LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING WORKSHOP

LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING WORKSHOP
Frankenstein Promethean Traits Literary Analysis Paragraph © 2008 Wendy O’Sullivan dba High Yield Lessons These materials are protected by copyright law. For each purchased copy of this work, a limited license is granted allowing use to one teacher for use with that teacher’s class(es).

A Step-by-Step Writing Guide
The following will take you through a step-by-step process to writing a literary analysis response. For our purposes, we will focus on writing a single literary analysis paragraph.

What is Literary Analysis?
Literary analysis explains a work of fiction, poetry, or drama by means of interpretations. The goal of a literary analysis (as with any other analysis) is to broaden and deepen your understanding of a work of literature.

Think of it this way: Why do students dissect frogs in Biology class?
Dissecting frogs is not done just to cut them up and look at what is inside. The reason one dissects a frog is to deepen understanding of the anatomy and possibly learn how and why things inside the frog work as they do. Why have two arteries here, not one? Etc. Literary analysis is similar. You are “dissecting” the literature. Analysis gets beyond mere summary and description and digs deeper into examination and explanation. Literary analysis does not explain “what”; literary analysis explains “why” and “how.”

Literary Analysis Paragraph
As you become more confident and skilled writers, you will continue to develop your writing style. However, before you learn to walk, you must learn to crawl. Therefore, we are going to practice and master this literary analysis formula. Every literary analysis paragraph should follow the following basic outline.

Literary Analysis Paragraph Outline
Topic Sentence Context Integrated Quote(s) Analysis Note: Context, Integrated Quote(s), Analysis is repeated as needed

Frankenstein Analyzing Promethean Traits in Robert Walton
Before today, we have reviewed what makes a person a promethean, read the Letters in Frankenstein, and discussed Robert Walton and his exhibition of promethean traits; you should be prepared to write a literary analysis on this topic. However, before you write your own paragraph, let’s explore one that has been done for you!

BEFORE YOU WRITE

UNIVERSAL RULES OF LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING
As we begin writing, keep in mind these mandatory writing rules for literary analysis writing: It must be written in PRESENT TENSE! It must be written in THIRD PERSON! DO NOT USE: I, ME, WE, YOU, YOUR, ETC.

The Writing Prompt

The Prompt In a well developed paragraph response, using specific textual evidence, explain and analyze why Robert Walton reveals his Promethean ambitions to Victor Frankenstein.

Dissecting the Prompt Now that you have your prompt, look closely at it. What are you being asked to do? R.A.F.T. What is your role? Who is your audience? What form is the writing response? What is the topic?

What form is the writing response? What is the topic?
PROMPT: In a well developed paragraph response, using specific textual evidence, explain and analyze why Robert Walton reveals his Promethean ambitions to Victor Frankenstein. What is your role? Student: Explaining and Analyzing Who is your audience? Teacher / Professor What form is the writing response? Paragraph What is the topic? Why Robert Walton reveals his Promethean ambitions to Victor Frankenstein

Writing the Claim Now that you have dissected the prompt, you need to write your claim statement. What will you prove is true? Topic from prompt: Why does Robert Walton reveal his Promethean ambitions to Victor Frankenstein? Brainstorm Answers to the topic: He says that he wants a friend who will understand his quest. There are many men on the ship with him but he feels alone. After he meets Frankenstein he begins to love him like a brother and he thinks he is an amazing man. He thinks that Frankenstein will understand him.

Writing the Claim Now, take the brainstorming and turn it into a claim statement. This will become the topic sentence for our paragraph response.

Topic Sentence Remember: Your claim statement (topic sentence) must respond to the prompt and be the anchor that controls the entire argument. The following is a topic sentence that I have created as an example for you. (Please Remember: Writing is unique to the writer. So, do not think of this as the “correct” or “right” answer to the prompt. There can be many ways to respond to this prompt. This is just one of those ways.) Please record the topic sentence on your paper.

Topic Sentence “After pursuing his promethean quest for years, Robert Walton desperately desires a friend who will understand and appreciate his passion; he believes he has found that friend in Victor Frankenstein.”

