Bingung mau kemana setelah lulus sekolah SMA (Sekolah Menengah Atas/Umum)/ SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan) / MA (Madrasah Aliyah)? Banyak dari pelajar khususnya yang sudah duduk di kelas 12 (3 SMA) mulai bingung untuk melanjutkan sekolahnya, terlebih banyak juga yang terpatok oleh biaya kuliah yang kian menaik.
Berikut ada 5K tips sukses setelah lulus sekolah SMA / SMK/ MA untuk melanjutkan sekolah.
For a critical essay, the writer evaluates something e.g. a piece of writing, an object of art, a movie etc) and then they have to say whether they agree or disagree with it. Here we show you how to write a critical essay and explain the different aspects of the critical essay format.
it is very important to write an outline for your Critical Essay. This presentation shows how to do it properly. More useful tips are in this article https://essay-academy.com/account/blog/critical-essay-outline
Literary Theories: A Sampling of Literary LensesJivanee Abril
Literary Theories: A Sampling of Literary Lenses
This is merely an introduction to theory so I am just going to provide you with a few of the more common schools of criticism. Remember most of these theories are quite detailed so this is just a very brief overview of their main ideas and some theories have been combined to keep things simple.
Bingung mau kemana setelah lulus sekolah SMA (Sekolah Menengah Atas/Umum)/ SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan) / MA (Madrasah Aliyah)? Banyak dari pelajar khususnya yang sudah duduk di kelas 12 (3 SMA) mulai bingung untuk melanjutkan sekolahnya, terlebih banyak juga yang terpatok oleh biaya kuliah yang kian menaik.
Berikut ada 5K tips sukses setelah lulus sekolah SMA / SMK/ MA untuk melanjutkan sekolah.
For a critical essay, the writer evaluates something e.g. a piece of writing, an object of art, a movie etc) and then they have to say whether they agree or disagree with it. Here we show you how to write a critical essay and explain the different aspects of the critical essay format.
it is very important to write an outline for your Critical Essay. This presentation shows how to do it properly. More useful tips are in this article https://essay-academy.com/account/blog/critical-essay-outline
Literary Theories: A Sampling of Literary LensesJivanee Abril
Literary Theories: A Sampling of Literary Lenses
This is merely an introduction to theory so I am just going to provide you with a few of the more common schools of criticism. Remember most of these theories are quite detailed so this is just a very brief overview of their main ideas and some theories have been combined to keep things simple.
This is a great introduction to Step Up To Writing that I plan on using with my kids and sharing with my parents. It is from (I believe) Mountainview Middle School
1 A Guide to the Literary-Analysis Essay INTRODU.docxmercysuttle
1
A Guide to the Literary-Analysis Essay
INTRODUCTION: the section in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your
reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader
for you major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well
as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other essential background may include
setting, capsule plot summary, an introduction of main characters, and definition of terms.
The major thesis goes at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, use
a transition between the background information and the thesis of the essay.
CREATIVE OPENING: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catches the reader’s
interest. The types of introductions listed below are not the complete introductions. The
examples only represent a type of introduction. The introduction is more than you see here.
Ways of beginning creatively include the following:
1) A startling fact or bit of information
Ex. Nearly two citizens were arrested as witches during the Salem witch scare of 1692.
Eventually nineteen were hanged, and another was pressed to death (Marks 65).
2) A snatch of dialogue between two characters
Ex. “It is another thing. You [Frederic Henry] cannot know about it unless you have it.” “Well,”
I said. “If I ever get it I will tell you [priest].” (Hemingway 72). With these words, the priest in
Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms sends the hero, Frederic, in search of the ambiguous
“it” in his life.
3) A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)
Ex. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” {3.1.57}. This familiar statement expresses the
young prince’s moral dilemma in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
4) A universal idea.
Ex. The terrifying scenes a soldier experiences on the front probably follow him throughout his
life—if he manages to survive the war.
5) A rich, vivid description of the setting
Ex. Sleepy Maycomb, like other Southern towns, suffers considerably during the Great
Depression. Poverty reaches from the privileged families, like the Finches, to the Negroes and
“white trash” Ewells, who live on the outskirts of town. Harper Lee paints a vivid picture of life
in this humid Alabama town where tempers and bigotry explode into conflict.
