Thematic analysis of how nihilism is connected to one or more of the three themes

This writing project calls for you to perform a close reading of the novel Native Son so that you can write a deeply meaningful essay that is a thematic analysis of how nihilism is connected to one or more of the three themes that your EN 424 course aims to examine.

What is the purpose of a thematic analysis? An essay such as this seeks to uncover and reveal to readers the deep meaning that comes with a theme or set of related themes that is discovered in a piece of writing such as a novel or another work of literature. The essay by Eddie Malone that you were required to read is an example of a kind of thematic analysis that largely focuses on the theme of nihilism. Therefore, Eddie Malone is doing a deep dive in order to show how nihilism functions in a work of writing.

Before we go further, we need to define what a theme is. Simply put, a theme is a recurring idea in a work of literature. A theme registers with a reader when he or she discovers a pattern in which the theme is conveyed through phrasing, a character’s actions, symbolism, imagery, a particular type of setting, or a combination of all these elements and more. For instance, crime is a recurring theme in the novel Native Son. This theme is revealed with Bigger Thomas’s thoughts and actions (he contemplates crimes and even kills two people); we understand see crime as a theme with symbolism (the burning furnace at the Dalton residence is a fiery, symbolic reminder of the crime that Bigger can’t escape from); and we know that crime is a theme because of the use of setting (Bigger is put in jail and goes to court, places that represent the criminal justice system). In short, we discover a pattern in which the theme of crime emerges in the novel.

For this assignment, the pattern with a recurring theme or the recurring set of related themes that you will analyze is not something that has to occur on every single page of the Richard Wright novel. You just need to prove to your readers that there is a definitely a pattern with layers that can be unpacked in a deeply meaningful way, regardless of whether the pattern occurs in one or more parts of the novel.

You have two options for this writing project:

Option 1: Write a thematic analysis that shows how nihilism informs or influences the reader’s understanding of crime, punishment, or justice.

If a student picks Option 1, then his or her thesis statement could look something like this: In this paper, I will show how nihilism influences the reader’s understanding of crime. Or it could sound something like this if Option 1 were picked: Richard Wright’s novel uses the theme of nihilism to shape our understanding of racial justice in America. In other words, if a student goes with Option 1, then he or she will be writing a paper with a focus in which the theme of nihilism is connected to only one of the three themes that your EN 424 course specifically examines.

Option 2: Or your thematic analysis can look at how the reader’s understanding of nihilism informs or influences his or her understanding of any combination of themes that your EN 424 course specifically examines.

If a student picks Option 2, then his or her thesis statement could look something like this: In this paper, I will show how nihilism influences the reader’s understanding of the relationship between crime, punishment, and justice. Or it could sound something like this if Option 2 were picked: Richard Wright’s novel uses the theme of nihilism to launch ideas about social injustice and the punishing conditions of racial inequality. In other words, whereas Option 1 allows you to connect nihilism to just one of the three themes that this course specifically examines, Option 2 requires you to connect nihilism to two or more of the three themes that are specifically examined in your EN 424 course.

Regardless of whether you choose Option 1 or Option 2, your thematic analysis must also include:

*At least 1800 words of double-spaced content that is written in a 12-point, Times New Roman font.

*Multiple in-text citations from the novel Native Son (because one citation does not reveal a pattern).

*At least one in-text citation from the Malone or Boyd essays (so you’ll be quoting or paraphrasing at least one of these writers in your essay, not necessarily both).

*A thesis or position statement in the first paragraph of your essay, which should be an overview or map for the entire paper itself.

*Proper paragraphing. Every paragraph should therefore have a topic sentence and other sentences that provide supporting details.

^A conclusion paragraph or area that leaves the reader with a point to ponder.

*A separate Works Cited page that is in addition to the 1,800 essay that you are required to submit.

Other considerations:

The only sources you should cite for this writing paper are the novel Native Son and at least one of the two essays referenced above. Every in-text citation that you use should be integrated in your paper well. This means you should explain the relevance or significance of each in-text citation that you use, including in-text citations that are quoted material from the novel or one of the essays.

No one quote used by you needs to be more than three lines long, so every quote that you use can be a group of words that spans one to three lines in a paragraph. In other words, avoid using block quotes that are four lines or longer. The quoted material you use should have an introductory element to lead into the quote and parenthetical reference that comes after the quote. For example: Wright’s novel states, “Somebody tried to leap at him, but was caught by the policemen and held back” (337). In the example of the quote that is given here, the three words come right before the the comma (Wright’s novel states) and the quotation itself are introductory words that lead into the quote, and the parentheses flanking the number 337 represent the parenthetical references. A parenthetical references always comes after the ending quotation mark and before the period that completes the sentence. All the individual quotes used in your paper should be a variation of the example I have given here — an introductory word or set of words, then a comma, then the quote before the parenthetical reference.

Your paper should not merely be a plot analysis or something akin to a book report. Therefore, you should avoid organizing your paper entirely with chronological transitional words or transitional phrases such as first, next, then, after that, etc. In other words, avoid doing a lot of summary of the plot, a summarization of what happens in the novel. You should not have to say much about the plot at all because your audience already knows what happens. STICK TO STRICTLY DOING AN ANALYSIS. The plot is obvious, so go deeper — provide a written analysis that shows what is not obvious.

The best way to organize your paper is to develop an organization that is a reflection of the layers a particular pattern. For instance, if we keep in mind that a theme is a recurring idea that is revealed through a pattern, then a paper focusing on the how nihilism is connected to crime, punishment, and justice is a paper that would have nihilism mentioned or implied in body paragraphs sectioned off in order to show layers that are pertinent to crime; and nihilism would be mentioned or implied in body paragraphs set aside to show layers that have to do with punishment, and nihilism would be mentioned or implied in body paragraphs devoted to layers that are about justice.

Even a paper with a different focus, such one that looks at how nihilism shapes our understanding of racial justice, is an essay that should be organized to reveal layers of a pattern. A paper such as this might be organized like the paper I just described, or it might only look at imagery and symbols that bring to mind the reader’s understanding of how Richard Wright uses nihilism to create a sense of racial justice.

Final Submission

Ultimately, your final draft of this writing project will be an essay that is at least 1,800 words and is double-spaced and written in a 12-point, Times New Roman font. This final document should also include a Works Cited page that is IN ADDITION to your essay. Therefore, you will be submitting at a minimum a final document that is a total of seven pages — an essay that flows over to page six, plus a Works Cited page.