Date Due:
Assignment: Write an essay in which you analyze the persona (first person narrator) of one of the following pieces:
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William Bradford, from Of Plymouth Plantation |
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Anne Bradstreet, “The Flesh and the Spirit” |
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Anne Bradstreet, “Upon the Burning of Our House” |
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Anne Bradstreet, “For Deliverance From a Fever” |
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Anne Bradstreet, “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” |
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Anne Bradstreet, “The Author to Her Book” |
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Edward Taylor, “Huswifery” |
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Edward Taylor, “Upon Wedlock and Death of Children” |
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Edward Taylor, "Meditation One" |
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Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” |
| Mary Rowlandson, from A Narrative of the Captivity |
Your analysis should focus on at least three aspects of persona; use the notes below to guide your brainstorming and develop your outline.
Aspects of Persona: Persona is the "character that a writer or speaker conveys to the audience" (Roskelly and Jolliffe 242). Persona is established through these aspects:
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| Subject: What is the writer’s main subject, and what is the main message conveyed by the persona on this subject? Look at how the personality of the persona affects the way the message is delivered. |
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| Purpose: What is the writer’s reason for writing? Is the appeal to the audience direct or indirect? Examine how the persona’s character helps to make that purpose and appeal clear. |
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| Diction: How does the choice of words used by the writer to convey the persona’s personality? A discussion of diction may be described with adjectives such as sophisticated or simplistic, formal or informal, varied or focused on a particular topic. |
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| Development: How does the persona choose to develop the message—through narration, description, humor, exhortation to the audience, self-examination, or even passionate plea? Consider what the depth of detail reveals about the persona’s priorities. |
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Events: How does the recollection or retelling of events reveal the persona’s dominant characteristics? Study how the persona’s actions during and comments on such events relate directly to the theme of the piece. |
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| Setting: How much is the persona shaped by or a reflection of the time and place of the piece? Examine how the persona acts in typical or surprising ways, given the culture of the setting. |
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| Tone: How does the persona reveal the attitude of the writer toward the subject of the piece? Identify the dominant tone (attitude) conveyed by the persona’s diction, purpose, and appeal to the audience. |
Length
: three body paragraphs of at least 6-8 sentences or more, intro. and concl. paragraphs 3-4 sentences each.Format: Final copy must be typed. See Form for Written Assignments handout for details. Use MLA format.
Grading: the paper will be evaluated on the following skills.
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| Thesis and outline: thesis identifies three aspects of persona to be analyzed; outline shows logical organization of ideas |
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| Organization: Clear attention-getting introduction that identifies literature, author; thesis at end of intro.; Clear sequence of ideas in paragraphs (as per outline); effective concluding paragraph. For ideas on intro. & concl. paragraphs, see websites listed under "Links" on the English homepage of www.speakwrite.net. |
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| Paragraph structure: minimum 6-8 sentences each; clear topic sentence & detailed development of ideas, including detailed examples and quotations from the literature. See "Writing About Literature" under "Class Notes on English homepage of www.speakwrite.net. |
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| Style: precise, concise, and vivid word choice; varied lengths and structures in sentence style; consistently formal tone (avoid colloquialisms, contractions, slang, clichés, 2nd person pronouns). Use present tense to discuss characters and events in the literature. |
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| Correctness: Proofread carefully for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Follow directions for format on Form for Written Assignments handout. (Also on website under "Class Notes") |
Procedure:
| In class: Examine all works, focusing on development of persona in each; Homework: Choose topic (literary work from list) & brainstorm details on persona |
| In class: brainstorming due; Homework: start on thesis & outline |
| In class: turn in thesis & outline; discuss literary analysis techniques; Homework: work on rough draft |
| In class: questions on drafting, use of quotations, documentation; HW: finish rough draft |
| In class: rough draft due Homework: work on revision and edit; prepare final copy |
| In class: Bring revision for editing workshop, with special attention to elements of formal style, introductions and conclusions, & formatting; Homework: Finish revision and edit; prepare final copy |
| Proofread and turn in |