2
6) An analogy or metaphor
Ex. Life is like a box of chocolates: we never know what we’re going to get. This element of
uncertainty plays a major role in many dramas. For example, in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and
Juliet have no idea what tragedies lie ahead when they fall so passionately and impetuously in
love.
7) MAJOR THESIS: a statement that provides the subject and overall opinion of your
essay. For a literary analysis your major thesis must (1) relate to the theme of the
work and (2) suggest how this theme is revealed by the author. A good thesis may ...
A compilation run through of basic literary analysis techniques intended for use with freshman composition students. Sources include the Bedford Guide for College Writers (Lottery examples).
Core 168 LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAYYour first essay for the c.docxvoversbyobersby
Core 168: LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY
Your first essay for the course will be a literary analysis essay. You will choose one primary text (one of the poems, stories, speeches, or memoirs) from our class reading so far and then focus your essay analyzing the text.
Your analysis must have:
· a worthwhile, interesting introduction leading to your thesis sentence (stating the focus/main point of the essay);
· a substantial body of paragraphs to support your analysis (at least 2-3 paragraphs);
· an interesting, relevant conclusion.
You will follow these steps of the writing process to write your essay. Each step will also earn you assignment credit. Your assignments will provide guidance for how to approach and perform a literary analysis. Also, included below are specific directions for HOW TO WRITE A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY:
1. Read “How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay” (below in this document);
2. Choose a primary text of literature as your focus for the essay; (9/25/18)
3. Brainstorm regarding two different aspect of the text—the content (WHAT THE TEXT SAYS) and the literary devices (HOW THE TEXT SAYS WHAT IT SAYS). If you would like to use a recommended topic, you may do so, but you are also free to explore your own topic (9/27/18)
4. Determine WHAT is interesting and important about what happens in the text and make a statement about it. That statement is your thesis statement. (9/27/18)
5. Write an essay to support your thesis statement, using textual evidence (quotes from the primary text) to illustrate and provide examples of your thesis. (10/2/18)
6. Revise your essay for content and organization. (10/4/18)
7. Edit your essay for clarity and correctness.
8. Visit the Writing Center and do a peer review of your essay.
9. Proofread your essay before submitting it.
10. Submit your essay by the deadline of 10/10/18.
SUGGESTED/EXAMPLE TOPICS
· Examine Sherman Alexie’s poem “Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World”
· Examine how Nora Naranjo-Morse uses the legend/tradition of the coyote trickster in her poem “A Well Traveled Coyote”
· Analyze the coyote figure in any of the coyote texts from Native American Coyote Mythology
· Analyze Red Jacket’s rhetorical strategies he used in his speeches
· Examine how Black Elk uses descriptive details to evoke empathy for his people in Black Elk Speaks
· Analyze Lame Deers use of one or more of the following literary devices: simile/metaphor; circular storytelling; humor
· Analyze E. Pauline Johnson’s short story (fiction) “As It Was in the Beginning,” focusing on one or more of the following:
· 1st person point of view;
· the focus on skin color and how race is characterized in the text;
· the focus on womanhood, particularly Ester’s connection with her mother and how Ester uses the wisdom passed from her mother;
· the circularity of the story in terms of the beginning and end of the text and Ester’s return home;
· the significance of the snake;
· how Christian ideas of heaven and hell a.
1 Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay I. .docxShiraPrater50
1
Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay
I. Catchy Title
II. Paragraph 1: Introduction (Use HATMAT)
A. Hook
B. Author
C. Title
D. Main characters
E. A short summary
F. Thesis
III. Paragraph 2: First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph)
IV. Paragraph 3: Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph
V. Paragraph 4: Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph
VI. Conclusion (You do not necessarily have to follow this order, but include the following):
A. Summarize your argument.
B. Extend the argument.
C. Show why the text is important.
2
Parts to a Great Essay
same as above, just worded differently
1. A Catchy Title
2. Introduction: the opening paragraph. The introduction should include the
following:
a. Hook, Author, Title, Main Characters, A Short Summary, Thesis
b. Hook: The beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader’s
interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following:
A startling fact or bit of information
A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)
A rich, vivid description
An analogy or metaphor
c. Introductions should identify the work of literature being discussed, name
the author, and briefly present the issue that the body of your essay will
more fully develop (your thesis). Basically, introductions suggest that
something interesting is occurring in a particular work of literature.
