THE ESSAY

Remember again that it is not your goal to retell the stories, but rather make points of analysis that form the single argument of your thesis statement. Have some idea of a climactic point for the final body paragraph in your outlining stage. We are seeking patterns of similarities and differences in the way your theme is used in these two works, so your final body paragraph (or two) should focus on a definitive, climactic point which proves your thesis statement.

The double introductory paragraph structure we discussed can be used: one that focuses on summarizing the novellas, then one that narrows to the thesis statement.

TOPIC

You have the freedom to create your own topic, as long as you include both the Kafka novella and the Stevenson novella and have a concrete theme. Compare and contrast points between the two works.

Some ideas for concrete themes include:

• The relationship between individual and society. These transformations deeply disturb the main characters’ relationships with their family members (Metamorphosis) or polite society of friends (Jekyll). Both Gregor and Jekyll’s actions can be seen as antisocial – are they rebelling? Social conformism and shame are strong issues in early modern Czechoslovakia and Victorian London as depicted in these novellas.

STRUCTURE

You will probably need seven to nine body paragraphs.

If you find that developing a topic is difficult, simply begin your research. Choose articles on aspects of the novellas that interest you, and ideas will spark off of that reading. Feel free to e-mail me any time for guidance, being sure to give me some idea of your progress when you do.

As I mentioned in the Prewriting instructions: to compare two works of literature, it often makes sense to alternate body paragraphs: one about The Metamorphosis and then one about Jekyll and Hyde. Certainly, you can have body paragraphs that analyze the comparison of the two works as well. But if you were to do all your Kafka paragraphs first then move on to all your Stevenson paragraphs, the reader may forget the points about Kafka.

EVIDENCE

Since we are comparing two literary works, be sure to use citations like (Kafka 13) or (Stevenson 27).

Cite secondary sources by author last name and page number as well. Note that most of the articles you find will be in PDF format; they do have page numbers even though you are not handling a physical book.

Use the Library databases to find sources to incorporate. You need at least two scholarly sources written by professional academics in peer-reviewed journals, one on each novella in question. You may add more sources and/or add non-literary criticism sources that give information about psychology or the settings of the novellas.

Generally, you may consider your secondary source authors to be authoritative on their topic. Students who feel comfortable making advanced arguments can disagree with these writers and seek to prove them wrong, although this is not required.

As always, completely avoid study aid sites like SparkNotes and Shmoop. Do not quote from modern translations or translations into your native language. Use tutoring services rather than a friend’s skills for revisions. Avoid plagiarism.

REMINDERS AND ADVICE

• Make your thesis statement bold, clear, and arguable.
• Refer to the writers by last name after your first reference to them. As you do your comparing and contrasting, give the reader some variety in how you refer to the works. “Stevenson seems to…” “In Jekyll and Hyde there is a tendency…”
• Be sure not to speculate. Accept the strange reality of these stories. Your job is not to think of how they could be different, but to explore how and why their authors wrote this way.
• Make your topic sentences specific to the characters and the point you want to make. Check them against the evidence you choose.
• Only retell the stories on your way to the analysis points of your body paragraphs. Phrases to bring out meaning include: “this suggests,” “this means,” “a deeper reading of this is….”