English 1301 – Online Professor Cheryl Patterson Fall 2013 Review for British Literature 2322 Literary Analysis

A literary Analysis is to “examine literary texts closely to understand their messages, interpret their meanings, and appreciate their writer’s techniques” (Norton 143).

Literary Analyses (Norton ) Literary Analyses (Norton ) Understanding and interpreting meaning Exploring different points of view Performing a critical analysis

Steps to Writing a Literary Analyses (Sample ) 1. Purpose 2. Audience 3. Stance (Observation or Understanding of the Text) 4. Define, Describe, Narrate—look in terms of the text in a “larger context” the big picture, historical, social, cultural…

Generating Ideas & Text Look at your assignment What elements make up the text? What does it say? What context? Historical, Cultural, Social, Literary merit/genre… Literary: theme, tone, effect, conflict, context

Composing a strong thesis (Norton 150) Brainstorming and Planning: “Literary analysis should be specific, limited, and open to potential disagreement” Do a close reading of the text Look for patterns, context, comparison of two or more texts Formulate an argument and support with evidence (QUOTES)!!!!

Essay Design: Formulating a Thesis (Hacker 373-6) Organizing Ideas (Use Bubble Maps or an Outline) Use evidence (cite passages) with In-Text Citations Citing Sources: Avoiding Plagiarism - Hacker ( ) Proofread, Edit, Peer Review—Edit and Revise For more detailed description of Essay design refer to MLA Format Presentation.

Organizing a Literary Analysis (directly from Norton text (152) Introduce the text you are analyzing and state thesis Cite passages from the text, one-by-one and explain how each supports your thesis and your interpretation of the text Sum up your interpretation in light of your analysis Document your sources

Writing the Literary Analysis Go to the Assignment tool and follow the directions to complete your Literary Analysis Essay. Good-luck