3. Body: The body of your paper should logically and fully develop and support your
thesis.
a. Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea that supports your
thesis statement.
b. These paragraphs include:
i. A topic sentence – a topic sentence states the main point of a
paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might
think of it as a signpost for your readers—or a headline—something
that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points i ...
Composition Project 1Project 1 Literary AnalysisTask Write a l.docxladonnacamplin
Composition Project 1
Project 1: Literary Analysis
Task: Write a literary analysis of one of the short stories we read in this course. Briefly describe the story,
and what you think are the essential literary elements to understanding the story.
Audience and purpose: Your objective is to use evidence to support your analysis of the short story.
Your audience is your classmates and instructor as well as a larger audience who has not read the short story
before.
Research and evidence: You need only draw from the texts that you have read for this project. However,
in order to illustrate your theme, you may also use outside sources.
Steps toward success:
1) Read your short story in-depth. (This will require multiple readings of the text.)
2) Take notes and annotate the story.
3) Take advantage of the process. Carefully consider all revision comments you receive from your peers
and instructor, and make significant revisions.
4) Avoid simply summarizing the plot of the short story. Remember that this class focuses on your
analytical writing skills, not on retelling the story.
4) Checklist:
Length: 900 to 1200 words
Sources: For this project, you need only refer to the literature on which you are working. Be sure
to cite both the evidence from the text and any outside sources you use.
Include a Works Cited page using MLA style.
Literary Analysis: Using Elements of Literature
Students are asked to write literary analysis essays because this type of assignment encourages you to think about
how and why
a poem, short story, novel, or play was written.
·
To successfully analyze literature, you’ll need to remember that authors make specific choices for particular reasons. Your essay should point out the author’s choices and attempt to explain their significance.
·
Another way to look at a literary analysis is to consider a piece of literature from your own perspective. Rather than thinking about the author’s intentions, you can develop an argument based on any single term (or combination of terms) listed below.
You’ll need to use the original text as evidence to defend and explain your argument to the reader.
Character -
representation of a person, place, or thing performing traditionally human activities or functions in a work of fiction
·
Protagonist
- The character the story revolves around.
·
Antagonist
- A character or force that opposes the protagonist.
·
Minor character
- Often provides support and illuminates the protagonist.
·
Static character
- A character that remains the same.
·
Dynamic character
- A character that changes in some important way.
·
Characterization
- The choices an author makes to reveal a character’s personality, such as appearance, actions, dialogue, and motivations.
Look for: Connections, links, and clues between and about characters. Ask yourself what the function and significance of each character is. Make this determination based upon the character's history, what the reader is told (and .
Introduction to Thesis Statements (High School)Ashley Bishop
I wrote this for my 9th graders to introduce them to writing a thesis statement. It includes a short quiz mid-way through and has them write their own thesis statement for an essay they are already writing.
This is a great introduction to Step Up To Writing that I plan on using with my kids and sharing with my parents. It is from (I believe) Mountainview Middle School
1 A Guide to the Literary-Analysis Essay INTRODU.docxmercysuttle
1
A Guide to the Literary-Analysis Essay
INTRODUCTION: the section in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your
reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader
for you major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well
as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other essential background may include
setting, capsule plot summary, an introduction of main characters, and definition of terms.
The major thesis goes at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, use
a transition between the background information and the thesis of the essay.
CREATIVE OPENING: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catches the reader’s
interest. The types of introductions listed below are not the complete introductions. The
examples only represent a type of introduction. The introduction is more than you see here.
Ways of beginning creatively include the following:
1) A startling fact or bit of information
Ex. Nearly two citizens were arrested as witches during the Salem witch scare of 1692.
Eventually nineteen were hanged, and another was pressed to death (Marks 65).
2) A snatch of dialogue between two characters
Ex. “It is another thing. You [Frederic Henry] cannot know about it unless you have it.” “Well,”
I said. “If I ever get it I will tell you [priest].” (Hemingway 72). With these words, the priest in
Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms sends the hero, Frederic, in search of the ambiguous
“it” in his life.
3) A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)
Ex. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” {3.1.57}. This familiar statement expresses the
young prince’s moral dilemma in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
4) A universal idea.
