Scarlet Letter Literary Analysis It’s not that scary . . .

Choose your topic How does sin/evil affect one of the main characters? How does Hawthorne use symbolism to convey the meaning of man’s guilt or depravity? How does Hawthorne use names to imply character personalities? How does Hawthorne use the scaffold to highlight the motifs of guilt and repentance? *You may choose a different topic if you clear it with me first. Your topic must be narrow enough (yet have enough evidence) to argue fully in three paragraphs. I don’t want to see shallow papers.

Find your support Use your question sheet to locate passages that talk about your topic. Look for passages where a symbol is first introduced before searching the rest of the book for references. Try a study site like Spark Notes to get an overview of each chapter to help you more quickly locate the information you need.

The Guidelines Essay Format (by paragraph) Introduction and Thesis statement Reason 1 and quote support (quotes and explanations) (3-4 sentences) Reason 2 and quote support (quotes and explanations) (3-4 sentences) Reason 3 and quote support (quotes and explanations) (3-4 sentences) Restatement and concluding thought (what lesson can the reader take away from this paper?)

Reminder This is NOT an observation paper. You are not telling the reader what you SEE. Take what you see and analyze it. Ask yourself, “Why is this important? What is it doing?”

Working on the Thesis Your thesis must provide context. Include the author’s name and the work’s title in a phrase Your thesis must focus on an element within the work (theme, symbol, location, etc.) Your thesis must use the active voice Your thesis must make a positive statement about something that you must prove

Positive statement (using active voice) that you must prove Example Thesis Context: author and title Within Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, plot development showcases the theme of human justice. Positive statement (using active voice) that you must prove Element of focus (theme)

Working on the Outline Thesis statement I. Reason 1 II. Reason 2 III. Reason 3 Restatement Reason 1 First support Quote Explanation Second support

Example Outline Thesis statement: Within Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, plot development showcases the theme of human justice. I. Edmond faces a false accusation and wrongful imprisonment. II. Edmond uses his time in prison to plan his revenge. III. Edmond finds and punishes those who had ruined his life. Restatement: Human justice intertwines itself as a major theme within the plot of Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo.

The Guidelines Looks 12 point font Times New Roman Double spaced All pertinent information in top corners Non-boring Title

The Guidelines Quotes At least 4 from Scarlet Letter At least 1 from outside essay (I may take out this requirement…) Use your handouts to help you with quotation formatting and placement.

Citation Information Website Bibliography in MLA http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstylei d=0&stylebox=1 Bibliography in MLA Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Dover Publications, 1994. Print.