Preparing to Write the Paragraph

Now that we have formed our claim statement, it is time to prepare to write the paragraph. We will begin by: Selecting & Abridging Evidence to Support the Claim

FINDING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE PROMPT
Textual evidence must be used to support your claim/argument, but you must be careful not to let the evidence make the argument for you. The evidence helps you to prove that your claim/argument is true. Evidence gives credibility to your claim/argument.

FINDING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE PROMPT
First, you must carefully select evidence which will support your response to the prompt. Review your text and notes to locate the best passages to use. Highlight, bookmark, or record the passages you like best.

ABRIDGING YOUR CHOSEN PASSAGES & EVIDENCE

Why do you need to abridge evidence?
You should try to avoid using long quotations/passages as much as possible. When you use lengthy passages, you are letting the author make the argument for you. You want to use evidence to help support your writing and your ideas, not to let it “speak for itself.”

Abridging Chosen Evidence
After you have selected your passages, you need to abridge them to only the most necessary portions of the quote. The portions you choose should be the best evidence to respond to the prompt and support your argument.

Selected Evidence: Passage #1
“But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy; and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil. I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection. I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling. I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine” (4).

Task #1 Take a moment now to look at the chosen passage again carefully. What portions stand out to you as the most important? Which statements truly work toward answering the prompt? Since you can not include the entire quote in your evidence, select the best parts of it. Please write (on binder paper) the parts of the evidence that you believe can BEST be used to support the claim statement.

Sample: Abridging Evidence
Samples of abridged evidence is given on the following slide. Note, your selections may be different from these. That does not mean yours are wrong; they are just different. Note: The abridged evidence should go to the “heart” of supporting the claim. Do you believe it does? Discuss why or why not.

Passage #1 Abridged “But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy; and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil. I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection. I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling. I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine” (4).

Passage #2 “My affection for my guest increases every day. He excites at once my admiration and my pity to an astonishing degree. How can I see so noble a creature destroyed by misery, without feeling the most poignant grief? He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated, and when he speaks, although his words are culled with the choicest art, yet they flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence” (11).

Passage #2 Abridged “My affection for my guest increases every day. He excites at once my admiration and my pity to an astonishing degree. How can I see so noble a creature destroyed by misery, without feeling the most poignant grief? He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated, and when he speaks, although his words are culled with the choicest art, yet they flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence” (11).

Passage #3 “I was easily led by the sympathy which he evinced, to use the language of my heart, to give utterance to the burning ardour of my soul; and to say, with all the fevour that warmed me, how gladly I would sacrifice my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise. One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race” (11).

Passage #3 Abridged “I was easily led by the sympathy which he evinced, to use the language of my heart, to give utterance to the burning ardour of my soul; and to say, with all the fevour that warmed me, how gladly I would sacrifice my fortune, my existence, my every hope, to the furtherance of my enterprise. One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race” (11).

Passage #4 “Sometimes I have endeavored to discover what quality it is which he possesses, that elevates him so immeasurably above any other person I ever knew. I believe it to be an intuitive discernment; a quick but never-failing power of judgment; a penetration into the causes of things, unequalled for clearness and precision; add to this a facility of expression, and a voice whose varied intonations are soul-subduing music” (12).

Passage #4 Abridged “Sometimes I have endeavored to discover what quality it is which he possesses, that elevates him so immeasurably above any other person I ever knew. I believe it to be an intuitive discernment; a quick but never-failing power of judgment; a penetration into the causes of things, unequalled for clearness and precision; add to this a facility of expression, and a voice whose varied intonations are soul-subduing music” (13).

Now that we have: Written our Claim Statement; and Selected and Abridged our Supporting Evidence, we can continue writing: Next: Plot Context

Plot Context What is Plot Context?
Plot context is used to locate the reader in the story to the evidence that you will use to support your topic sentence. Plot Context is NOT BOOK SUMMARY. Plot Context should be brief and relevant to the topic sentence and the argument you are making. Plot Context should let your reader know what is happening in the story, and it should lead into the evidence you will be using.

Writing the Plot Context
First, you need to select the evidence you will use. Then, you need to give brief background information to help “locate” the reader in the story. For this example, I will begin with evidence from Passage #1. As such, I need to “set up” the evidence with the plot context. Please record the plot context on your paper.

Plot Context While on a journey of discovery to the North Pole, Walton confesses in a letter written to his sister that . . . (This plot context helps to “set up” the evidence. It simply lets the reader know where we are in the story and what is happening. It gives a foundation for the evidence.)