Ex. The terrifying scenes a soldier experiences on the front probably follow him throughout his
life—if he manages to survive the war.
5) A rich, vivid description of the setting
Ex. Sleepy Maycomb, like other Southern towns, suffers considerably during the Great
Depression. Poverty reaches from the privileged families, like the Finches, to the Negroes and
“white trash” Ewells, who live on the outskirts of town. Harper Lee paints a vivid picture of life
in this humid Alabama town where tempers and bigotry explode into conflict.
2
6) An analogy or metaphor
Ex. Life is like a box of chocolates: we never know what we’re going to get. This element of
uncertainty plays a major role in many dramas. For example, in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and
Juliet have no idea what tragedies lie ahead when they fall so passionately and impetuously in
love.
7) MAJOR THESIS: a statement that provides the subject and overall opinion of your
essay. For a literary analysis your major thesis must (1) relate to the theme of the
work and (2) suggest how this theme is revealed by the author. A good thesis may ...
A compilation run through of basic literary analysis techniques intended for use with freshman composition students. Sources include the Bedford Guide for College Writers (Lottery examples).
Core 168 LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAYYour first essay for the c.docxvoversbyobersby
Core 168: LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY
Your first essay for the course will be a literary analysis essay. You will choose one primary text (one of the poems, stories, speeches, or memoirs) from our class reading so far and then focus your essay analyzing the text.
Your analysis must have:
· a worthwhile, interesting introduction leading to your thesis sentence (stating the focus/main point of the essay);
· a substantial body of paragraphs to support your analysis (at least 2-3 paragraphs);
· an interesting, relevant conclusion.
You will follow these steps of the writing process to write your essay. Each step will also earn you assignment credit. Your assignments will provide guidance for how to approach and perform a literary analysis. Also, included below are specific directions for HOW TO WRITE A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY:
1. Read “How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay” (below in this document);
2. Choose a primary text of literature as your focus for the essay; (9/25/18)
3. Brainstorm regarding two different aspect of the text—the content (WHAT THE TEXT SAYS) and the literary devices (HOW THE TEXT SAYS WHAT IT SAYS). If you would like to use a recommended topic, you may do so, but you are also free to explore your own topic (9/27/18)
4. Determine WHAT is interesting and important about what happens in the text and make a statement about it. That statement is your thesis statement. (9/27/18)
5. Write an essay to support your thesis statement, using textual evidence (quotes from the primary text) to illustrate and provide examples of your thesis. (10/2/18)
6. Revise your essay for content and organization. (10/4/18)
7. Edit your essay for clarity and correctness.
8. Visit the Writing Center and do a peer review of your essay.
9. Proofread your essay before submitting it.
10. Submit your essay by the deadline of 10/10/18.
SUGGESTED/EXAMPLE TOPICS
· Examine Sherman Alexie’s poem “Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World”
· Examine how Nora Naranjo-Morse uses the legend/tradition of the coyote trickster in her poem “A Well Traveled Coyote”
· Analyze the coyote figure in any of the coyote texts from Native American Coyote Mythology
· Analyze Red Jacket’s rhetorical strategies he used in his speeches
· Examine how Black Elk uses descriptive details to evoke empathy for his people in Black Elk Speaks
· Analyze Lame Deers use of one or more of the following literary devices: simile/metaphor; circular storytelling; humor
· Analyze E. Pauline Johnson’s short story (fiction) “As It Was in the Beginning,” focusing on one or more of the following:
· 1st person point of view;
· the focus on skin color and how race is characterized in the text;
· the focus on womanhood, particularly Ester’s connection with her mother and how Ester uses the wisdom passed from her mother;
· the circularity of the story in terms of the beginning and end of the text and Ester’s return home;
· the significance of the snake;
· how Christian ideas of heaven and hell a.
