Essay One: The Critical Analysis Paper Due: Thursday, March 5 In the field of literature, scholars use theory and critiques to analyze and interpret works of literature, film, and even assorted bits of popular culture. Using Lorenzo Veracinis text The Settler Colonial Present as a lens, write an argument paper that interprets one of the works we have read in this first part of this course:

Whereas by Layli Long Soldier, Homestead Act (1862), Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, The Significance of the Frontier in American History, Oscar Micheauxs The Conquest, Laura Ingalls Wilders By the Shores of Silver Lake,Should SD Farmers Be Forced to Improve Pollution Control Methods and Despite USDA Regulations, Can We Save the Big Sioux? and Rivers at Risk, Keystone Pipeline Leak and Noem Preparing Another Riot-Boosting Bill, Seeking a Second Gold Rush and Environmental Group Eyes New Uranium Mining Exploration.

**As an alternative, if you want to work with one of the articles that address a dynamic issue in S.D. such as river pollution, hemp production, or mining but find that our assigned essay has suddenly become obsolete, you are free to locate and use a different article.

Your essay should:

Introduce the work that you are analyzing and (briefly) settler colonialism in the introduction. About 3/4 page is the standard intro-length for most literary/critical analyses.

Include a bold, debatable thesis statement at the end of the introduction. What are you arguing? How does your chosen work exemplify/engage with the ideas in Veracinis book, why does it matter, or what effect does it have? Be sure to give your readers the big so what? in that thesis statement.

Include plenty of examples in your body paragraphs. Quote your chosen text and Veracini frequently to help you prove your points.

Be formatted correctly in MLA style (8th edition).

Close with a thoughtful conclusion paragraph that makes final connections for your readers.

Be at least five pages in length (not counting the works cited page).