Essay Structure – 5 paragraphs Introduction (3 sentences) including a thesis (your argument) Three body paragraphs, each set up with a: Topic sentence Detail / evidence (quote) / explanation Conclusion paragraph (restates argument. Comes to final idea or provides a further insight

Introduction A literary analysis is a paper that gives a deep and illuminating explanation of a literary work--it is a Critical Interpretation. We will learn how to formulate a deep thesis, organize a paper coherently, and use a number of different critical methods

Creating a Thesis The thesis should state the ARGUMENT of your essay. It is the beating heart of your essay. It should be clear and understandable It should be deep, something that not everyone would think of IT IS THE LAST SENTENCE OF YOUR INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH It should be new and original

Creating a Thesis Modify (change) your working thesis as you continue to interact with your research and the text Make sure your whole essay connects to your thesis

Creating a Thesis Don’t be afraid to modify your thesis even after you’ve begun writing the body of your paper—it’s better to change it than to have a bad one Spend the body of your paper arguing that your thesis provides an interpretation which is clearly supported by the text. Do not deviate from discussion related to your thesis

How do I support a thesis statement? Examples from the text Direct quotations Summaries of scenes/action Paraphrases Other critics’ opinions Historical and social context

Good examples of a thesis Through the characters of Melinda, Ivy and Heather, Anderson’s Speak depicts the difficulties of the high school experience. S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders relies upon the use of colour symbolism to illustrate innocence, danger and hope in the lives of adolescents.

Tips for Writing the Body TOPIC SENTENCES are first sentence in each body paragraph Begin by finding common threads among the items supporting your thesis—oftentimes, writing an outline helps this process along Begin writing with the body, making sure that each paragraph centers on one specific idea Make sure that the topic sentence of each paragraph demonstrates a link between the content of the paragraph and your thesis statement

Go hit a home run! Conclusion 3-4 sentences Repeat your thesis, but in different words. End with a big idea or statement about your topic. Go hit a home run!