1 Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay I. .docxShiraPrater50
1
Outline Structure for Literary Analysis Essay
I. Catchy Title
II. Paragraph 1: Introduction (Use HATMAT)
A. Hook
B. Author
C. Title
D. Main characters
E. A short summary
F. Thesis
III. Paragraph 2: First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph)
IV. Paragraph 3: Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph
V. Paragraph 4: Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (what this paragraph will discuss, how it will prove your thesis)
B. Context for the quote
1. Who says it?
2. What’s happening in the text when they say it?
C. Quote from the text (cited appropriately)
D. Analysis of the quote: How does it prove your thesis?
E. Closing sentence (wrap up the paragraph to effectively transition to the next paragraph
VI. Conclusion (You do not necessarily have to follow this order, but include the following):
A. Summarize your argument.
B. Extend the argument.
C. Show why the text is important.
2
Parts to a Great Essay
same as above, just worded differently
1. A Catchy Title
2. Introduction: the opening paragraph. The introduction should include the
following:
a. Hook, Author, Title, Main Characters, A Short Summary, Thesis
b. Hook: The beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader’s
interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following:
A startling fact or bit of information
A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)
A rich, vivid description
An analogy or metaphor
c. Introductions should identify the work of literature being discussed, name
the author, and briefly present the issue that the body of your essay will
more fully develop (your thesis). Basically, introductions suggest that
something interesting is occurring in a particular work of literature.
3. Body: The body of your paper should logically and fully develop and support your
thesis.
a. Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea that supports your
thesis statement.
b. These paragraphs include:
i. A topic sentence – a topic sentence states the main point of a
paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might
think of it as a signpost for your readers—or a headline—something
that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points i ...
Composition Project 1Project 1 Literary AnalysisTask Write a l.docxladonnacamplin
Composition Project 1
Project 1: Literary Analysis
Task: Write a literary analysis of one of the short stories we read in this course. Briefly describe the story,
and what you think are the essential literary elements to understanding the story.
Audience and purpose: Your objective is to use evidence to support your analysis of the short story.
Your audience is your classmates and instructor as well as a larger audience who has not read the short story
before.
Research and evidence: You need only draw from the texts that you have read for this project. However,
in order to illustrate your theme, you may also use outside sources.
Steps toward success:
1) Read your short story in-depth. (This will require multiple readings of the text.)
2) Take notes and annotate the story.
3) Take advantage of the process. Carefully consider all revision comments you receive from your peers
and instructor, and make significant revisions.
4) Avoid simply summarizing the plot of the short story. Remember that this class focuses on your
analytical writing skills, not on retelling the story.
4) Checklist:
Length: 900 to 1200 words
Sources: For this project, you need only refer to the literature on which you are working. Be sure
to cite both the evidence from the text and any outside sources you use.
Include a Works Cited page using MLA style.
Literary Analysis: Using Elements of Literature
Students are asked to write literary analysis essays because this type of assignment encourages you to think about
how and why
a poem, short story, novel, or play was written.
·
To successfully analyze literature, you’ll need to remember that authors make specific choices for particular reasons. Your essay should point out the author’s choices and attempt to explain their significance.
·
Another way to look at a literary analysis is to consider a piece of literature from your own perspective. Rather than thinking about the author’s intentions, you can develop an argument based on any single term (or combination of terms) listed below.
You’ll need to use the original text as evidence to defend and explain your argument to the reader.
Character -
representation of a person, place, or thing performing traditionally human activities or functions in a work of fiction
·
Protagonist
- The character the story revolves around.
·
Antagonist
- A character or force that opposes the protagonist.
·
Minor character
- Often provides support and illuminates the protagonist.
·
Static character
- A character that remains the same.
·
Dynamic character
- A character that changes in some important way.
·
Characterization
- The choices an author makes to reveal a character’s personality, such as appearance, actions, dialogue, and motivations.
Look for: Connections, links, and clues between and about characters. Ask yourself what the function and significance of each character is. Make this determination based upon the character's history, what the reader is told (and .
Introduction to Thesis Statements (High School)Ashley Bishop
I wrote this for my 9th graders to introduce them to writing a thesis statement. It includes a short quiz mid-way through and has them write their own thesis statement for an essay they are already writing.
Learning and Tutoring Center, Summer 2011 Page 1 of 3 LITE.docxSHIVA101531
Learning and Tutoring Center, Summer 2011 Page 1 of 3
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Ernest Hemingway once said, “I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-
eighths of it under water for every part that shows.” Like Hemingway, good writers try to get ideas
across to their readers, but they do not want to be so obvious about the meaning of their work that readers
do not “learn” something. When readers closely examine and draw conclusions about the meaning of a
piece of literature, they are “analyzing” the work.