Now that we have written plot context, we will move on to the next portion of the paragraph: Integrated Evidence

Why do you need to “integrate” your evidence?
By integrating your evidence, you make it a part of your writing. You should never let a quote “stand alone.” The evidence should support your argument by becoming a part of it. Integrating your evidence makes your argument stronger.

How do you integrate evidence?
There are two basic techniques to use when integrating your evidence. They are: Direct Quote Integration Natural Quote Integration

Direct Quote Integration
Although there is nothing wrong with using direct quote integration, when you are writing a literary analysis, you should use this type of quote integration sparingly. When you use direct quote integration, you will introduce who is speaking and then state what he or she said. While on a journey of discovery to the North Pole, Walton writes a letter to his sister stating, “I have no friend, Margaret” (Shelley 19).

NATURAL QUOTE INTEGRATION

Rules for Natural Quote Integration
Because literary analysis is written in the third person and in present tense, you may need to make changes to the evidence so that it fits these criteria and works grammatically with your writing. You will use [brackets] to indicate any changes you make.

Example of Natural Quote Integration
Textual Evidence: “I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me; whose eyes would reply to mine.” Natural Quote Integration: Walden is a promethean who “desire[s] the company of a man who could sympathize with [him]” (19).

Natural Quote Integration
Natural quote integration is the best choice for a literary analysis because it truly “integrates” the evidence into your own writing. It becomes a part of your argument. When you do this correctly, if you did not have quotation marks surrounding the evidence, you should not be able to tell the difference between your own words and those from the text. Please continue your paragraph by writing the integrated evidence on your paper. While on a journey of discovery to the North Pole, Walton confesses in a letter written to his sister that his “one want” is to “have [a] friend” (Shelley 4).

Continued Integrated Evidence
Please continue your paragraph by writing this additional integrated evidence on your paper. He is searching for someone who will “participate [in his] joy,” and “sustain [him] in dejection” (19). Above all, he “desire[s] the company of a man who [will] sympathize with [him]” (4).

Now that we have written integrated evidence, we will move on to the next portion of the paragraph: Analysis

What is Analysis? Analysis is the most important part of your paragraph! This is where you show your thinking. This is where you analyze, discuss, and explain HOW and WHY the chosen evidence proves your topic sentence (or thesis statement) is true! Analysis should be the bulk of your paragraph.

How do you write analysis?
Look at your topic sentence. Look at your evidence. Now, ask yourself “how” and “why” questions. How does “x” relate to “y”? Why does “a” prove “b”? Continue asking and answering “how” and “why” questions to form the analysis.

Forming the Analysis Why does Walton want a friend?
While on a journey of discovery to the North Pole, Walton confesses in a letter written to his sister that his “one want” is to “have [a] friend” (Shelley 4). He is searching for someone who will “participate [in his] joy,” and “sustain [him] in dejection” (4). Above all, he “desire[s] the company of a man who [will] sympathise with [him]” (4). Why does Walton want a friend? Walton wants a friend because he is a solitary man on a lonely journey. How does wanting a friend relate to being a promethean? Only someone like himself can truly understand what he is doing. He can not be friends with just “anybody.” He is an elitist, and he needs a friend who will appreciate his quest and praise him for it.

Writing the Analysis Now that we have asked and answered “how” and “why” questions about the chosen evidence, we need to take those answers and turn them into a well written analysis. DO NOT begin analysis with phrases like: “This quote shows . . .” or something similar. I know it is a quote, and I know it is showing something. Stating the obvious is just “filler” and is not needed! Also, DO NOT simply repeat what the quote says. Please continue your paragraph by recording the following analysis on your paper.

Analysis As a Promethean, Walton believes that the only friend who can ever fully understand his heart is one who shares his passions and thirst for knowledge of the secrets of the world. The journey he is on is a solitary one, and he is desperate to be understood by a friend who can see into his heart and share the journey, the joys, and the sorrows with him.

Now that we have written the first section of the paragraph, let’s continue to support the topic sentence by repeating the: Context Integrated Quote and Analysis

Extension / Plot Context
Please continue your paragraph by recording the following plot context on your paper (same paragraph). After the crew picks up a mysterious new passenger and Walton learns more about him, he believes he has found such a friend.

