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English 1100 C & D1 For any one of the short stories we read for class (“A&P,” “A Rose for Emily,” “Cathedral,” “Who’s Irish?,” “Malinke’s Atonement,” “The Lottery”), write an analysis in the form of a card report. The card report identifies each component of fiction that we will discuss in class, including (but not limited to) plot, character, and setting. (Full requirements are listed on the other side of this page.) Though it covers much territory, a card report is concise; it must fit on the front and back of one 5x8 index card. In other circumstances it may be appropriate to write more than the suggested page count, but here the limit is firm. I will not read any more than the two sides of one 5x8 card, even if you try to submit it. You may find this assignment more challenging than it first appears. It requires you to understand and apply all the elements of analysis we discuss (unlike the poem assignments, which allowed you to choose which to include) and to discuss them in a highly condensed way. It may take several revisions in order to understand each element fully, select its most essential aspects, and discover how to convey the most content in the fewest words. Kennedy and Gioia describe the card report, and give an example, on pages 1434-1436. It may also help you to read chapter 37, “Writing About a Story,” in its entirety (pages 1425-1440), focusing specially on the “Analysis” section. DO feel free to take one of the daily assignments as a jumping-off point for the card report. For example, if you choose to write about “A&P,” you have already done some writing and thinking about that story’s plot which you can put to use in this assignment. DO NOT use any outside sources other than a dictionary or other strictly factual resource. Please type the card report in Word (or other word processing program), then print it and manually cut and paste it onto a card. I’m asking this for a few reasons. First, it will save you the trouble of ruining numerous index cards in an attempt to see what fits; you can instead do that on screen. Second, it will create a fair basis of comparison across the class – everyone will be doing the same assignment – because handwriting sizes vary, while font faces are standard. Third, it will make it possible for me to read and respond to your reports more quickly, since it is much easier to read type than 18 different styles of handwriting. Fourth, as always, the English department expects me to upload your work to Turnitin.com. Here’s how to set this up in Word. 1) Go to the “File” menu. 2) Choose “Page Setup.” 3) Under “Margins,” set the top and bottom to 1.75 inches. 4) Still under “Margins,” set the left and right to 2 inches. This will give you a 5x8 space with ¼ inch margins. You might also want to turn off widow/orphan control under “Format,” “Paragraph,” “Line and Page Breaks.” Use 12-point font and 1.5 spacing (as opposed to double spacing, which is normally preferred). Please submit both a hard copy, due in class, and an attachment to jaime (dot) cleland (at) gmail (dot) com. Appended: Instructions for elements of card report as laid out in Gioia and Kennedy, page 1434. |