The goal in a literary analysis is to share a clear and convincing interpretation of a literary work or some
portion of it. The analysis may concern the overall meaning of the work, or involve a certain aspect
such as character, setting, narrative, dialogue, plot, symbolism, etc. When deciding what to tackle in
analyzing a literary work, consider some of the following questions:
What is the point the author is trying to get across?
Is the author trying to tell us something about ourselves, our lives, our values, our relationships, etc.?
How do the characters help to get the author’s point across?
Is there an overriding conflict between characters, and why is that important?
How does the setting fit into the story and its meaning?
Why is the narrative written the way it is, and how does that relate to the story’s meaning?
Why did the author choose these words? What do they suggest – what is their connotation?
How does the plot help the reader understand the story and its deeper meanings?
How and why does the author use symbolism in the story?
A literary analysis will require a “close” (detailed, careful) reading of the work. A perfunctory, one-time
reading will not be sufficient. Literary analysis includes analysis (examining and/or breaking down),
interpretation (explaining or defining), and evaluation (assessing and judging). Third person point of
view and present tense are standard in literary writing. Make your points, but avoid using pronouns such
as “I”, “my”, “we”, “us”, “our” or “you.”
Like any composition, a literary analysis will have an introduction, separate body paragraphs (there can
be—and often need to be – more than three), and a conclusion. If any of these elements is missing, your
essay is incomplete. Indent each of your paragraphs to help the reader follow the essay structure. The
order of your paragraphs will help the reader follow the logical flow of your points. Remember, writing
requires revision; create an initial draft and then revise for clarity, coherence, accuracy, and
completeness.
INTRODUCTION
Your analysis should include the following:
1. Statement of topic: Be sure to name the work and its author early in the paper.
2. Statement of interest: Explain the aspect of the work that interests you.
3. Statement of Thesis: Describe the main point or issue your paper will illustrate or explain. Give
a clear statement, ...
2. Your Task:
Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works
of literature you have read from the particular
perspective of the statement that is provided for you
in the Critical Lens.
In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the
statement, agree or disagree with the statement as
you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using
specific references to appropriate literary elements
from the works.
3. Literary Elements
• CHARACTERIZATION
• the various means an author uses to describe and develop
characters (direct/indirect)
• CONFLICT
• a confrontation or struggle between opposing forces
(Man v. Man ; Man v. Self ; Man v. Nature ; Man v. Society)
• FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
• descriptions that associate or compare distinct things
(simile ; metaphor ; alliteration ; personification ; hyperbole)
• FLASHBACK
• a scene that interrupts the present action to depict some
earlier event
4. Literary Elements
• FORESHADOWING
• an author’s use of hints or clues to suggest events that will
occur later in a story
• IMAGERY
• the use of language to convey a visual picture or represent a
sensory experience
• IRONY
• a contradiction between what is expected (or what appears
to be) and what actually happens
• PLOT
• the sequence of events in a literary work
exposition – rising action – climax – falling action - resolution
5. Literary Elements
• POINT OF VIEW
• the perspective from which a narrative is told
first-person “I” ; third-person (omniscient/limited)
• SETTING
• the time and place of the action in a literary work
• SYMBOLISM
• anything that stands for or represents something else
•THEME
• the central messages revealed through a literary work
•TONE
• the writer’s attitude toward his or her audience and subject
6. Critical Lens:
“To gain that which is worth having, it
may be necessary to lose everything
else.”
—Bernadette Devlin
The Price of My Soul, 1969
Aug. ‘06
7. Critical Lens: Structure
• Introduction
• Body Paragraph 1
– Literary Work 1
– Literary Element 1
• Body Paragraph 2
– Literary Work 2
– Literary Element 2
• Conclusion
9. Introduction:
STEP ONE:
1. State Quote
Bernadette Devlin once said, “To gain
that which is worth having, it may
be necessary to lose everything
else.”
10. Introduction:
STEP TWO:
2. Interpret Quote
This quotation means that it is
sometimes necessary to give up
what we have in order to attain
something even greater.
11. Introduction:
STEP THREE:
3. Agree or Disagree with the Quote
I agree with this quotation, as it
holds true in life and in literature.
12. Introduction:
STEP FOUR:
4. Thesis
Both (title of literary work 1) by (author
of literary work 1) and (title of literary
work 2) by (author of literary work 2)
support the idea that some things worth
having cannot be gained without sacrifice.
