Writing a Literature Essay Writing, writing everywhere, and we’re asking you to think

An Essay is a Chest of Drawers (Note the metaphor) WOW! What organization! Thesis Goes Here. It tells what the essay is about. SUBJECT and Opinion These are body paragraphs. Each has a Topic Sentence.

The Thesis Statement It’s the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Names the book and author. It has a Subject and an Opinion of that subject.

Thesis Example In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, innocent school boys turn into monsters as their ties to civilization deteriorate. Topic: deterioration of civilization. Opinion: innocent, monsters, Because ties are cut.

Yet Another Thesis Example In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Piggy is used to illustrate the idea that only the most physically appealing get the chance to lead, regardless of leadership ability.

More about Thesis Statements The thesis is the last sentence of an introductory paragraph. Write a working thesis to guide your rough draft. Write the intro paragraph last. After setting aside your working thesis, begin shaping your body paragraphs. Begin each body paragraph with a TOPIC SENTENCE (TS)

Topic Sentence (TS) Each body paragraph has a topic sentence (TS). It has a topic and an opinion of the topic. Example: Flies are dirty and annoying.

More TS Information “Flies” is the topic. “annoying and dirty” are opinions As a sentence, they tell what the paragraph is about: Flies are dirty and annoying. Bzzzzzzzz.

I need to find facts in here. Concrete Detail (CD) I need to find facts in here. Fact Proof Evidence Example Detail That supports the Topic Sentence (TS)

Concrete Detail (more) Only use fact from story. Don’t add any opinion in this sentence. Begin with a TRANSITION. Then LEAD IN to where in the story you are referring to. Where in the story did that come from?

Concrete detail follows Transitions for CD Concrete detail follows For example…

Example of CD For example, in the very beginning of the story,when Ralph is done swimming, he finds putting his shirt back on “strangely pleasing” (Golding 14). My name’s not Ralph.

Citing Your Source for CD For example when Piggy complains of shortness of breath, Ralph replies," sucks to your ass-mar” (Golding 12). Notice period at very end. Note only author’s name and page number in parentheses. Note TLQ: transition, lead-in, quote

Commentary: CM Commentary (CM) is you telling the reader your reason that the CD you chose is proof of your opinion in your TS . Huh? Say what?

Commentary (CM) Cont. Commentary is two sentences. They tell the reader how the CD proves the opinion in the topic sentence. Imagine you were starting each of the CM sentences with this shows that… Good commentary reflects insightful digging into the text.

Example of CM For example, in the very beginning of the story,when Ralph is done swimming, he finds putting his shirt back on “strangely pleasing” (Golding 14). While swimming naked without adults around was liberating for Ralph, the shirt gave him contact again with the civilized world. The shirt was security that there was a world out there that he still belonged to, a world with rules, and structure, and social norms.

Another CHUNK Sample In addition, in chapter four when Maurice kicked sand in Percival’s eye “Maurice still feels the unease of wrongdoing”(Golding 60). Maurice retained the memory of being punished by parents and other adults for hurting little children. This recollection evokes pangs of guilt for making Percival cry because Maurice is still bound to the ethical code of his recent past.

What a Paragraph Will Look Like TS CD For example, CM Concluding Sentence Transition to next Topic Sentence

Concluding Sentence (CS) Imagine this sentence starting out this proves that… Or, it is clear that… So in one sentence, you tell what your paragraph proves or makes crystal clear.