A NALYTICAL WRITING

W HAT IS “A NALYTICAL W RITING ”? Writing that asks the questions “Why” and “How” Writing that challenges both its writer and its readers to look beyond surface presentations, and disassemble “complete things” to examine their parts. Writing that proposes and expresses an informed and supported point of view

W HAT ’ S M AKES I T A N A NALYSIS E SSAY ? A Successful Analysis Essay Consists of THREE Compontents Introduction : Introduces the topic, summarizes what the essay will be about, presents an original argument (THESIS STATEMENT!) Body/Supporting Paragraphs : supports and furthers the claims made by the Thesis Statement using specific examples from your text and expanding on and explaining information. Conclusion: Restates the Thesis and ties up loose ends.

W HAT IS “T HESIS S TATEMENT ”? A “thesis statement” is your argument. Any piece of writing should have a recognizable thesis statement if the argument is sufficiently developed. What does it do? If it is well crafted, a thesis statement is a snapshot of your paper; it prepares the reader for the experience they are about to have.

W HAT D OES A T HESIS S TATEMENT L OOK L IKE ? Unacceptable Thesis Statement (F-D range) The Hunger Games is a novel about the role of entertainment media in civilized cultures. Acceptable Thesis Statement (C-B- range) Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games uses setting, class systems, and cultural circumstances to explore the role of entertainment media in civilized cultures. Preferred Thesis Statement (B-A range) Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, makes a bold claim regarding the role of entertainment media in civilized cultures. Through the use of futuristic settings, rigid socio- political class systems and exaggerated cultural circumstances Collins explores the terrifying possibilities of our culture’s obsession with “reality television.”

Based on the above “Thesis Statement,” what would you expect the essay to include?

W HAT IS A T HESIS S TATEMENT M ADE O F ? Argument: Collins explores the terrifying possibilities of our culture’s obsession with “reality television.” Primary Source: Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games Means of Support: Through the use of futuristic settings, rigid socio-political class systems and exaggerated cultural circumstances

H OW TO W RITE A T HESIS S TATEMENT [I argue that] Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, makes a bold claim regarding the role of entertainment media in civilized cultures. [It does this] Through the use of futuristic settings, rigid socio- political class systems and exaggerated cultural circumstances [This paper will use this information to explain how] Collins explores the terrifying possibilities of our culture’s obsession with “reality television.” Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, makes a bold claim regarding the role of entertainment media in civilized cultures. Through the use of futuristic settings, rigid socio-political class systems and exaggerated cultural circumstances Collins explores the terrifying possibilities of our culture’s obsession with “reality television.”

W HAT I S A P ARAGRAPH ? A paragraph is a substantial (in size and content) length of writing, within a larger piece. ie: More than a sentence, less than an page. What does a paragraph do? A paragraph is what a writer uses to organize his/her thoughts in order to manipulate the reader’s experience of the material they are presenting. In an Analysis: a paragraph furthers the author’s main point, clarifying his or her position by connecting smaller related claims, and uses information (from a credible source) to support the author’s thesis statement.

W HAT I S A S UPPORTING P ARAGRAPH M ADE O F ? A Topic Sentence: This is the first sentence of any paragraph. It clearly indicates to the reader what the topic of the paragraph (or section) will be. Supporting Sentences: These sentences will make up the body of the paragraph. Transition Sentence: the sentence that leads you out of one topic and into another, while enforcing the overall connection between the two.

T OPIC S ENTENCE A “Topic Sentence” works much in the same way a “Thesis Statement” works. It introduces what the paragraph will be about It states its individual focus It connects its focus to the essays main argument EX: Collins uses an exaggeratedly rigid socio-economic class system to call attention to our current reality television viewing habits and proposes a worst case scenario if this obsession continues with any change.

S UPPORTING S ENTENCES Here is where you will: Explain how the topic of this paragraph supports your overall claim. Explain why this topic is important to your argument. You will give the reader an example of this topic (use evidence from your source—in the form of quotes and paraphrases—to prove how your topic exists in harmony with your thesis) Explain why and how this evidence is crucial to your argument, making certain that your reader understands the connection very clearly.

T RANSITION S ENTENCES Once you have adequately supported your topic using evidence that has been thoroughly explained, it is your job to advance your argument by “transitioning” between two topics. A Transition Must: Conclude the business of the previous paragraph Introduce the forthcoming paragraph Indicate a connection between the previous, and the forthcoming paragraphs as well as suggest a connection to the overall argument. Transitions are complicated —often the most complicated and time consuming parts of writing a paper. You may find it helpful to write full paragraphs and come back to the transition sentences once your argument in fully formed and develop. You should do this because once you know the shape of your argument you will understand better how the paragraphs fit together.

Collins uses an exaggeratedly rigid socio-economic class system to call attention to our current reality television viewing habits and propose a worst case scenario if this obsession continues without any change. In The Hunger Games the citizens of Panem are forced to view and participate in the annual Hunger Games, a televised event in which 24 children are selected from the impoverished districts and forced to fight to the death for the amusement of the citizens of the Capitol. In this practice the country’s very rich eagerly anticipate and accept the chance to view the suffering of those they consider their social lessers. It is a theme that we see in our current viewing habits; programs like Cops, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Repo Wars, and MTV’s Trailer Fabulous as well as many others allow middle-class to wealthy viewers a voyeuristic look into the lives of the economically depressed for their entertainment. These programs allow viewers the chance to watch someone’s life as if it was fiction. Collins tackles this issue in a variety of ways, but nowhere more clearly than in the presentation of the tributes once they are brought to the Capitol. The exaggerated district costumes of the tribute parade and the shallow/insipid interview questions asked by Caesar Flickerman only serve to transform the very real children going into the arena into characters. It makes them unreal caricatures of people, making them easy for the audience to distance themselves from and by extension allows the Capitol citizens to dismiss the seriousness of the poverty in the districts. The Hunger Games clearly uses the dramatic differences between the rich and the poor to draw a connection between the Capitol’s treatment and acceptance of the exploitation of the districts to our own culture of dismissing and diminishing the poor to one dimensional stereotypes, and hypothesizes that if left unchecked our own future could look shockingly similar to the one imagined in Collins’ mind.

P RACTICE In Partners Choose an a topic from The Hunger Games that interests you. Write THREE practice “Thesis Statements” (Unacceptable, Acceptable, & Preferred) Explain how it developed along the way Write a “Topic Sentence” for each of THREE body paragraphs Create an outline for each paragraph.