Writing an Effective Literary Analysis I. The Bare Essentials - Thesis statements - Research - Outlining - Quotations & References - Proofreading - Formatting

Writing an Effective Literary Analysis

I. The Bare Essentials

- Thesis statements - Research - Outlining - Quotations & References - Proofreading - FormattingII. Basic Organizational Template - Overall structure - Introductions - ConclusionsIII. Style - Diction - Sample errorsIV. Final Checklist


The word “analysis” comes from two Greek words:

- ana, which means “throughout”

- lysis, which means “a loosening”

Analysis, then, means a loosening of the parts throughout; it is an examination of the separate elements making up a larger unit. You are being asked to analyze a major novel and discuss its theme.


Should you develop a thoughtful thesis, you are on the right track to writing an intelligent and purposeful essay.

You must develop an original thesis, or controlling argument, that will serve as a roadmap for your essay. Generating a thesis statement requires careful thought and reflection.

In your essay, you are being asked to analyze a major theme, breaking it down and explaining with evidence from the novel how the author develops this idea. Ultimately, what is the author telling us?


Don’t rehash the plot: Your teacher has already read the work on which you are writing.

Do the grunt work: Major essays require research—so go to the library and find what you need. Spend quality time brainstorming and/or webbing.

State your thesis: Your essay should have some point to make; it’s not just a book report or a collection of random thoughts. (How do I do this?)

(How do I do this?)

(How do I do this?)


Find a proofreader: Ask a parent or classmate help you spot the mistakes in logic, grammar and spelling that your computer cannot catch.

Cite specific references and quotations: Most paragraphs in the body of your essay will contain at least one example from your primary text—properly introduced and explained.

Get the format right: Teachers expect a certain look for finished essays. Know what’s expected and follow the guidelines.

(How do I do this?)

(How do I do this?)

II. Organizational Template

P arag rap h # 2S u b top ic w ith

su p p ortin gevid en ce



C O N C LU S IO NR ein fo rce th es is s ta tem en t

- d raw a con c lu s ion- c lin ch th e a rg u m en t



P aragraph #1 : IN TR O D U C TIO N- L ead sen ten ce : b road su b jec t

- Tran s it ion : id en tify au th or & t it le o f w ork- Th es is s ta tem en t: lim ited su b jec t an d n arrow ed focu s

NB. Your paper is certainly not limited to three body paragraphs. Consider the above paragraphs as representations of major points; each single point will probably be developed in several sub-paragraphs.

II. Organizational Outline

An outline is a very effective means of organizing your analysis. It virtually guarantees you stay “on track” developing your thesis.

HOW? Click here!

II. Organization of Introductions

An effective introduction functions to attract the reader and provide him with a controlling idea for the rest of your argument.

Consider three distinct roles for the intro:

1. It provides a “lead” into your discussion

2. It makes transition into introducing the focus of your paper (the literature).

3. It identifies a thesis or controlling argument for your paper.

II. Organization of Introductions

Strategies for Leads:

1. Quotation

2. Provocative statement

3. Question

4. Point to the significance of your subject

5. Generalization

6. Challenge a widely held opinion

7. Definition

8. Personal anecdote

Statement of situation, event, or concept (POINT)

Quotations or details that demonstrate the above point(s) (PROOF)

Interpretation and discussion of the importance of these points and supporting evidence (DISCUSSION)

Write in paragraph form

with STYLE!

II. Organization for Paragraphs

Remember: you can build your paragraph with the following techniques:

- definitions - anecdotes

- examples - comparison

- analogies - contrast

- quotations

- cause and effect coorelations

(S)tatement of concept, assertion, belief

____________________________________________________

(Q)uotation or evidence that supports your assertion above. This may include paraphrased material, including actions and/or outside

research.(I)nterpret and explain. The paragraph should stylistically examine the significance of the above details as they relate to your topic sentence at the top of the page. The emphasis of this paragraph is to analytically support your own observations with direct evidence from the novel. You should always keep in mind your thesis, or controlling idea, and how these paragraphs develop the thesis.

Consider ways to reinforce your main points. Perhaps you could incorporate allusions or figurative devices. Perhaps you could make references to outside quotations.


(S) The Honia River and backpack help to symbolize the incessant nature of time.

____________________________________________________

(Q) Kamau approaches the river to drown himself out of rage and frustration. The backpack falls in to the waters. He watches it float away, and stops himself from trying to rescue it. ____________________________________________________

(S-Q-I) The final leg of Kamau’s journey occurs at the Honia River, a symbol of the incessant and unstoppable nature of time itself. Kamau plans on drowning himself in this river out of rage and frustration for Muthoni’s actions and his village’s seeming rejection of his status as a hero and survivor of the war. Yet in fumbling with his pack (really an artifact from his past life before being interned) and losing it in the river’s current, Kamau is struck by the epiphany that he would be wrong in killing himself. The image of the flowing water helps him realize time and tide truly wait for no man. It would be wrong to have expected Muthoni and the rest of the village to wait for his long return. Lives inevitably must be lived and peace must be made with the past. The river symbolizes this fact for both Kamau and the reader.


