The AP Literary Analysis

What Exactly Is A Literary Analysis?  Makes an argument  Is not a summary  Deals with interpretation  Supported by evidence

Don’t Forget the Writing Process!  Prewriting  Rough Draft  Revising/Editing  Publishing

MLA Format  Information on the MLA format taken from the OWL at Purdue:  7/01/

MLA Format  Type your paper  Use 8.5 x 11-inch paper  Double space the paper  Use a legible font  For this class, please use Times New Roman  Use 12 pt. font size

MLA Format  Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).  Use 1 inch margins on all sides  Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

MLA Format  Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.

MLA Format—The First Page  Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.  In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

MLA Format—The First Page  Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.  Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text

MLA Format—The First Page  Double space between the title and the first line of the text.  Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

Sample First Page

In-Text Citations Cite the Author’s last name and the page number(s)  “The funny thing is, though, I was sort of thinking of something else while I shot the bull” (Salinger 13).

In-Text Citations  When citing verse, be sure to include act (in upper-case Roman numerals), scene (in lower-case Roman numerals), and line numbers.  Separate act, scene and line numbers with periods.  Othello suggests that “It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul. / Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! / It is the cause”(V.ii.1-3).

Short Quotations  To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks.  Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation

Short Quotations  Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.

Short Quotations  Mark breaks in short quotations of verse with a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse: (a space should precede and follow the slash)  Shakespeare romantically says, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate”(1-2).  ***Do not forget to provide the line numbers

Long Quotations  For quotations that are four or more lines of verse or prose: place quotations in a free- standing block of text and omit quotation marks.  Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing.

Long Quotations  Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs.  Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)

Long Quotations

 When citing long sections of poetry, keep formatting as close to the original as possible

Long Quotations  Single-Speaker Passages (Drama)  Cite the quoted text exactly like prose fiction  If it is written in verse form, include line divisions  Block the text if it is four lines or longer

Long Quotations  Multiple Speaker Passages (Drama)  Block Text  Identify the speaker (all capital letters, followed by a period)  Type the lines of dialogue  If the lines are written in verse form, type them exactly as they appear in the text

Long Quotations  Example of a multiple-speaker quotation

The Thesis Statement  Found in the introduction  Clearly states the argument you are trying to validate  Your entire paper should focus on defending and proving the thesis

What Makes A Thesis Effective?  Clear  Specific  Debatable (not a statement of fact)  Holden’s cynicism illuminates the theme of corruption and the protection of childhood innocence.  Notice how this is a statement of fact and not a debatable argument.

What Makes A Thesis Effective?  Original  Stated as a complete sentence (in some cases, especially with longer papers, multiple sentences will be necessary)  Appropriate to the assignment

Helpful Hints  Assume your readers have read the literature  Do not summarize the plot

Helpful Hints  It is proper to use the present tense when writing about literature  Incorrect:  Holden believed childhood innocence was corrupted by the vulgarity of the adult world.  Correct:  Holden believes the vulgarity of the adult world corrupts the innocence of childhood.

Helpful Hints  Titles of poems, stories and essays should be put in quotation marks  Titles of books, plays and periodicals should be underlined or italicized

Helpful Hints  The first time you mention an author, use his or her full name  For all later references, the last name is sufficient  Do not reference the author by first name only  J.D Salinger is the author of The Catcher in the Rye. J.D. is an excellent writer.  Avoid this

Helpful Hints  Avoid the use of great praise when discussing the author or the text.  The Catcher in the Rye is a brilliant piece of literature.

Helpful Hints  Avoid writing in the first person  The use of the first person shifts the reader’s focus towards you and away from your argument

Helpful Hints  Avoid writing in the passive voice  Passive constructions hide the question of who is doing the action  INCORRECT  Holden is described as a tragic hero by Salinger.  CORRECT  Salinger describes Iago as a tragic hero.

Helpful Hints  Distinguish between the author’s voice and the character’s voice  INCORRECT  Salinger says, “’I oughta go down and at least say hello to her,’” (32).  CORRECT  Holden says, “’I oughta go down and at least say hello to her,’” (32).

Helpful Hints  Give your paper a title  A title gives your reader a clue as to what the paper will be about  Avoid restating the name of the assignment (i.e. Literary Analysis)  Avoid restating the name of the particular piece of literature (i.e. The Catcher in the Rye)

Helpful Hints  Your voice should be your most articulate conversational tone  Conversational tone is not equivalent to a casual tone  Avoid using an inflated vocabulary—this makes you sound pompous and often creates an unnecessary complexity to your writing

Helpful Hints  Avoid the use of contractions in formal writing  Do not use slang

Helpful Hints  Focus on organization  Focus on development  Focus on clarity  Focus on providing evidence to validate your argument  Focus on fine-tuning your argument  A paper that discusses one issue will always be superior to a paper that superficially examines many

Helpful Hints  BE ORIGINAL  The last thing an instructor wants is a written description of a class discussion.  Avoid writing the “safe” paper. At the same time, do not write on a topic that is so “off-the-wall” that it can not be supported with evidence.