Literary Analysis Comp 4 LAP 4

Literary Analysis A literary analysis explains a work of fiction, poetry, or drama by means of interpretations. The goal of a literary analysis (as with any other analysis) is to broaden and deepen your understanding of a work of literature. As with any analysis, this requires you to break the subject down into its component parts. Examining the different elements of a piece of literature is not an end in itself but rather processes to help you better appreciate and understand the work of literature as a whole.

Lit Analysis (explained) Bring something to the text that is not already there. Choose a piece of literature that interests you. Choose an element that you understand Research the piece of literature and the element before you decide on your topic.

Objective Your objective in writing a literary analysis essay is to convince the person reading your essay that you have supported the idea you are developing. Unlike ordinary conversation and classroom discussion, writing must stick with great determination to the specific point of development. This kind of writing demands organization and cohesiveness.

Principles of the Literary Analysis 1. Your essay must cover the topic you are writing about. 2. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development. 3. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea.

Literary Analysis Expectations 800-1000 words (with word count) APA Format Minimum of 3 sources Clear thesis statement Evidence of a beginning, middle, and end Proper organization, conventions, and fluency Formal outline submitted on time Peer Edit in class Essay submitted to teacher and to turnitin.com

Literary Analysis Format Introduction Usually general background on book, author, or topics covered MUST include authors’ names and titles somewhere Thesis Statement Last sentence of your introduction Quotes for Support Used throughout body paragraphs to PROVE thesis Conclusion Ties up paper and pushes reader back out into the world

Introduction INTRODUCTION: the first paragraph in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader for your major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other background may include setting, an introduction of main characters, etc. The major thesis goes in this paragraph usually at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, make special attempts to link it to the sentence that precedes it by building on a key word or idea.

Components of the Introduction Creative Opening/Hook: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catches the reader’s interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following: A startling fact or bit of information A snatch of dialogue between two characters A meaningful quotation (from the book you are analyzing or another source) A universal idea A rich, vivid description of the setting

Thesis Statement Thesis: a statement that provides the subject and overall opinion of your essay. For a literary analysis your major thesis must: 1. Relate to the theme of the work; and 2. Suggest how this theme is revealed by the author. A good thesis may also suggest the organization of the paper.

Body Paragraphs Topic sentence C-Lead-in to textual evidence 1 Q-Textual evidence 1 E-Commentary C-Transition and lead-in to textual evidence 2 Q-Textual evidence 2 Concluding or clincher sentence

Body Paragraphs (continued) Topic Sentence: the first sentence of a body or support paragraph. It identifies one aspect of the major thesis and states a primary reason why the major thesis is true. Textual Evidence: a specific example from the work used to provide evidence for your topic sentence. Textual evidence can be a combination of paraphrase and direct quotation from the work. Commentary: your explanation and interpretation of the textual evidence. Commentary tells the reader what the author of the text means or how the textual evidence proves the topic sentence. Commentary may include interpretation, analysis, argument, insight, and/or reflection. (Helpful hint: In your body paragraph, you should have twice as much commentary as textual evidence. In other words, for every sentence of textual evidence, you should have at least two sentences of commentary.) Transitions: words or phrases that connect or “hook” one idea to the next, both between and within paragraphs. Transition devices include using connecting words as well as repeating key words or using synonyms. Lead-in: phrase or sentence that prepares the reader for textual evidence by introducing the speaker, setting, and/or situation. Clincher/Concluding Sentence: last sentence of the body paragraph. It concludes the paragraph by tying the textual evidence and commentary back to the thesis.

Quotes/Paraphrases Quotes must support thesis Whenever you use a quote: Context: what’s happening in the story? Quote: the direct words from the story Explanation: how the quote supports your thesis Explain the quote for twice as long as the quote is… AVOID starting sentences with a quote

Conclusion CONCLUSION: last paragraph in your essay. This paragraph should begin by echoing your major thesis without repeating the words exactly. Then, the conclusion should broaden from the thesis statements to answer the “so what?” question your reader may have after reading your essay. The conclusion should do one or more of the following: Reflect on how your essay topic relates to the book as a whole Evaluate how successful the author is in achieving his or her goal or message Give a personal statement about the topic Make predictions Connect back to your creative opening Give your opinion of the novel’s value or significance

General Lit Analysis Rules Use present tense for what’s happening in the work of literature Demetrius loves Hermia (not loved Hermia) Isobel travels in time (not traveled) EXCEPTIONS: Information on life of a dead author (Shakespeare lived in the 1500’s) Information from the literature that happens before the main clause of your sentence (Although Demetrius loved Hermia at the beginning of the play, once the potion is applied, he loves Helena.) Use Academic/Formal writing Third person only (no I/you/we) No contractions No slang

Additional Strategies Avoid summarizing the work analyzed. Narrow the scope of your response. Pre-write to explore the topic & develop a thesis. Support your thesis with evidence from the text. Avoid extensive direct quotations. Write in the present tense. After writing the first draft, review the work and examine your thesis and supporting evidence. Proofread & re-write – READ OUTLOUD

Choosing a Piece of Literature “The Lottery” “Young Goodman Brown” “Cask of Amontillado” “The Fall of the House of Usher” “The Yellow Wallpaper” Oedipus The Kite Runner

Choosing an Element Character- change in a character Characterization-how the author develops characters Conflict Point of View Setting Symbolism Irony Note: If there is a piece of literature and/or element not listed and you would like to analyze it, please see Mrs. Hackworth for approval.