Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Close Reading Assignment
Due: October 2nd, 11:59PM
Word Count: 1000 words max
For this assignment, you will select ONE of the following passages and present a close reading.
Your close reading will demonstrate your awareness of literary form, genre, and context. Your
main task is to describe in detail how the text is written at the sentence level, with close attention
to style, narration, themes and/or literary devices. Your analysis will involve identifying
features of the text and explaining why they are important.
Instructions:
First, select the passage that you would like to analyze.
Remember that you are advancing a clear argument. You are answering the question: Why is this
passage important? Think about if the passage is highlighting a key theme or making a
political/social critique or comment. Your paper should have a clear structure and you will draw
a conclusion from your reading and analysis. Begin with an introductory paragraph in which you
identify the title and author of the work and give a short (1–3 sentence) overview of the story,
making note of the genre (if applicable). Next, summarize the passage in a few sentences and
explain its place and role in the story. You will end your introduction with your argument.
You can organize your body paragraphs however you want and prioritize whatever aspects of the
passage you wish. (Please note, in a very short paper like this, you will not be able to address
every single detail in your passage, although you should try to be reasonably thorough.) A good
strategy would be to focus on two or three specific aspects to discuss (e.g., tone, manner of
narration, diction, a literary device or devices, a theme or themes), which you will cover in each
respective body paragraph. It is most important that you demonstrate your ability to notice and
interpret small details in your passage. What that means is that in every body paragraph you will
be describing and interpreting sentence-level writing and considering aspects like word choices,
syntax, imagery, allusions, pacing, and repetition. Be sure to provide specific quotations from the
passage and explain the significance of the details that you describe.
In your final paragraph, summarize your analysis by stating a conclusion about the passage’s
function in the story. Your conclusion should extend from, and be supported by, the analysis that
you have provided.
Additional Instructions:
• Please format the paper according to MLA guidelines.
• Use one-inch margins, a standard font size, and double spacing. Number your pages.
• Make sure that you have an effective title that introduces your Close Reading in an
informative and creative way.
• Please do not consult the Internet or cite any secondary sources. This is not a research
assignment. The emphasis is on your own understanding of the text.
• Use a relatively formal tone. Avoid personal reflections, anecdotes, and colloquialisms.
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
• Submit your assignment on D2L as a pdf or Word document before the deadline.
Evaluation:
You are being evaluated on the following components:
1. Your demonstrated understanding of the course text.
2. The quality of your engagement with the text and the degree of closeness (detail) with
which you examine it.
3. The structure of your paper (have you followed the Instructions?)
4. Proper use of MLA formatting and citations
5. Clear, grammatical expression
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Passage One:
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Passage Two:
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Passage Three:
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Passage Four:
Fall 2025 ENGL/INDI 1116 WAO Lakehead University
Passage Five: