Rough Draft of Literary Analysis Lord of the Flies Rough Draft of Literary Analysis

Follow each step of this process Highlight/underline the first sentence of your essay Does it compel a reader’s attention? Make a note to return to this important opening sentence

Follow each step of this process Move to the next several sentences of your introduction Do you provide a brief yet adequate summary of the novel? Do you italicize the title of the novel? Do you introduce the author by first and last name?

Follow each step of this process On to the thesis Is your thesis accurate? In other words, does it give a strong indication of what the rest of your essay will be about? Is it clearly worded? The forecast: This part is optional but can guide the reader toward how you are going to prove your thesis

Follow each step of this process Draw a line at the end of every sentence Are most of your sentences three to four lines long? Are your sentences nearly all the same length? Is there variety in your sentence structures?

Follow each step of this process Scan your essay for repetitious word choices and overused words If you notice words repeated several times in the same paragraph, find alternative ways of expression Get rid of these words: different, really, great, awesome

Follow each step of this process Check sentence openings Circle any sentence that begins with: This is/These are/ These were. Scan to see if you have a series of sentences that begin with “He.” Make sure there is NO use of “I,” “we,” or “you” unless these words are used in quotes. Cross out use of “this quote shows.”

Follow each step of this process Circle all contractions and spell them out Look for places where you could use literary terms in place of other words For example: Use “Novel” instead of “book” Don’t use phrases like “Golding talks about” or “the book talks about” When referencing the Golding article, the title should look like this: “Lord of the Flies as Fable” Following these steps will help to raise your diction and add to your credibility! Remember: This is a formal essay, usually written for an academic audience.

Follow each step of this process Examine your conclusion Don’t begin with “Finally,” “In conclusion,” or “Thus.” Does your conclusion introduce new material or ideas? Does your conclusion explore the significance of your thesis? Did you end with an echo of your attention getter or with a sentence that will leave an impression on your reader?