1. Why Write a Researched Literary Analysis Paper?
Read critically
Think analytically (analysis vs. evaluation)
Research competently
Focus writing logically
Integrate effectively
Revise methodically

2. What does “Researched Literary Analysis” look like
Review Rubric
Review Sample

3. The Researched Literary Analysis Paper
Step 1: Read and Annotate Primary Text
Step 2: Journal Response – Thesis/Theme Thinking
Step 3: Preliminary Bibliography
Step 4: Working Thesis
Step 4: Research Cards or Note pages
Step 5: Working Outline
Step 6: Research and Revisit
Step 7: Rough Drafts and Revisions

4. Step 1: Read and Annotate Primary Text
Emerging patterns
Style
Setting
Questions

5. Step 2: Journal Response – Thesis Thinking
Explore the initial response questions to help determine what a logical thesis might be.
What element(s) or aspect(s) of this work might a casual reader misinterpret?
What interesting paradox(es), contradiction(s), or tension(s) do you see in this text?
What seemingly minor, insignificant, easily ignored element(s) or aspect(s) of this text might in fact have major significance?
Possible themes

6. Step 3: Preliminary Bibliography
Collect reputable resources
Review sources for usefulness
Properly document sources for easy citation
Review primary text keeping new insights in mind

8. Step 4: Working Thesis Provide focus for research
Revise as research and analysis develop
Perfect throughout the process
What the author did
What the author accomplished
Norton’s LitWeb on Thesis Statements

9. The novel’s protagonist, Herzog himself, has his body exist in one world, while his mind sojourns in another. Bellow uses the dichotomy between these parts of the character to illustrate that they must fuse for a character to develop into a complete, functioning person.

10. Step 5: Research Create research cards or note pages
Keep track of where everything came from
Categorize each piece of information
Provide your own context or analysis, including quotations from primary text
Consider need for different resources
Revise and supplement outline

11. Step 6: Working Outline Consider what is to be proven – thesis
Develop a course of action for proving it
Each roman numeral builds upon the previous
Establish awareness and space for primary and secondary sources

12. Note: This version of the preliminary outline is an early draft
Note: This version of the preliminary outline is an early draft. It provides a blueprint for the writer’s argument. A complete outline will include three parts:
1. Point to be proven/analyzed
2. Literary criticism for
support/expansion
3. Specific text used to support
the assertion.

13. Note how the final roman numeral of the outline
arrives at the thesis directly

14. Step 7: Rough Draft and Revise
Introduction
Organization and Support
Personal Edit
Peer Edit

15. The Final Product A complete and balanced literary criticism paper
The rubric