Literary Analysis - Central Idea on Cynthia Ozick’s The Shawl

Remember: every element you write about in your essays is tied directly to Central Idea. This is what the basis and support of your essays should be. Solely. The author has a thousand choices to make and has made the decision to use these particular elements based on what he or she is trying to say in the short story, what the theme is.
“Rules”
Do not refer to the author by first name only. Use a mixture of:
Last name only
Full name
“the author”
“the writer”
When writing about fiction, the actions in the story are always written about in present tense. I will not point out every instance of it done incorrectly in your essay.
Try to avoid first and second person whenever possible.
In your introduction must be the title, the author, a brief brief synopsis of the main points of the story and the central idea. Later on, the elements of fiction being discussed may also be included.
Short story titles are put in quotation marks. Thus, when referring to “The School” or other stories it is punctuated like this.
Essay 1………………. Tuesday, September 13th on one of the following stories:
“Pig” ………………………………………………..by Roald Dahl
"Painted Ocean, Painted Ship" …………by Rebecca Makkai
“The Husband Stitch” ………………………by Carmen Maria Machado
“The Knowers” ………………………………..by Helen Phillips

Central Idea paper --- 300 – 500 words (+ / - 50) and at least two paragraphs: an intro and a body paragraph. Your introduction will include the author’s name, the title of the story, and a very brief synopsis of the story in which only the main points are covered. The last sentence of the first paragraph is a good place to identify the story’s central idea. The words “central idea” would be helpful if used.
A second paragraph will use textual evidence from the story usually in the form of quotations and paraphrasing in order to support your central idea. ***This is the main point of the essay and all the subsequent essays. Support what you claim is the central idea.
Use MLA format and cite the work at the end of the essay.

Essay 2………………. Friday, September 30th on one of the following stories:
Jim Shepard’s ……………………………….“Trample the Dead, Hurdle the Weak”
George Saunders’ ………………………...“Victory Lap”
Kristen Roupenian’s ……………………..“Cat Person” (online or I will provide for you).
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah………….“Zimmer Land”

Character and Conflict --- 750 - 1000 words. Will include everything you did for the Central Idea paper along with a brief discussion of the single primary and one, or at the most two, secondary characters. You will need to identify whether each character is static or dynamic, whether they are round or flat, and how they are presented, directly or indirectly. Please back this up with textual evidence.
Furthermore, identify the primary and the secondary conflicts, and whether each one is internal or external. Include whether a resolution is present or not and what actions are taken toward resolution. As always, back this up with textual evidence using MLA format and cite the work at the end of the essay also using MLA format.
Essay 3………………. Friday, October 14th on one of the following stories:
Russell Banks’……………………………….“Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story”
Philip Roth’s…………………………………“Conversion of the Jews”
Lisa Taddeo’s……………………………….“Forty-Two”

Point of View --- 500 words. Will include everything you did for the Central Idea essay along with identification of the story’s point of view. Use textual evidence. Explain why the particular point of view is especially effective for the story. This will take some real thought and effort in many cases. Don’t forget the MLA format and cite the work at the end of the essay.
Essay 4………………. Friday, October 28th on one of the following stories:
“Fugue” ……………………………by Maryse Meijer
“Desiree’s Baby” ………….…..by Kate Chopin
“Invierno” ………………………..by Junot Diaz

Setting --- 500 words. Will include everything you did for the Central Idea paper along with identification of the three main aspects of setting: physical, temporal, and social in your third paragraph. Discuss the significance of the setting, why is it so important to the story, in your fourth paragraph. Think about how the story would be different if it happened in another time and place. As always, back this up with textual evidence using MLA format and cite the work at the end of the essay also using MLA format.

Essay 5………………. Friday, November 18th on one of the following stories:
“The Swan as a Metaphor for Love” …………………….by Amelia Gray
“The Shawl” …………………………………………………………by Cynthia Ozick
“Pee on Water” ……………………………………………………by Rachel B. Glaser

Language and Tone paper --- 1000 – 1500 words. Will include everything you did for the Central Idea paper along with identification of at least three of the devices of language that we will discuss in class. Each language device should get its own paragraph. Use textual analysis as always. Examine how these devices add to the overall artistic unity of the story as well as how they relate to the other key elements. Please mention elements besides Central Idea here.
This essay will also include identification of the tone of the story in its own paragraph. Please devote a paragraph each to the key elements which work together to make up the story’s tone. As always, back this up with textual evidence using MLA format and cite the work at the end of the essay also using MLA format.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Oh, and could you please state the Central idea in the first paragraph's last sentence? and also, can you write the central idea detailed?