1. Your Guide for Writing Strong Literary Essays
The Analytical Essay
Your Guide for Writing Strong Literary Essays

2. Not Middle School You are no longer in middle school
If some of the information here is new and different, don’t panic
Follow these rules and you will be on your way to success

3. A Literary Essay is… your interpretation of a given text.
a presentation of an extended argument, or critical stance, regarding a work of literature.
developed over the course of several pages by closely examining the words and actions of the characters and the words of the author.
driven by a clear, complex and supportable thesis
the product of a multi-step process, starting with outlining and re-reading of key passages, journaling, discussion, etc.

4. A Literary Essay is not…
a book report (that is, it is not a summary of the events depicted in the story).
a free response comprised of your various opinions, questions, and observations.
your own personal reaction to or opinion of the text(s). That is to say, it is not qualitative.
something to be done last minute

5. Be an APT writer (and reader):
Always consider your Audience, Purpose, and Tone.

6. Your Audience
Your audience is your classmates. They’ve read the book: NO SUMMARY
Assume you know something they don’t. Your goal is to explain YOUR ideas about the text.
If it’s obvious, then there’s no need to mention it.

7. Your Purpose
The goal of any thesis-based academic essay is to persuade your reader that your thesis (your position, or opinion, on the topic in question) is valid. If you are successful, your reader, having read your essay, should respond as follows: “While I do not really agree with her thesis, I must admit that she supports it with plenty of textual evidence, so it strikes me as a valid position on the topic. This essay has allowed me to see this text in a new light—it taught me something!”

8. Your Tone
Tone = a writer’s attitude toward the topic and the audience. Tone is primarily conveyed through word choice, syntax, and level of formality, and is determined by your purpose and audience. What should your tone be for a literary essay?

9. Writing Conventions MLA format
Write in the third person. You sound more confident.
Avoid “I” and “you” and similar pronouns
Write in the present tense, even if the text uses past tense or you are discussing the beginning of the book “Bilbo goes, not Bilbo went”

10. More Writing Conventions
Italicize titles of novels
Titles of short works get “Quotes”
Do not use contractions EX: isn’t, don’t, can’t
Do not use single quotation marks unless quoting within a quote, which is rare

11. The Three Parts 1. Introduction: One short paragraph
2. Body: Should be several paragraphs long. Does not need to be 3 paragraphs
3. Conclusion: One paragraph

12. So…what is an argument and how do you “make” one?
Arguere – Latin – to clarify, to prove
What are the ingredients of a good debate?
Necessary components: relevant information (understanding of a text), convincing evidence (quotes), a pattern of reasoning (so what?)
Definition: A form of discourse in which a writer presents a pattern of reasoning, reinforced by detailed evidence, that tries to persuade the audience to accept the writer’s point of view or interpretation

13. How’s this for an argument?
Gas-guzzling SUVs are selling better than fuel-efficient subcompact cars. So what?! What’s your point?! What are the consequences? What do I learn from this? What does this suggest about cars and the world we live in? SUV sales are currently higher than fuel-efficient subcompact cars, leading to increased gas consumption and a dependence on foreign oil.

14. So…what is a thesis? a statement which presents the main argument
not simplistic or immediately obvious, but requires careful analysis and development.
something which can be substantiated by a close examination of the actions and words of the characters/narrator (the language)
always subject to subtle changes or total revision.

15. A Thesis Is Not… a statement of fact (unarguable)
a vague generalization
a statement of something simplistic or obvious.
a personal opinion regarding the quality of the work.

16. So what does this look like in a literary essay?
An observation of a pattern, problem, or ambiguous moment in a text (something that intrigues you) +
What this observation suggests about the text, the world, human experience—so what? What do we learn? Why is this significant?

17. How about some Examples?
What do you think about these theses?
Vonnegut’s “Long Walk to Forever” has many themes.
Butler’s “Speech Sounds” is a disturbing story.

18. Any better?
Vonnegut’s “Long Walk to Forever” explores the complicated nature of love.
Butler’s “Speech Sounds” describes a world in which most people lack the ability to speak or comprehend language.

19. There yet?
Vonnegut’s “Long Walk to Forever” explores the often contradictory nature of love, ultimately revealing love’s ability to both unite and separate.
Through its exploration of language and action, “Speech Sounds” ultimately suggests that non-verbal communication is a double-edged sword—it is at once the purest form of communication, but also the most dangerous.

20. HW:
Write a draft of your thesis statement and it to me by midnight. (The sooner the better). Also bring a hardcopy to class tomorrow with 4-5 textual examples you will use to support this argument. Ask yourself - is it arguable? Is it specific? Does it contain a “so what”? (Do you explain what the reader will learn?)

21. The Body
Develops and supports the thesis statement by providing proof
Provides specific examples and evidence
Interprets and explains the significance of examples and evidence
Examples should proceed in a logical order and advance the argument step by step

22. Evidence is Essential Paraphrases:
Writer briefly describes a passage of the story
Good when content matters more than language
Quotations:
Good for phrases and when the language itself is important
Weave quotes into your own sentences
Only use the most important part of the quote, not whole sentence or more
Don’t overuse quotations

23. Follow Instructions
Your teacher is always surprised by the number of students who do not follow the instructions for an important essay assignment. Though an essay assignment’s instructions may sometimes seem peculiar to you, your teacher has reasons for including them. Please follow them. If you need any part of the instructions clarified, please visit your teacher.