YOUR GUIDE TO A MATURE LITERARY ANALYSIS Essay Writing 101

General Structure There are three major components to every essay:  Introductory Paragraph  Body Paragraphs  Conclusion Paragraph

Introductory Paragraph The first paragraph must include: o Creative Catch (Hook)  A famous quote, rhetorical question, personal story, etc. that relates to the topic of the essay and engages the reader  2-4 sentences o Thesis Statement  The most important sentence in any essay!  Always the last sentence of the introductory paragraph  Includes the title(s) and author(s) of the text(s) being analyzed and the specific purpose of the essay  Example: Allusions are used in Margret Atwood’s Through the One-Way Mirror to help non-Canadian readers relate to and understand the plight of an ignored country. You may need a transition word or phrase before the thesis.

Body Paragraphs Every body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that presents the general idea of the paragraph  Does NOT refer to the paragraph specifically or repeat the thesis statement. After the topic sentence, every body paragraph follows a specific pattern:  Narrative Framework (NF)  Quote (Q)  Comment (C)

Narrative Framework Sets up the quote by providing enough information to let the reader know what is occurring in the text at the time the quote appears.  Example: Margaret Atwood begins her anti-American essay by explaining that “the noses of a great many Canadians resemble Porky Pig’s” (1). Does NOT summarize or repeat the quote!

Quote The actual word, phrase, or sentence copied directly from the text to support the thesis Always surrounded by quotation marks Includes the page number from the text where the quote appears; it is in parentheses after the quote and before the ending punctuation  Example: Margaret Atwood begins her anti-American essay by explaining that “the noses of a great many Canadians resemble Porky Pig’s” (1). A good body paragraph includes at least two quotes that support the thesis. A great body paragraph includes three or more. One quote is NEVER enough.

Comment A specific explanation of HOW and WHY the quote supports the argument of the essay o Example: Margaret Atwood begins her anti-American essay by explaining that “the noses of a great many Canadians resemble Porky Pig’s” (1). Atwood uses the allusion of Porky Pig to create a vision that enables the reader to connect with a well-known image while also suggesting that Canadians are childish and silly in their fascination with the United States, relating Canadians to not just any pig, but specifically a cartoon. Does NOT summarize or repeat the quote!

Body Paragraphs: Organization Because each body paragraph should have at least two quotes, the basic organization is as follows:  Topic Sentence (TS)  Narrative Framework (NF)  Quote (Q)  Comment (C)  Transition Word (TW)  NF QQ CC Repeat the pattern of NF-Q-C as many times as is necessary, separating each set with a transition word You may need a transition word or phrase before the first NF-Q-C.

Conclusion Paragraph A minimum 3-5 sentences in length Answers the question, “So what?” to explain why it is important to understand what has been proven in the essay. Takes the information proven in the essay one step further to present a deeper point related directly to the thesis statement Though it may mention key points, it should NEVER summarize or repeat what has already been proven in the essay

Rules of Thumb NEVER use first-person point-of-view o I, me, my, mine NEVER speak directly to the reader o You NEVER refer to the author(s) of the text(s) being analyzed by his/her first name only

More Rules of Thumb NEVER refer directly to paragraphs, quotes, or the essay itself  In this essay…  In this paragraph…  This quote proves… NEVER announce what you’re going to say  The following information will explain…  The details here will prove…  This demonstrates that…

A Few More Rules of Thumb When including a quote within a quote, the inside quote is surrounded by single quotation marks, which are typed as an apostrophe  Example: “My teacher said, ‘Read Through the One-Way Mirror for homework.’” If quoting the beginning and end of a sentence, but omitting the middle, include periods of ellipsis in place of the omitted text  Example: “The noses of a great many Canadians…pressing them against the longest undefended one-way mirror” (1).

Even More Rules of Thumb ALWAYS provide a title for the essay that is NOT the title of the text(s) analyzed and does NOT include the word “essay”; creative titles are best When referring to the title of a text within a typed essay, it is best to put it in italics because that works for every type of writing Otherwise, the generally accepted rule is that briefer texts have titles within quotations, while lengthier pieces have titles underlined

Still More Rules of Thumb ALWAYS double-space; 12-pt font; Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman; black ink; fronts only; one-inch margins ALWAYS start the first page with a heading aligned to the left side of the page, double-spaced, as follows: Student Name Teacher Name Class Name Due Date ALWAYS include the title in the center on the line beneath the heading; NEVER underline, make bold, enlarge, or put in italics or quotations

First Page Format Megan Myers Ms. Kretzer Class 2 15 November 2000 Cartoonish Canadians in Through the One-Way Mirror For generations, the best part of each weekend for most kids has been watching Saturday morning cartoons. Even into adulthood, most people have a favorite cartoon character, be it Bugs Bunny, Charlie Brown, or SpongeBob SquarePants. People know, enjoy, and can relate to cartoons.