Literary Analysis Essay Mrs. Stuckey Lake Shore High School

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine which elements I will focus on in each body paragraph 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Gather Evidence/ Fill in Outline 5. Craft an Introductory Paragraph 6. Draft the body paragraphs. 7. Write the conclusion.

Created by Barbara Tollison Attack The Prompt Racism- “I’m simply defending a Negro—his name’s Tom Robinson” (75). With these words Atticus informs Scout of his life-altering task of standing up to the prejudice and racism that pervades the sleepy southern town that was Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. Discuss the effects of racism on three Maycomb citizens such as Tom and Helen Robinson, Calpurnia, Scout, Jem, Dill, Mayella Ewell, or Dolphus Raymond. Explain what comment Harper Lee is making about racism and prejudice? Created by Barbara Tollison

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine which elements I will focus on in each body paragraph 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Gather Evidence/ Fill in Outline 5. Craft Introductory Paragraph 6. Write the body paragraphs. 7. Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Created by Barbara Tollison Writing a Good Thesis Statement The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect: it is a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay -- the point you are trying to make. Without a carefully conceived thesis, an essay has no chance of success. Created by Barbara Tollison

Created by Barbara Tollison Before you write a thesis statement, you have to decide on the theme of the story based on which prompt you chose. Consider: What is Harper Lee trying to teach us about confronting prejudice, practicing empathy, or showing courage? How have the main characters changed or what have they learned in the story? Write the theme on the lines provided on your outline. Created by Barbara Tollison

Prejudice – Character 1, Character 2, Character 3 There are four prompts from which to choose. On what three elements will you focus? These three elements will become the focus of each body paragraph. These three elements will also be referenced in your statement of order. Prejudice – Character 1, Character 2, Character 3 Empathy – Character 1, Character 2, Character 3 Courage – Character 1, Character 2, Character 3 Motif – Part I, Part II, Final Scene

What are your three elements? (characters, symbols, etc.) Write the 3 elements on which you will focus on the lines provided. Now incorporate those with your theme. Created by Barbara Tollison

Turn it in to a thesis statement: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys her theme blah blah blah through the experiences of character 1, character 2, and character 3. Or Through the experiences of character 1, character 2, and character 3, Lee shows the reader that blah blah blah (theme). Your thesis statement should include Title and author (if not stated earlier in the introduction). Three elements which will be explored A theme or lesson which your elements support

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine what material I will use for evidence. 3.Create a thesis statement. 4. Gather Evidence and fill in outline 5. Write theIntroduction 6. Write the body paragraphs 7.Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Writing the Introduction: A. Write an attention getter (shocking statement, quotation, Magic 3, etc.) B. Write a brief (no more than three sentences) explanation of plot events that create the conflict that changes the protagonist/teaches him/her about the theme). As you do this, remember to include the TAG (title, author and genre of the story, properly capitalized.) C. Thesis statement and Statement of Order: Write one or two sentences telling how the author presents the theme through your three chosen elements that you have outlined in your planner.

Sample Introduction Civil rights activist, Mahatma Ghandi once said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” Here Ghandi is telling us that personal and social transformation go hand in hand. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, some characters undergo personal transformation while others model what it means to be courageous, being the change they wish to see in the racist South during the 1930s. Through the actions and experiences of characters like Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose, and Arthur Radley, Harper Lee shows us that real courage is standing up for what is right and advocating for the disadvantaged.

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine what material I will use for evidence. 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Write an Introductory Paragraph 5. Gather Evidence and fill in outline 6. Write the Body Paragraphs 7. Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Choose the strongest Evidence Each body paragraph needs to have two pieces of textual evidence. Find the quote, copy it onto your outline, and document the page number in a citation. Created by Barbara Tollison

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine what material I will use for evidence. 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Craft Introductory Paragraph 5. Gather Evidence and fill in your outline 6. Write the body paragraphs. 7. Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Body Paragraph Format (Use Text Frames from the back of your Outline): A. Topic Sentence – introduce the element and why it is important to the theme B. Transition + Quote (Lee ____). C. Transition + Analysis – explain how your quote helps to develop the theme D. Transition + Quote (Lee ____). E. Transition + Analysis – explain how your quote helps to develop the theme F. Concluding Sentence – explain why this quote and theme is important to the reader. Created by Barbara Tollison Repeat this step at least TWO TIMES for a total of at least THREE BODY PARAGRAPHS

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine what material I will use for evidence. 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Develop an evidence chart or table. 5. Write an outline. 6. Write the body paragraphs. 7. Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Created by Barbara Tollison Outline Introductory Paragraph Attention Getter Context Thesis statement with Statement of Order Body Paragraph 1 Body Paragraph 2 Body Paragraph 3 Conclusion – DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW INFO! Restate thesis using synonyms Re-statement of theme. Sentence(s) about how the characters’ growth or motifs helped develop this theme. Write a sentence that tells how this lesson could help everyone or society as a whole. Created by Barbara Tollison

The Steps to a Good Essay: 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about. 2. Determine what material I will use for evidence. 3. Create a thesis statement. 4. Develop an evidence chart or table. 5. Write an outline. 6.Write the body paragraphs. 7. Write the conclusion. Created by Barbara Tollison

Don’t Forget… Use MLA format: Name, English 9B, Stuckey, and date in the top left hand corner. Give your essay a title. Indent at each new paragraph. Highlight your Thesis Statement blue. Don’t forget your citations (Lee #).highlight them green. Underline To Kill a Mockingbird every time you use it. Make sure you have (2) direct quotes from the book in each body paragraph. If you have time, highlight them yellow. Use language frames from Analytical Paragraph chart. If you have time highlight them pink.