The second and final essay should explore some of the major themes we have read

The second and final essay should explore some of the major themes we have read and written about in one or two works of literature (I suggest covering two texts if you choose shorter texts/poems and one if it’s a longer text/essay). Choose literature assigned in Weeks Five through Seven ONLY.
Your essay should be 500 to 750 words and be in MLA format (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, and with proper in-text and works cited page documentation).
The essay should be well-developed and argument-based. Clearly state your interpretation of the text, and support that assertion with examples from the text. Be sure to make the focus of your essay the literature we’ve read, as opposed to some of the context about literature and history we’ve read. If you use these context readings at all, keep it to a minimum by using only one or two context references in your essay. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SOURCES besides the Norton Anthology or posted supplementary sources to write your essay.
Introduction and Thesis (one paragraph)-Your paper should begin by stating the general topic and the topic you\’ll write about, stating your text (full title and author\’s full name), a brief summary of the narrative or essay, and some context (when it was written and any relevant historical background). Your thesis should be stated at the end of the Introduction paragraph, and make an assertion about how you think the text(s) should be read and what you think they mean overall. It should be argumentative and analytical, not merely observational.
Body paragraphs-Here is where you support the way you think the text(s) by closely examining specific characters, scenes, and examples from the primary text(s) — that is, the literature, not the background reading about the literature. Give your paragraphs clear topic sentences/points of focus. Focus on aspects that you find most interesting, subtle, clever, or skillful – you should NOT go through summarizing or paraphrasing the surface meaning of the text(s).
Each body paragraph should contain at least one (two is probably safer) direct quotation from your primary text(s). Read this to learn about how to use quotations well: https://writingcommons.org/avoid-dropped-quotations
Conclusion-Here, bring your discussion to a close thoughtfully, rather than mechanically repeating what you’ve already said. It can be helpful to emphasize your main points with a small bit of repetition but add some reflection on such topics as the value of analyzing the text(s) this way for contemporary readers or the ways that your analysis helps readers understand the social contexts of the periods they were written in. In other words, it should answer the question: “So What?”
Format and Style-Your essay should be in MLA format, without block quotations (nothing longer than 2.5 lines), and without a title page or subheadings. Please see any MLA format handbook, online resource, or my MLA format document posted on Moodle for help with these technical aspects. You should use formal language and word choice. Be sure to include a Works Cited page.