Assignment:

Read the book "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison and Write a 6-7 page analytic research essay in which you research and analyze one theme or aspect of Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye.

Steps to Follow to Prepare and Write Your Paper

Step 1:

In one or two sentences, identify what you think is the most important theme in The Bluest Eye. Or you might notice a key symbol or detail that runs like a thread through the novel. For example, how does Morrison portray God in the novel? Or race relations. Or family dynamics throughout the story. As you do your research, you will certainly find specific and detailed ideas that you could pursue in a paper. It is this important theme or main idea that leads into your thesis statement.

Step 2:

Spend some time thinking about how to support your thesis statement. In this case, you think about how Morrison uses the various elements of fiction to highlight or explain your theme, idea, detail, symbol, etc. Identify specific passages, events, character actions, conflicts, descriptions, and details, etc. that support your thesis. This is the textual evidence that you will provide in support of your thesis.

Step 3:

After you prepare your annotated bibliography, read through the five sources, the so-called "secondary" works on the novel that you found. Add two or three more with further study as needed. (These are books, journal articles, interviews, websites on Morrison, audio-visual materials, etc.) Identify passages you can quote, paraphrase, or summarize and use as supporting evidence for the thesis of your essay. These expert sources will support your own voice as you construct your argument.

Step 4:

Use the evidence from the text that you have identified, as well as the additional researched materials you have compiled, to compose a focused, well-organized, academic essay of 5-7 pages, double-spaced. Remember, as stated above, the essay must have an introduction that contains your thesis statement, a body of evidence that supports your thesis, and a conclusion that sums up your main points and restates your position.