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THE LITERARY ANALYSIS Moving Beyond the Formulaic

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Literary analysis involves: examining one or more parts of a text

(character, setting, tone, theme, imagery, etc.)

thinking about how the author uses those elements to create certain effects.

literary essay assignment asks, “How does this piece of literature actually work?” “How does it do what it does?” or, “Why might the author have made the choices he or she did?”

Features of Literary Analysis EssaysANALYSIS

3 DEVELOPING SOME STYLESTEP IT UPMove beyond the formulaic 5-paragraph essay.

Understanding this formulaic writing is key to being able to move ahead and develop your own style and tone.

The formula is not very flexible.The formula is not very graceful

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Still need a controlling thesis. • Provides unity and coherence to the essay• Must be focused• Must be articulated as a proposition• Stated in a single declarative statement• Clearly and strongly worded• Must be arguable and supportable with

evidence

Thesis + EvidenceARGUMENT

5 Avoid All Redundancies STYLE• Vary your word phrasing. • You probably don't need a blueprint

statement that tells the reader the subject of each of your three supporting paragraphs.

• Third, in the more sophisticated writing that you will be doing, you can almost always dispense with that formulaic topic sentence at the beginning of each support paragraph.

• Instead you should work on using appropriate transitional phrasing that leads from topic to topic.

6 Avoid All Redundancies STYLEAvoid:“Bronte reveals her theme of vengeance through the characters of Heathcliff, Hindley, and Catherine.”

“The first example of this is Heathcliff…”

“Another example of this is Hindley…”

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Read the prompt carefully. Do not parrot the prompt. Make quick notes and outlines in the

margins. (No outline is necessary) This planning step enables most

writers to organize their ideas more efficiently.

Planning helps the writer to stay focused

Make a PlanPLANNING

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a strong opening paragraph can be a real asset to a student's paper.

answer the question quickly avoid beginning with ideas that do not

relate directly to the prompt Avoid one-sentence introductions that

repeat the wording of the prompt answer the entire prompt -- answer the

prompt, not simply repeat it -- in the introduction

Begin Quickly and DirectlyRESPONDING

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Your introduction should include the author’s full name and the title of the story, novel, play, etc.

Short story titles should be in quotations marks.Titles of novels and plays get underlined instead.

Examples: In Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations…Great Expectations, one of Charles Dickens’s most enduring novels…

Include Title and AuthorINTRODUCTION

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Provide any necessary context that leads up to your thesis.

Answer the “So what?” question:Why is this topic important, and why is your particular position on the topic noteworthy?

Present your thesis with a strong, clear claim.

Give Some Background on Story

INTRODUCTION

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Be vague“Great Expectations is an interesting novel.”

Open with any grandiose assertions:“Since the dawn of time, writers have been fascinated with the topic of free will.”

Wildly praise the work or author:Dickens is perhaps the greatest writer in the English language.

Your Introduction Should NOT:

INTRODUCTION

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A strong thesis statement has several basic features: • It focuses on a single main point about a topic.• It is neither too broad nor too narrow.• It is specific.• It is surprising, i.e., not obvious. Answer to “So

what?”• It is something you can show, explain, or prove by

evidence from the text.• It is a forceful statement written in confident, firm

language.

Make a Strong, Clear Claim

THESIS

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A thesis statement is not:• A simple statement of fact

GE depicts life in Victorian London.• A summary of part of the plot

GE is a novel about how Pip tries to impress Estella.• An evaluation of the story (good, bad, etc.)

GE is a most confusing and unbelievable novel.

YOU MUST MAKE A CLAIM THAT IS DEBATABLE & “PROOVABLE”!

What a Thesis Statement Is Not

THESIS

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indent paragraphs clearly. Paragraphs create the fundamental

structure of the essay, and without them good ideas can get muddled.

Many writers find topic sentences a useful tool both for organizing paragraphs BUT do not repeat part of your thesis

Use Paragraphs & Topic SentencesSTRUCTURE

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use specific quotations to back up your assertions.

explain your quotes clearly demonstrate how they are

relevant to the question offering long quotes without

explanation bogs down the essay

Use & Explain QuotationsQUOTATIONS

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Avoid short, choppy sentences without variety

Connect ideas with transitional wording, participial phrases, appositives, subordinate clauses, etc.

Experiment with different sorts of syntactical devices to develop a sense of style.

Create VarietySTYLE

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• First, continue building your vocabulary• Make certain that the words fit.• Don’t stick in big words just to sound

scholarly• Be clear – clarity first!• Use the active voice as much as possible

as one remedy for repetition and other superfluous wording:

Good: The author used alliteration to emphasize his point.Bad: Alliteration was used by the author to emphasize his point.

Using the Right WordsDICTION

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Remind readers of your thesis, but do not restate it

An effective conclusion:• reminds readers of the main point• summarizes and reinforces the support paragraphs• provides an insight beyond restating the thesis

Add Some Insight to the ConclusionCONCLUSION

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Use the literary present tense when writing of events in the story – not past tense.Avoid: After Santiago killed the dolphin, he swore he would never again leave port without salt.

Correct: After Santiago kills the dolphin, he swears he will never again leave port without salt.

Use the Literary Present Tense

TENSE