This document provides guidance for students writing short literature essays. It emphasizes the importance of thoroughly reading and understanding the text before writing. Students are advised to look at both obvious elements like plot and character as well as less obvious elements such as imagery, context, and author information. The document recommends organizing points with an outline and constructing an argumentative thesis rather than a summary. It provides examples of strong and weak thesis statements and introduction paragraphs. Overall, the document offers tips for students to write focused, well-organized essays that make an arguable analytical claim about the literature.

1. Short Literature Essays
For the thoughtful but nervous
student in English 161

2. Watch out for:
 Spelling the author’s or character’s name
incorrectly
 In James Joyce’s story “Eveline” he writes
(or says, which is worse)
 The story says (even worse)

3. Before you write anything
 READ
 READ
 READ
 READ
 And, oh yes, READ
 And take notes.

4. What to look for: the Obvious
 Plot (NOT interesting)
 Character (how is it PORTRAYED)
 Central conflict

5. What to look for (less obvious)
 Repeated imagery
 Repeated anything (it’s probably
significant)
 Context: social, intellectual, stylistic
 What do you know about the author?
 Irony

6. Organize your points
 Construct an outline

7. HAVE
 A thesis
 A conclusion that does not repeat the
thesis or the introduction
 Introduction of more than one sentence.
 T.E.A. paragraphs

8. AVOID
 Formulaic 3-point thesis
 Limiting yourself to only 5 paragraphs.
 Plot Summary
 Mechanical transitions

9. Helpful Hints
 Organize rhetorically rather than by order
in the plot.
 Don’t think of me (the teacher) as your
audience.
 Don’t limit the number of things you talk
about – show the reader (me) everything
you have thought about.
 Don’t be hesitant or equivocal – you are
the expert! (don’t tell me you didn’t
understand the story!)

10. Your Introduction
 Go from the general to the specific
 The specific should be your thesis.
 Must be more than one sentence.
 Three is a good rule of thumb

11. Your Thesis Must Be
 Arguable
 Arguable
 Arguable
 Not a statement of fact (hint – it should be
arguable)

12. Bad
“Eveline” is a story about a girl trying to
decide whether to leave home.

13. Better, but not great
James Joyce’s use of images gives us a
portrait of a girl who is paralyzed by
indecision.

14. Best (with bonus introduction)
James Joyce wrote that Dubliners
portrayed characters all in a state of
paralysis. “Eveline,” in the titular
story, shows us one such character.
Through point of view, imagery, and
other devices, Joyce shows us a
young woman so paralyzed by
indecision she is unable to reach out
for her own happiness.