1. Literary Essay Writing Ms. Gilpin
Thesis Statements
Literary Essay Writing
Ms. Gilpin

2. Thesis Statements

3. Thesis Statement Practice
How does Orwell develop the theme of power in Animal Farm? Index card With a partner Time to find partner: 60 sec

4. All thesis statements should include three main components
WHAT
HOW
SO WHAT

5. All thesis statements should include three main components
WHAT
Argument
Must be debatable
Must be able to be supported with FACTS/QUOTES
What’s going on? What do you see?

6. All thesis statements should include three main components
HOW
Specific Argument Detail
Literary devices, techniques…
How do you see that What inside? How is it shown to the reader? How does the author do it?

7. What could we write about? Which make the most sense for this essay?
HOW
Needs to be Techniques
What could we write about?
We brainstormed in class
Which make the most sense for this essay?
Characterization is a big one!

8. All thesis statements should include three main components
SO WHAT
Argument depth
Connection to history, to the work as a whole, to the author’s worldview…
So what? Why does this matter?

9. SO WHAT? Theme Statements What is Orwell trying to say?
Use these to connect the theme concept (one word) into the So What
What is Orwell trying to say?
Hint: He’s not trying to just say “power” 

10. What a “text” is really about is called it’s theme
We talk about theme in two ways:
Theme Concept: the topic the text is really about– sometimes this is hidden through figurative language
Theme Statement: the author’s specific message about that topic, this is created by how the author writes about the subject

11. Examples!
Hands and sleep in Shakespeare's Macbeth symbolize Lady Macbeth's corruption illustrating that power obtained through corrupt means ultimately leads to destruction.

12. Examples!
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses fire imagery to allude to the myth of Prometheus, demonstrating the unanticipated detriments of enlightenment.

13. Essay Prompts
1. How does Orwell develop one of the following themes?
○ Power
○ Ignorance
○ Education
○ Corruption
2. What is the function of propaganda and language in political and social oppression?

14. Body Thesis Statements

15. Semester 2 Literary Analysis: Thesis Example
The characterization of Animal Farm’s eventual leaders, the pigs, illustrates the many effects of the intoxicating nature of power.
Body Thesis Statements must link back to the thesis.
If you’re used to the list model, consider transforming that list into your body thesis statements.

16. Outlining

17. WRITING AN OUTLINE: Thesis: Main idea 1
Textual evidence to support main idea 1
Analysis of textual evidence
Textual evidence to support main idea
Main idea 2
Main idea 3 etc.
Analysis should explain the link between the evidence and your claim in your thesis!

18. They could be a sentence, a phrase, even a single word!
Quotes
Quote should be brief.
They could be a sentence, a phrase, even a single word!
They should almost never be longer than one sentence or two(ish) lines.

19. Quotes
“Comrades!” he cried. “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself! Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (and this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,” cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, “surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?” (22). This shows Squealer’s ability to trick the animals into believing that luxuries for the pigs benefit the whole farm.
Squealer justifies the pigs’ indulgence in luxuries by explaining that they eat apples and milk “to preserve [their] health” because they are “brain- workers” and therefore essential to the management of the farm (22).

20. Do not only explain what’s going on. (That’s just a summary.)
Analysis
Do not only explain what’s going on.
(That’s just a summary.)
Make it PAINFULLY CLEAR how this quote supports your argument.
Remember: Imagine I’m dumb! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