to portray the emotions of people in her short stories. Now, let's say 2 out of the 3 prompts have this type of reference.
You can use this to link the passages together, you can also use it to show the parallels between character x and character y, and then you can relate that to Mansfield etcetc.

As lozmatron said, this stuff is quite complex!
It isn't as simple as saying "do x,y,z and you'll get a 50".
Read a bunch of essays and experiment with what you can do. That's the only way to learn imo.

[Lolly]

Exactly. It's like asking: How you cook the best lasagna ever?

With time, practice, and a little love.
 
There are many ingredients, my friend.  

Edit: I just realised how lame that analogy sounds

[charmanderp]

With Lit you really just need to know how to write a close analysis. For example, I read a piece one of my friends wrote a couple of weeks ago. Brilliant analysis of the text; author's ideas and context it was written in and everything. Still only gave it a 6.5/10 because there was almost no use of the passages and even in the limited amount that was present, it was just drawing on the events of the passages rather than the actual language and rhetoric. Whatever the genre of text is (novel, short stories, whatever) you absolutely have to do close analysis and reading of the passages primarily.

[Lolly]

With Lit you really just need to know how to write a close analysis. For example, I read a piece one of my friends wrote a couple of weeks ago. Brilliant analysis of the text; author's ideas and context it was written in and everything. Still only gave it a 6.5/10 because there was almost no use of the passages and even in the limited amount that was present, it was just drawing on the events of the passages rather than the actual language and rhetoric. Whatever the genre of text is (novel, short stories, whatever) you absolutely have to do close analysis and reading of the passages primarily.

Yes, my friend and I have been critiquing each other’s work – it’s quite a useful exercise in that you get another perspective and you learn to pick up on what makes a close analysis really good! Also, Chemderp, Hutchoo, anyone – what’s your opinion of explicitly quoting and analysing outside of the passages *on the condition* that you’re analysing the passages as well? My teacher wants me to make links to the wider text but EZ destroyed my last essay because I did this. I tend to agree with EZ but in the meantime I am very confused.

[charmanderp]

Don't.

[Lolly]

Damn.

[Hutchoo]

Don't.

[Lolly]

[Lolly]

Ok that's four people who have told me this, so fair point. I get it... but I still have to do what my teachers say, at least for this last SAC.

[Genericname2365]

Don't.

Are one or two minor references ok? Just a small quote + discussion but essentially just a fleeting mention.

[charmanderp]

Brief discussion, yes. Quotes, no. Why would you even need to? A key criteria is making wider links to the text but do that through showing how the content of the passages you've been given exemplify the text and author's intentions, don't draw on material that you haven't been given. The official task for Literature is to 'Use the passages below in a discussion of the text' or whatever, so technically anything else is not assessable. The passages have been chosen for a reason.

[Lolly]

Thanks for clearing that up, but I quote one of my teacher's emails:

"I agree with many of your tutor's comments....except the ones about not discussing or analysing outside the passages. Remember, these passages are meant to reflect on key themes/events/character studies within the play/novel. So it is completely acceptable and necessary to comment on events that have lead up to, and  after the passages."


:S :S :S :S

[Hutchoo]

In that regard, isn't your teacher saying that it's "okay" to retell the story?
That's what it seems like to me!