Literary Essay Writing Ms. Gilpin Thesis Statements Literary Essay Writing Ms. Gilpin

Thesis Statements

Thesis Statement Practice How does Orwell develop the theme of power in Animal Farm? Index card With a partner Time to find partner: 60 sec

All thesis statements should include three main components WHAT HOW SO WHAT

All thesis statements should include three main components WHAT Argument Must be debatable Must be able to be supported with FACTS/QUOTES What’s going on? What do you see?

All thesis statements should include three main components HOW Specific Argument Detail Literary devices, techniques… How do you see that What inside? How is it shown to the reader? How does the author do it?

What could we write about? Which make the most sense for this essay? HOW Needs to be Techniques What could we write about? We brainstormed in class Which make the most sense for this essay? Characterization is a big one!

All thesis statements should include three main components SO WHAT Argument depth Connection to history, to the work as a whole, to the author’s worldview… So what? Why does this matter?

SO WHAT? Theme Statements What is Orwell trying to say? Use these to connect the theme concept (one word) into the So What What is Orwell trying to say? Hint: He’s not trying to just say “power” 

What a “text” is really about is called it’s theme We talk about theme in two ways: Theme Concept: the topic the text is really about– sometimes this is hidden through figurative language Theme Statement: the author’s specific message about that topic, this is created by how the author writes about the subject

Examples! Hands and sleep in Shakespeare's Macbeth symbolize Lady Macbeth's corruption illustrating that power obtained through corrupt means ultimately leads to destruction.

Examples! In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses fire imagery to allude to the myth of Prometheus, demonstrating the unanticipated detriments of enlightenment.

Essay Prompts 1. How does Orwell develop one of the following themes? ○ Power ○ Ignorance ○ Education ○ Corruption 2. What is the function of propaganda and language in political and social oppression?

Body Thesis Statements

Semester 2 Literary Analysis: Thesis Example The characterization of Animal Farm’s eventual leaders, the pigs, illustrates the many effects of the intoxicating nature of power. Body Thesis Statements must link back to the thesis. If you’re used to the list model, consider transforming that list into your body thesis statements.

Outlining

WRITING AN OUTLINE: Thesis: Main idea 1 Textual evidence to support main idea 1 Analysis of textual evidence Textual evidence to support main idea Main idea 2 Main idea 3 etc. Analysis should explain the link between the evidence and your claim in your thesis!

They could be a sentence, a phrase, even a single word! Quotes Quote should be brief. They could be a sentence, a phrase, even a single word! They should almost never be longer than one sentence or two(ish) lines.

Quotes “Comrades!” he cried. “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself! Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (and this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,” cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, “surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?” (22). This shows Squealer’s ability to trick the animals into believing that luxuries for the pigs benefit the whole farm. Squealer justifies the pigs’ indulgence in luxuries by explaining that they eat apples and milk “to preserve [their] health” because they are “brain- workers” and therefore essential to the management of the farm (22).

Do not only explain what’s going on. (That’s just a summary.) Analysis Do not only explain what’s going on. (That’s just a summary.) Make it PAINFULLY CLEAR how this quote supports your argument. Remember: Imagine I’m dumb! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