In a compelling analysis of Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery,’ this essay delves into the dark realities of blind obedience, tradition, and society’s capacity for violence, illuminating how these themes intertwine to create a thought-provoking narrative that underscores the consequences of unquestioning conformity, the perpetuation of harmful customs, and the hidden potential for violence within seemingly ordinary communities. DescriptionYour first formal essay requires a literary analysis of one (or more) of the texts we haveread thus far in class. Below, you will see a list of topics that you could use as a startingpoint for your essay. Some of these topics are vague, and some are more specific to acertain text—my goal in providing these topics is to help guide your thinking, but you arewelcome to interpret them or apply them in any way you see fit.Remember also that you have the option to expand one of your journals into your essay. Ifyou choose this option, it should be because you feel confident about your ability tocontinue discussing the topic in more depth, or perhaps bring in another text forcomparison. You should not choose this option simply because it means you have a partialdraft already written, as doing so would likely result in you running out of things to sayquickly.Finally, if you have your own idea for a topic related to one of the texts we’ve ready so far,that’s fine, too—everyone will be required to submit a proposal for Essay 1 in which youprovide your topic. I will give you feedback on that proposal and guidance if I think youralternate topic is not sufficient.GuidelinesA successful should:- Contain a direct, concise, and compelling thesis statement- Analyze your chosen text(s) and any specific literary elements you would like tofocus on (e.g., characterization, theme, point-of-view, etc.)- Use direct quotations and specific paraphrases of events that occur in the text andproper in-text citations (no Works Cited page required)- Adhere to the following standards:o Use of size 12 Times New Roman font and 1-inch marginso Be double-spacedo Be 4-5 full pages in lengtho Be uploaded as either a Word document or PDFo Use proper MLA formatting (see Purdue OWL link in Student Resourcesfolder on Blackboard)Essay 1 is worth 100 points and 20% of your overall course grade. You can view therubric I will use to grade this essay on Blackboard.
