‘a raisin in the sun’ play thesis drama paper

The assignment for this essay is to analyze a drama (a play). Four outside sources (at least one critical book–usually online but print is also permissible–and three critical database articles) must be quoted in this paper. Internet sources are prohibited. Be sure you cite correctly all information taken from sources both in the text (parenthetically) and in your Works Cited page using the Citation Style handout. You should also use quotations from the play to demonstrate your points. Each quotation and analysis must be clearly related to your thesis and topic sentence and to the sentences before and after it. Be sure you have at least one sentence of explanation after each quotation to show how it relates to your thesis and topic sentence. Follow proper quotation and citation style. You may discuss characterization (how the character changes throughout the play works especially well for this assignment), symbolism, irony, or theme(s) for this project. One way to find a thesis is to discuss the characters in a drama with strong characterization, such as the characters in A Doll House. Again, some of the aspects to consider for a character analysis are: What details in the drama show you what kind of person the character is? What are some of the personality traits of the character and how are these suggested in the play? What does the character interaction (the way the character reacts to other characters) tell you about the character? What function does the character serve in the play? How does the author use the character to reveal the play’s theme or the issues it presents? How does the character change throughout the play and why? Again, all essays should be in third person and double-spaced using MLA format. As always, AVOID summarizing the plot. Assume that the reader of your paper has read the drama and remembers it well. Don’t tell the reader what happens in the

play; instead, explain the meaning of the drama (or some aspect of the drama such as a character or symbolism).