Demystifying Explication Essays: Crafting a Perfect Explication Essay

Introduction: Embarking on the journey of writing an explication essay requires a keen eye for detail and an understanding of the nuances within a text. In this guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of crafting a perfect explication essay, drawing inspiration from proven guidelines and strategies.

Unraveling the Basics: Before we delve into the steps, let's grasp the foundational aspects outlined in a recent article. The author emphasizes the need for a close reading of the material, particularly when dealing with poetry. Explication essays, as revealed, dissect sentences, passages, poems, verses, or texts to offer a detailed interpretation. The critical components include a clear thesis in the introduction, supported analysis, and a succinct conclusion.

Step 1: Selecting the Passage: Much like our source suggests, the initial step involves choosing the right passage. Focus on a central line, paragraph, or sentence that aligns with the core idea you wish to explore. This passage should act as a microcosm, encapsulating the essence of the entire work.

Step 2: Navigating the Explication Process:

1. Resisting Plot Summaries: Echoing the sentiments of the article, we emphasize the importance of avoiding plot summaries. Instead, concentrate on providing a unique interpretation of the selected passage.
2. Exploring Word Choice: Building upon the article's insight, delve into the author's choice of words. Unpack the significance of phrases, recognizing that words provide the tone and context, shaping the interpretation of the work.
3. Author's Credibility: Aligning with the source, establish the author's credibility. Recognize that understanding the author's qualifications allows you to discern potential biases, offering confidence in the context of the literary work.

Step 3: Crafting Your Explication Essay:

1. Length and Format: As highlighted in the article, maintain a concise yet informative approach, aiming for a 3-page paper (700-900 words) in MLA format.
2. Quoting Passages: Echoing the effectiveness emphasized in the source, employ direct quotations to substantiate your interpretation. This ensures a robust foundation for your arguments.
3. Tying to the Overall Meaning: Reiterating the article's stance, ensure a seamless connection between the chosen passage and the overarching meaning of the story. This integration is pivotal for a successful explication.

Examples of Effective Explication Papers:

• Example 1: [Brief description and key points]
• Example 2: [Brief description and key points]
• Example 3: [Brief description and key points]

Step 4: Tips for Success:

1. Polishing Your Writing: Drawing from the article's recommendation, invest time in polishing your writing. Consider a grammar check to ensure clarity and coherence.
2. Infusing Creativity: As emphasized in the source, infuse creativity into your interpretation. Your unique perspective should shine through, enhancing the overall quality of your explication.

Explication Essay Example

The Explication of the Yellow Wallpaper

The short story presents the descent of a young woman into madness. She is confined for sometimes in a nursery within a summer home. She spends all her time inside the nursery and dedicates most of her time writing about a wallpaper she finds wired and intriguing. She describes the wallpaper as having a different shade of yellow, one she had never seen before, and the patterns were evolving the longer she stayed there. In the end, her obsession over it drives her mad. This is an explication essay that will break down the story and provide different points of view from the story and try to present the intention of the writer when writing the book

The story explores the role of women in a patriarchal society. This is a society characterized by men having complete authority over women. In such a society all aspects of the lives of women are controlled by the men and were widely accepted in the American society decades ago. The men were established as the gender of authority and controlled all situations. According to the story, John the husband of the narrator makes a diagnosis of her and concludes that she has a temporal nervous depression which she acquired after giving birth to their child. As a result of this condition, he concludes that she has to be confined to the nursery of the summer home they have rented where she can rest. In this situation, the narrator has no control over her health. She is left in complete control of her husband even though he misunderstands her condition. The patriarchal aspect is also depicted with the limited roles women had in the society.

The medical establishment of the time is also characterized by high aspects of patriarchal. Women are given fixed gender roles which are associated with their confinement to homes. The lives of women during the time completely revolves around the home while men carry out all the other aspect of the society. This strict confinement of gender roles is a factor of the control men have exerted to women. As a result, women have limited skills and are completely dependent on the efforts and decisions made by men. The men have assigned the roles of the heads of the family and rational thinkers.

The women one the other hand have been assigned the role of being dutiful, confined at home and cannot question the authority of the husbands. The Yellow wallpaper offers a depiction of a couple completely lost and trapped in their gender role and are both suffering from it. The narrator is completely sure that her husband has misunderstood her nervous condition. However, she is not in any position to question his diagnosis, let alone his judgment, she, later on, loses touch with reality as she descends into psychosis as a result of confinement to the small nursery where she spends the summer with nothing else to do but to stare at the wallpaper. It is set in a highly authoritative period where women had limited control over aspects of their lives. They were forced to be over-dependent on their husbands in all aspects of their lives. The high overdependence meant that any error in judgment also fell on the women even though they also had some clear understanding of what revolved around them.

The medical establishment of the time is also controlled by men. They use the aspect of medicine to control women. It is an establishment the narrator describes as lacking a full understanding of the mental health issues that affect women they have generalized it to hysteria. This aspect of generalization of health conditions of women is very risky because it led to the misunderstanding of their health conditions. A good example is a story where the narrator’s husband used the rest cure as the main treatment, and this was completely out of the line. The husband used the rest cure because of lack of adequate understanding of the problem she is suffering from only does so to regain control over the situation. This situation also brings out the aspects of strict gender roles that has kept the couple suffering. The rest cure was also a treatment used to control women by confining them to the house. Her confinement limited her from spending time with her child, and she dreaded it very much. She felt like she was imprisoned.

The story of yellow wallpaper is, therefore, effective in bringing out the problems women have suffered from for many years. They have been victims of oppression and exploitation form a very long time. They have had all aspects of their lives in the hands of men and dependent on them in all aspects. It brings out the factor of lack of understanding and misdiagnosis of mental conditions affecting women. Many women suffered in the hands of the medical establishment as a result of poor diagnosis and treatment.

Works Cited

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The yellow wallpaper. First Avenue Editions, a Division Of Lerner Publishing Group, 2017.