Integrated Evidence Please continue your paragraph by recording the following integrated evidence. As Walton spends time with his new guest, his “affection for [him] increases every day” and he comes to believe that his guest is “wise, his mind is […] cultivated, [and] when he speaks,” it is with “unparalleled eloquence” (11).

Please continue your paragraph by recording the following integrated evidence. Walton comes to see Victor Frankenstein as a man “immeasurably above any other person [he has] ever kn[own]” (11). He surmises that Frankenstein is a man who possesses an “intuitive discernment” and a “penetration into the causes of things” (11).

Please continue your paragraph by recording the following integrated evidence. The connection that Walton feels to Frankenstein is so strong that he is “easily led […] to use the language of [his] heart” and “give utterance to the burning ardour of [his] soul” (11).

Forming Analysis Why does Walton think Frankenstein will understand him? He recognizes himself in Frankenstein. What does this recognition allow him to do? It allows him to reveal his heart and soul to him. Why, as a promethean, does he feel the need to do this? As a Promethean, it is not enough to simply continue on a solitary journey of discovery; he needs to have another recognize the greatness of his quest. How does he believe Frankenstein will respond? He believes Frankenstein will understand, appreciate, affirm, and applaud Robert Walton’s quest for secret knowledge.

Writing the Analysis Now that we have asked and answered “how” and “why” questions about the chosen evidence, we need to take those answers and turn them into a well written analysis. Please continue your paragraph by recording the following analysis on your paper.

Analysis Walton recognizes himself in his guest. He believes that Frankenstein is a man who will understand his crusade, so he enthusiastically reveals his heart and soul to him. As a Promethean, it is not enough to simply continue on a solitary journey of discovery; he needs to have another recognize the greatness of it. Based on his observations of his guest, Robert Walton believes Frankenstein is the one man who will understand, appreciate, affirm, and applaud his pursuit of secret knowledge.

COMPLETED PARAGRAPH After pursuing his promethean quest for years, Robert Walton desperately desires a friend who will understand and appreciate his passion; he believes he has found that friend in Victor Frankenstein. While on a journey of discovery to the North Pole, Walton confesses in a letter written to his sister that his “one want” is to “have [a] friend” (Shelley 19). He is searching for a friend who will “participate [in his] joy,” and “sustain [him] in dejection” (19). Above all he “desire[s] the company of a man who [will] sympathizes with [him, and] whose eyes [will] reply to [his]” (19). As a Promethean, Walton believes that the only friend who can ever fully understand his heart is one who shares his passions and thirst for knowledge of the secrets of the world. The journey he is on is a solitary one, and he is desperate to be understood by a friend who can see into his heart and share the journey, the joys, and the sorrows with him. After the crew picks up a mysterious new passenger and Walton begins to spend time with him, he believes he has found such a friend. As Walton spends time with his new guest, his “affection for [him] increases every day” and he comes to believe that his guest is “wise, his mind is […] cultivated, [and] when he speaks,” it is with “unparalleled eloquence” (29). Walton comes to see Victor Frankenstein as a man “immeasurably above any other person [he has] ever kn[own]” (30). He surmises that Frankenstein is a man who possesses an “intuitive discernment” and a “penetration into the causes of things” (30). The connection that Walton feels to Frankenstein is so strong that he is “easily led […] to use the language of [his] heart” and “give utterance to the burning ardour of [his] soul” (29). Walton recognizes himself in his guest. He believes that Frankenstein is a man who will understand his crusade, so he enthusiastically reveals his heart and soul to him. As a Promethean, it is not enough to simply continue on a solitary journey of discovery; he needs to have another recognize the greatness of it. Based on his observations of his guest, Robert Walton believes Frankenstein is the one man who will understand, appreciate, affirm, and applaud his pursuit of secret knowledge.

Your Assignment Read Chapters 1 – 4 of Frankenstein
Carefully highlight or record passages that can be used to support “Victor Frankenstein’s Promethean Traits.” You will use these notes and passages on another day to write your own literary analysis discussing how/why Victor Frankenstein is a Promethean. Preparation for the Writing Assignment: Please have notes & passages ready to use. Look at Promethean traits notes again. Make connections between traits and passages. Be prepared to write an insightful, astute analysis!

LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING WORKSHOP

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