Cultural Analysis Essay

ENGL 202 – Winter 2019 – Lacey

Due on Canvas: Thursday, April 4 by 11:59 p.m.

Document design: 12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri font; 1” margins; Word or PDF documents only
Length: 1,200-1,500 words
Sources: 3 sources in addition to the selection from the Encyclopedia of Nordic Crime Fiction about the
country you choose. (Note: Be wise about your choices—as college students, use sources that are
worthy of academic rigor. Don’t stop at quick internet searches. While internet sources are acceptable,
don’t fall for any source. Use the skills you’ve developed in previous English courses to interrogate a
source’s credibility.)
Documentation: Document sources in MLA format. Include a works cited page.
Percentage of final grade: 12%

Assignment: Your goal in this paper is to demonstrate how one country’s culture is represented in one
or more texts we’ve read/viewed this semester. In order to understand the country’s culture more
thoroughly, you are required to read and utilize the corresponding entry from the Encyclopedia of
Nordic Crime Fiction. (These can be found on Canvas under “Pages”  “Encyclopedia of Nordic Crime
Fiction.”) Choose ideas represented from the Encyclopedia and apply them to the text(s) you’ve selected
for this essay. You should aim to identify at least three to five ideas within your paper. Fewer than three
fails to show depth, but more than five will be too evasive.

Framework1
A lot of this essay might feel like the thematic analysis essay you wrote earlier this semester, and they
are similar. However, the greatest difference is that now you’re focusing on a specific country instead of
a general theme. While the content varies, the framework is identical.

Cultural analyses have these features:

 An introduction that identifies the literary work you are analyzing and its background. It should also
state your interpretive question about the text and a main point (thesis statement) that answers the
question.
 Targeted summaries or descriptions of the text that focus only on the events or features that play a
key role in your interpretation.
 Quoted material taken directly from the text that moves your interpretation forward and illustrates
your points.
 Support for your interpretation that shows how your interpretation makes sense and offers fresh
insights into the interpretive question.
 A conclusion that discussions the significance of the interpretation.

How and where to your use your sources: You will need three sources in addition to the novel you’ve
selected from class. These sources should be academically rigorous, meaning you shouldn’t Google the
novel, grab the first result, and use that. Think thoughtfully and carefully about your sources. Research
should add something to your argument, something your readers don’t know yet. This can be tricky—

1
Framework adapted from Writing Today, 3rd Edition
you shouldn’t use a source to, say, give the population of the country in which your novel takes place.
Instead, think of using sources to enhance and give credibility to your own voice. Make sure you explain
to your readers why you’re using a source—don’t simply drop in quotes and expect readers to make
connections. Make the connections for them.

I’d recommend using sources in various locations throughout your essay. For example, if you’re trying to
argue about how past hesitance towards immigrants still lingers in the country you’ve selected, you
might find a source that tells readers something about that past hesitance. Make sure you relate all
information back to your course text(s), however.

Grading: I will be looking for a clear demonstration that you understand your country’s culture and how
your examples explain and explore that culture. You should use specific quotes and/or details from the
texts in which the culture is found. You should use your outside sources to help explain what your
culture means or how others see it. Make sure you cite your sources in the MLA format.