Summer Reading Literary Analysis A How-To Guide

Step 1 Analyze the prompt Summer Reading Assessment   Choose a main character from the novel. Start by brainstorming 6 - 8 adjectives that describe the character, defining who he/she is as a person. Write an introductory paragraph, including a thesis statement, telling what type of person that character is. Use the title and author of the book in your introductory paragraph. The next 3 - 4 paragraphs should each go into detail about one trait of the character. The easiest way to do this would be to choose a specific adjective to detail in each paragraph. Using the adjective, tell how that adjective describes the character. Use specific incidents from the book that “show” that trait in the character. Use at least TWO direct quotes from the book in your body paragraphs to support what you say, and include citations to credit your source. Find material that clearly SHOWS the adjective you are using to describe the character. Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the content in your essay. Do NOT simply tell the plot of your book. This is not a book report. It is a character analysis.

Prompt analysis After highlighting the instructions from the prompt, it helps to list everything you must do to write your essay. 1. Choose a character from the book 2. Write 6-8 adjectives describing the character Formulate a thesis statement using the character descriptive adjectives. Ex: In Huxley’s Brave New World, John is a stereotypical outsider who has his own opinions about life and love that do not conform to those inside of the assembly-line driven civilization.

Prompt analysis 3. The prompt explains we must use at least two (2) quotes from the text to prove or reinforce our thesis in the next 3-4 paragraphs. Look at the adjectives you selected, then using the text, find information that reinforces those adjectives and write down at least 2 direct quotes. Remember, for every line of a quote you use, you should write 2-3 lines explaining the quote.

Prompt Analysis Hint: Sometimes it is easiest to pick one or two adjectives (ideas) that describe the basic theme of the book, then find quotes from or about the character you chose that exemplify the theme. For example, a major theme in Brave New World is the emptiness of a society that values material goods more than love. The fact that John values relationships more than goods is completely counter to this theme and develops his actions throughout the book.

Prompt Analysis The prompt asks writers to use 3-4 body paragraphs to show how the character’s actions reinforce major themes or ideas in the book and to use 2 quotes directly from the text to do so. You must cite these quotes!

Citing Books by a single author All three books assigned for summer reading are written by a single author. Citing them in your essay is easy! Use the author’s last name followed by a space and the page number of the novel on which the quote is found. Ex: “The mockery made him feel an outsider; and feeling an outsider he behaved like one, which increased the prejudice against him and intensified the contempt and hostility aroused by his physical defects. Which in turn increased his sense of being alien and alone.” (Huxley 26)

Conclusion Your last paragraph should be a summary restatement of your thesis. In other words, Tell your reader what you told them and why it was important in the novel. Remember, everything you do as a writer should reinforce your thesis in a short 5-6 paragraph essay.

Literary Analysis Formulas using Character Analysis Introduction: In the (story, poem, novel), (name of story, poem novel) by (author’s name) the author (explores/examines/illustrates/demonstrates…) the theme of (happiness, sadness, isolation, science, totalitarianism…) in the character of (character's name) The (main character’s name/speaker/narrator) discovers, realizes, ascertains that… The (main character’s name/speaker/narrator) understands that people must __________ so that___________________

Body paragraphs Paragraph Topic sentence Textual Evidence (It says) Paraphrase (I say) Analysis (And so…) How does the author describe, present , utilize the character to enact or symbolize the theme? How does this affect your understanding of the text? What textual evidence supports your reasoning for why the author uses this character to represent the theme? What is the textual evidence saying (IN YOUR OWN WORDS)? What is your interpretation of this textual evidence? How does it connect to your topic sentence? The author uses______ to illustrate/convey/demonstrate/ reveal… The description on page __ is a perfect illustration of _________. In making this comment, (or doing this action) the (character or speaker) is…. From this, we can infer that… Perhaps the character is….

Providing a Conclusion Thesis or Claim rephrase Evaluation Personal Reflection Upon examination, the character of _____ in the text helps to convey the theme/idea/topic … From this analysis of (Character name) we can see that the author conveys /illustrates/demonstrates/explores /emphasizes (theme) The author’s use of this/these characters is very effective /powerful/successful because…. The effective/powerful/ successful use of (character’s name) results in….. Reading (poem/story/novel name), helps us to understand/realize that (your insight/opinion)…. This story/novel/poem is similar to _______ because ……

This essay is not a book report because…. You are analyzing only a character in the novel and how s/he or it provides an example of one of the themes in the book. THE Question to ask before picking character to write about: What is the purpose of the character in the book? (For example, Wantanabe, the prison guard in Unbroken embodies cruelty as he beats and tortures Louie. How do his actions further the theme of perseverance in the novel? ANY QUESTIONS???