Writing Workshop Writing About Literature: Analyzing Fiction Mr. Lynch UMHS

Three Kinds of Essays About Literature Personal Response Write about how you felt and what you thought Passages that felt particularly meaningful Other works you were reminded of Evaluation Write about how good or bad the work is. Based on objective criteria or standards Literary Analysis Write about one or more of the elements of fiction: Characters, Plot, Setting, Point of View, Theme Posing an argument and proving that argument with examples from the text

Reference to the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge Thesis Statement Example Another example General Statement or Topic Sentence Many examples

General Statement Quotations General Statement or Topic Sentence Allusion/ Comparison with St. Francis

Conclusion

Writing Strategies for Analyzing Fiction Identify title and author Present a thesis statement End of introduction Clearly summarizes your controlling idea in a sentence or two Give a very, very, very brief plot summary Few sentences- no longer than a paragraph Make clear, general statements Also known as Topic Sentences

Strategies Continued Use present tense Refer to characters or events in the work in Present tense Support your statements More support = more understanding for your reader Quote from the text for direct examples Refer to details in the text when not needing a quote Make comparisons or allusions to other works Summarize an Expert: Do research to discover literary criticism about the work or the writer. Be sure to give due credit. Watch your tone Should be formal and serious Avoid contractions, sentence fragments, and slang

Strategies Continued ANT for introduction Attention getter: get the readers attention Rhetorical question Relevant quote from an outside source Relevant quote from the story Fact or Statistic Shocking Generalization Necessary Information Author’s full name Title of story BRIEF plot Thesis Statement Announce Topic, Make a Judgment, Signal Organization to follow

Strategies Continued TIQA for body paragraphs Topic Sentence or General Statement Ties into your thesis Has a limiting idea Introduce Quote or Specific Reference Provide Context of specific info to come Quote or Specific Reference Actual quote or EVIDENCE from the text to support your argument Analysis Your reflection on the quote…your word on what it proves or how it ties to your thesis