Haracter Analysis of Silas in Richard Wrights Long Black Song”

For this paper, choose one character from The Mulatto,Quicksand, The Gilded Six-Bits,Sweat,a?Long Black Song,a? or Going to Meet the Man, and analyze him/her. You will analyze your character based on your own reading and interpretation as well as from background information provided by the text, lecture, and classroom discussion. In a character analysis, you will not only determine the nature of the character, but that characters relationship to the work as a whole. For example, if you choose to analyze Sykes in Sweatyou must not only examine the physical, mental, and emotional qualities of Sykes, you must also explain how (or if) he grows and changes and what purpose he ultimately serves in illustrating the storys larger theme(s).

Your analysis should be organized in three parts:

I. An introductory paragraph(s) that announces the title of the work, its publication date and author; a brief summary of the works topic and content; a brief description/summary of the character you have chosen; and a thesis statement that makes clear the nature of the character as well as how she/he functions in the story.

II. Several paragraphs in the body of the paper that provide an orderly analysis of your character. The analysis can be organized in any number of ways. Here are just two: 1) Follow the development of the character chronologically from the beginning of the story until the end; 2) Identify several aspects of the characters personality (e.g. cruelty, arrogance, and stupidity in Sykes), keeping in mind you must organize those traits to reveal the characters development in the work. As you organize your paper, make sure that when you start a new paragraph, there is a logical reason for doing so, perhaps because at a certain point in the work, the character has begun a new chapter in his/her life, come to a new awareness, or made a significant change.

III. A concluding paragraph that re-states without repeating, extends and enriches what has already been said, or offers a thoughtful final comment on the value/function of the character.

For this paper, as for the poetry explication, do NOT use any other source but the primary text. This is NOT a research paper. Use biographical information only as it aids in the analysis of your character. The purpose of this assignment is for you to examine a character with nothing more than your brains, perception, and recently acquired knowledge. If you should even read any analysis beyond what is provided in the text or class, you MUST give credit; otherwise, that is plagiarism. Please do NOT exceed the maximum number of pages or hand in a paper less than the minimum. You will lose 1/2 grade (5 pts.) for every half page the paper is short. In addition, you must attach a works cited page in MLA style. If you do not, you will lose 1/2 of a grade.

The paper should be free of mechanical, grammatical, and spelling errors and should exhibit the qualities of sound compositiona clear organization, focus, clarity, and development. The best papers not only reflect what has been learned in class but fresh insight and innovative approaches.