For Seniors!

Your paper needs a title Make sure your title is not too vague or cute Never use a semi-colon in a title- they’re only for sentences Capitalize all key words Suggested Format: Topic: Interesting Phrase Ex: Frankenstein: Shelley and the Danger of Ambition

Advice about BTSs: In every BTS, you should connect back to the thesis Each BTS should have a so-what that shows the greater significance of the thesis statement in that paragraph

Advice about Evidence: Lead-Ins: Lead-ins still are a challenge for many. Here are the stages of a developing lead-in: Not Getting It: “Just starting the sentence with a quote and using no lead in.” Starting to Get It: Using the number of the scene to give context: In Act one, scene two, lines 25-30, “A pair of star crossed lovers take their life.” You Get It: Using textual details and a “said word” to integrate the quote fluently When Friar Lawrence asks Romeo in the garden, he argues “blah blah blah.”

Advice about Analysis: Analysis of evidence: Is not posed as a rhetorical question (answer the question instead) Does not begin with “It shows …” or similar Is not speculative (contains the word would, should, could, etc. …) Does not merely summarize the plot of the novel

Advice about Analysis: Avoid Absolutes “Restrictions are enforced by all members of society.” “In the darkest of times, when all hope is lost, there is always one person that tries to save the day and fix everything.” Add adjectives before key nouns so you don’t miss an opportunity to characterize the noun with an adjective, thereby showing your detailed analysis

For Formal Academic Voice: No use of I, You, Me, Myself, the reader, one, etc … No slang No contractions No vague words: It, Things, Stuff …

For Formal Academic Voice: Vary sentence beginnings Avoid repeating a key word more than once in the essay

For Formal Academic Voice: Avoid Passive Voice (PV) “Furthermore, Monde is shown to be evil when …” “Huxley portrays Monde’s evil nature when …” HINT: AVOID “TO BE” VERBS and use the author’s name more frequently TO AVOID PASSIVE VOICE

Revise these sentences to omit the passive voice and increase clarity. 1. Imagery of hands is also used to show that Lady Macbeth seeks to rid herself of guilt. 2. The part of him full of guilt is shown when he hallucinates Banquo’s ghost. 3. From the early scenes, blood imagery is shown to the reader.

For Formal Academic Voice: Avoid Past Tense Verbs Always write about books in the present tense Examples: “Okonkwo mourned for his village …” Okonkwo mourns for his village … The culture of Umofia defined him completely. The culture of Umofia defines him completely … Okonkwo was a strong, proud man. Okonkwo is a strong, proud man.

For Formal Academic Voice: Avoid “To-Be” Verbs Avoid “to be” verbs (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) and use more powerful verbs NOT “Huck and Tom are robbing…” or “Twain is satirizing … ” TO FIX THIS: “Huck and Tom rob …” or “Twain satirizes …”

Literary Device Fluency Issues Discussing the Author’s Diction Fluently: Never use the term diction in a literary analysis paper without an adjective that shows the characterization of the diction (awkward, offensive, jubilant, etc.) or of your analysis of a specific words that are selected We all use diction (word choice!) every time we speak or write. It’s not an authorial technique … inserting awkward diction for a specific effect is an authorial technique. The mood of the reader will always vary by person, so avoid it because it’s too subjective. The mood of the passage is what scholars discuss in literary analysis.

Using Literary Criticism to Enhance your Writing: Secondary sources Research if you feel your analysis isn’t deep enough or you feel like you don’t have enough to say Cite any ideas or analysis you borrow from a secondary source Secondary sources for a literature essay can be: Literary criticism (books or journal articles) Essays by the author Letters and diaries of the author Contemporary reviews of the work (meaning from the time period) Interviews with the author (for more modern authors)

Finding Secondary Sources kcls.org will have a fair number of solid literary critical books JSTOR will give you access to lots of literary criticism from academic journals UW Library will have access to many more books that could help you. You can search their catalog online and if you find something you want, get a temporary borrower’s card. For contemporary authors, you can find interviews and reviews online. Make sure they are acceptable academic sources.

Using Literary Criticism to Enhance your Writing: Secondary sources Remember that your PRIMARY evidence is the text itself (quoted material from the text) Your SECONDARY evidence (less important but still need it) is the secondary sources. The secondary sources should be used to back up an argument YOU have formulated, not replace your own argument.

Introduction Paragraph Components Hook Integrated Quote Anecdote Interesting Historical Content DO NOT START YOUR PAPER WITH QUESTION or a DEFINITION Introductory Context for the characters and conflicts You should be introducing the reader to the topic and the topic’s context. Well-developed Thesis Statement

Introduction Paragraphs The introduction paragraph hooks the reader’s interest with relevant information A specific thesis statement Is at the end of the introductory paragraph Is restated in different words at the beginning of the concluding paragraph Drives the selection of evidence and the analysis of that evidence