13. Introduction:
Bernadette Devlin once said, “To gain that which
is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything
else.” This quotation means that it is sometimes
necessary to give up what we have in order to attain
something greater. I agree with this quotation, as it
holds true in life and in literature. Both (title of
literary work 1) by (author of literary work 1) and (title
of literary work 2) by (author of literary work 2)
support the idea that some things worth having cannot
be gained without sacrifice.
15. Body Paragraph 1:
FIVE STEPS:
1. Topic Sentence
– The novel ________ shows that ________.
2. Transition Statement/Literary Element
– One way (author/work) proves this point is through
(insert literary element)
3. Define Literary Element
4. Connect Lens and Literary Element
5. Concluding Sentence
16. Body Paragraph 1:
STEP ONE:
1. Topic Sentence
The novel (title of literary work 1) demonstrates
that in order to gain that which we truly desire,
we must sometimes give up all that we have.
17. Body Paragraph 1:
STEPS TWO & THREE:
2. Transition Statement/Literary Element
3. Define Literary Element
One way this work proves this point is through
theme. Theme is the central messages
revealed through a literary work.
18. Body Paragraph 1:
STEP FOUR:
4. Connect Lens and Literary Element
Provide and Explain TWO Examples from the
Novel that Support the Quote using the Literary
Device you have Selected.
20. Body Paragraph 1:
STEP FIVE:
5. Concluding Sentence
Write a concluding sentence that ties your
paragraph’s main idea back to your thesis.
21. Body Paragraph 2:
FIVE STEPS:
1. Topic Sentence
– The novel ________ shows that ________.
2. Transition Statement/Literary Element
– One way (author/work) proves this point is through
(insert literary element)
3. Define Literary Element
4. Connect Lens and Literary Element
5. Concluding Sentence
22. Body Paragraph 2:
STEPS ONE, TWO, & THREE:
1. Topic Sentence
2. Transition Statement/Literary Element
3. Define Literary Element
(Title of literary work 2) by (author of literary work 2)
also demonstrates through (insert second literary
device) that in order to gain that which we truly
desire, we must sometimes give up all that we have.
(Define second literary device.)
23. Body Paragraph 2:
STEP FOUR:
4. Connect Lens and Literary Element
Provide and Explain TWO Examples from the
Novel that Support the Quote using the Literary
Device you have Selected.
25. Body Paragraph 2:
STEP FIVE:
5. Concluding Sentence
Write a concluding sentence that ties your
paragraph’s main idea back to your thesis.
26. Conclusion:
FIVE STEPS:
1. Introduce/State Quote
2. Interpret Quote
3. Agree or Disagree with the Quote
4. Thesis
– The novel _________ by ________ supports/does
not support the idea that (reword the quote).
5. Concluding Sentence (that ties the main ideas
of the paper back to the critical lens)
27. Your Task:
Write a critical essay in which you discuss JOHN
KNOWLES’ NOVEL A SEPARATE PEACE and JAMES
HURST’S SHORT STORY “THE SCARLET IBIS” from the
Perspective of the Critical Lens Statement provided.
YOU MUST USE THEME AS THE LITERARY ELEMENT
WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT A SEPARATE PEACE!!
In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the
statement, agree or disagree with the statement as
you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using
specific references to appropriate literary elements
from the works.
28. Guidelines:
Be sure to
• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly
establishes the criteria for analysis
• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as
you have interpreted it
• Choose two works you have read that you believe best supports
your opinion
• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the
work you have chosen
• Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to
appropriate literary elements (for example: theme,
characterization, setting, point of view) to develop your analysis
• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
• Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
29. Critical Lens Options:
• “In literature, evil often triumphs but never conquers.”
• “The bravest of individuals is the one who obeys his or her
conscience.” - J.F. Clarke
• “Good literature substitutes for an experience which we have not
ourselves lived through.” - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
• “It is not what an author says, but what he or she whispers,
that is important.” - Logan Pearsall Smith
• “It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many
grievous faults and failures and to hold up to the light our dark
and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement.” - John
Steinbeck
• “All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle
between good and evil.”
• “All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not
reason, that motivates characters in literature.” - Duff Brenna
• “Good people… are good because they’ve come to wisdom