1. Literary Analysis Essay Purpose: To identify the theme and message of the story or novel and To prove how the author created this theme. Strategies:

2. 1 st Paragraph: Intro: Thesis Background information/Intro Section 2 Topic Sentence: Evidence: Quotes with page #s Section 3 Topic Sentence: Evidence: Quotes with page #s Section 4 Topic Sentence: Evidence: Quotes with page #s Last: Conclusion Conclusion:

3. 1 st Paragraph: Intro: Thesis Background information/Intro Finney’s When people survive a near death experience, they realize what is truly important to them in life. Section 2 Character changes Tom’s realizations at the end of the story emphasize that life or death situations make people rethink their values. “You won’t mind” (6), “You work too” (6), “”they were the way” (8) “He understood” (15), “He wished” (15), “He thought of Clare” (16), “He did not” (16) Section 3 Conflict Resolution Tom’s survival at the end of the story, show that the author thinks these realizations are an important part of living. “He saw the yellow” (6), “For many seconds” (8), “For a motionless instant” (10), “A fraction” (11), “But if” (15), “He heard the sound” (16), “Tom Benecke burst” (16) Section 4 Irony The author also uses situational irony to emphasize the change in Tom’s attitude. “He saw the yellow” (6), “As he saw the yellow” (16), Last: Conclusion Conclusion:

4. Ideas for introductions Choose a quote from the story Describe the setting, characters, or plot Choose a quote from another story or movie that connects thematically Use “imagine” Make sure you connect to your thesis An introduction paragraph must have: Hook Introduce the book, author, and protagonist Thesis statement—including your thematic statement

5. Empathy is a virtue that not all people have. To be able to understand other people’s feelings, motives, or situations takes a lot of effort since we live in such a judgmental society. Anne Frank, who was a young Jewish girl, went into hiding for three years trying to escape being killed by the Nazis during World War II. Under dire circumstances, Anne showed empathy in her many diary entries. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank shows that empathy can exist in horrific conditions. **(thesis statement including my thematic statement)

6. High school hallways are often abuzz with noise. The shrieks and giggles, the rumors and gossip, the last minute homework help or words of encouragement. Teens never seem to be short on words. (HOOK) This is not the case for Melinda, the troubled protagonist of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, whose reaction to a traumatic event is to remain silent.(SUMMARY AND TITLE/AUTHOR) Through symbolism, biting wit, and metaphor, Anderson illustrates that at times, silence is a mask for isolation.(THESIS--THEME-- WITH STYLE TECHNIQUES)

8. Body Paragraphs (the proof) Start with your argument (How does the author show this theme?) Explain what happens in the story. Use textual evidence to prove this happens. Explain how this shows the theme.

9. Melinda’s change from the beginning of the book to the end shows how she learns to communicate and express herself. At the beginning of the book, Melinda and her parents primarily communicate through notes on the kitchen counter (14). Melinda explains, “I write when I need school supplies or a ride to the mall. They write what time they’ll be home from work and if I should thaw anything. What else is there to say?” (14). The theme of obstructed communication is also expressed through the character of Melinda’s Spanish teacher, who tries to speak only Spanish to her students and is never understood (13-14). These elements contribute to the theme of being silenced, unable to communicate complex thoughts and feelings.

10. One way Anderson shows this theme is through the change in her main character, Melinda. In the beginning of the story she is unable to communicate her emotions. She is silenced by fear and shame, unable to tell anyone about what happened to her. “My throat squeezes shut, as if two hands of black fingernails are clamped on my windpipe (28). This implies that Melinda is physically unable to express her fears of everyone finding out she was raped at a summer party. Though we later learn why she is afraid, we realize that Melinda is not mature enough to understand the plethora of emotions she is experiencing. “How can I not find [my feelings]? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of thoughts, shame, mistakes” (125). It isn’t until then end of the novel that Melinda is able to express her emotions through her art. Like Melinda, her artwork is alive, “…breathing little slow breaths” (196). This shows that Melinda is learning to communicate her emotions through art. She is accepting what happened to her and letting go of the pain and trauma. By finally speaking her secret, she transforms herself from a victim into a survivor.

11. Anderson uses imagery to show Melinda’s silence is a self-imposed struggle towards self-expression. Melinda Sordino was raped in the summer before her freshman year of high school. She is silenced by fear and shame, unable to tell anyone about what happened to her. Throughout the story, Anderson uses imagery of being silenced, choked and gagged to describe Melinda’s character. She bites and chews her lips until they bleed (5, 17). She tries to speak, but the words will not come out (25). Her “throat squeezes shut,” cutting off her explanations (28). Pulling her lower lip in between her teeth, Melinda wishes she could swallow herself (39). She imagines her lips are stitched together (46). Her throat is perpetually sore, and when she wakes up in the morning, her jaws are clenched so tight it gives her a headache (50). Melinda thinks her mouth looks like it “belongs to someone else,” someone she does not know (17). She takes her mirror down from her bedroom wall and hides it in her closet (17). Melinda does not recognize herself after being raped, and she is in denial of her identity now that it has been shaped by trauma. In the bathroom after school, Melinda washes her face until she imagines “there is nothing left of it, no eyes, no nose, no mouth” (45). This shows how Melinda wants to wash away the trauma and her sense of being a victim, but she can’t. She is physically unable to express her emotions.

12. Conclusion Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel that they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your paper. A conclusion should: Stress the importance stress the importance of the thesis statement Restate your thesis, but not in exactly the same words give the essay a sense of completeness What are the key ideas that readers should remember leave a final impression on the reader Do not address the reader directly

13. Strategies for Writing a Conclusion Answer the question "So What?“ Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. Synthesize, don't summarize Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. Redirect your readers Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally. Create a new meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

14. IntroductionConclusion High school hallways are often abuzz with noise. The shrieks and giggles, the rumors and gossip, the last minute homework help or words of encouragement. Teens never seem to be short on words. This is not the case for Melinda, the troubled protagonist of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, whose reaction to a traumatic event is to remain silent. Through symbolism, biting wit, and metaphor, Anderson illustrates that at times, silence is a mask for the inability to express emotions. High schools across the country are filled with laughter, mindless chatter and gossip. Though teens never seem to be at a loss for words, communication is not limited to speech. Silence can limit expression, but it can also pave the way for alternate communication. Anderson’s character finds ways to communicate when her voice has been silenced. The mask of silence is finally ripped off and the silence is broken.