From an essay on Ngugi wa T’hiong’o’s short story “The Return”

(S) Guilt can be an extremely compelling force in an individual’s life

____________________________________________________

(Q) “The little Madonna was a bee in my bonnet, and I wanted to see her, and quite unreasonably I kept hoping to find her” (118).

____________________________________________________

(S-Q-I) The fact remains that Dunstan Ramsay is consumed by his guilt over the snowball affair with Mrs. Dempster—so affected, in fact, that he is compelled to try and make Mary Dempster into a saint. He believes Mary is responsible for three miracles, something the Catholic Church demands of a person in order to be canonized. As he lay wounded on the battlefield in Passchaendale Dunstan believed he had seen the image of Mrs. Dempster on a statue of the Madonna, and that she had miraculously saved him from dying. Desperate to objectively prove this miracle, the reader understands it is really Dunstan’s guilt that is compelling him; that the “bee in his bonnet” is none other than his hope to get Mary canonized and thus remove the burden of his part in the premature birth of her son, Paul Dempster.


From an essay Robertson Davies’ novel Fifth Business.

(S) Bob Dylan helped instigate positive social change in america through the intelligent—and sometimes provocative lyrics of his music.

____________________________________________________(Q) Songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Masters of War”, and “A Hard Rain’s a Gonna Fall” present powerful images and themes related to ending racism and embracing the idea of American pacifism.(S-Q-I) Bob Dylan is recognized as one of America’s master songwriters, with his music covered more than any other popular artist working in the last fifty years. It is not just the caliber of musicianship that defines Dylan, however; rather it is the fact the lyrics of his music have helped instigate positive social change within America—particularly in improving relations between whites and blacks and in redefining America’s predilection to make war on other countries. Consider the song “Blowin’ in the Wind”, first released in 1963, and currently ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as the 14th greatest song ever recorded. Through a series of rhetorical questions on subjects concerning peace, war and freedom, Dylan darkly hints that the answers to America’s greatest problems are obvious, and that people need simply to open their minds to embrace these truths. For example, he writes in the second verse:


From an essay on Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”

THESIS: The fire referred to in the chorus of this song is literally the social strife that has plagued America since its inception. Yet artists like Bob Dylan have worked as catalysts for popular social change, and through music have made people rethink their opinions on race relations and war with other nations.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist Before it's washed to the sea? Yes, how many years can some people exist Before they're allowed to be free? Yes, how many times can a man turn his head Pretending he just doesn't see? The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind The answer is blowin' in the wind.

The comparison of a mountain eroding into the ocean to that of white America’s continuing tradition of subjugating its black citizens is a powerful way of suggesting how long it has taken the country to accept African Americans as equals. Dylan questions how much longer we can ignore such hatred and remain complacent to such bigotry. Remember: at this time in American history, black citizens like Rosa Parks were still being sent to sit at the back of the bus, and black schoolchildren like Melba Pattillo were having acid thrown into their faces for attending desegregated white schools. Dylan’s “answer” to these questions seems almost darkly religious--for the wind to which he refers at the end of each verse could be interpreted as some kind of plague or punishment. The message is dark: America must wake up and fix its social problems, or face the inevitable consequences. Whatever the true meaning of such lyrics, clearly there is more of a reason for Joel to reference Dylan in his song other than the fact his name rhymes with “Berlin” and “Bay of Pigs Invasion”! Dylan’s songs were incredibly popular then, and remain influential in 2012.


II. Organization of Conclusions

Don’t forget about the power of your conclusion. As a final paragraph (or set of paragraphs), the conclusion should both summarize your argument and make a final point concerning the thesis.

Click here for examples of conclusion strategies:

III. Style Matters!

• Choose an appropriate level of diction: use language that is comfortable for you, your teacher, and your classmates. Avoid:

- Slang and colloquialisms

- Flowery language

- Vague abstractions

IV. Final Considerations

The steps below are designed to help you edit and revise your essay. This process involves not only looking over the mechanics of your work, but its structure and its thought.

IV. Final Considerations1. ___ Do I have a strong thesis? Do I arrive at an interesting conclusion?

2. ___ Do I support my argument with quotations (properly integrated)? What other evidence do I incorporate?

3. ___ Does my organization make sense? Is there clear development of my thesis?

4. ___ Test your paragraph structure. Are your ideas linked with transitions?

5. ___ Read over your sentences. Are they clear, smooth, varied?

6. ___ Examine your word choice. Is it accurate, suitable, effective?

7. ___ Are needless words and inflated language eliminated?

8. ___ Have I written predominately in the active voice?

9. ___ Check your grammar and spelling. Is the paper free of errors?

10. ___ Is the title of my essay stated clearly? Do I have a Works Cited page?

Generating a Strong Thesis

A thesis statement is to a longer paper what a topic sentence is to a paragraph, and both consist of two parts:

1) a complete subject

2) a complete predicateThe subject identifies and limits a topic, while the predicate presents the writer’s attitude that he will try to prove.

Generating a Strong Thesis

The Swiss have chosen a neutral role in international affairs.(The subject) (An idea about the subject; the predicate)

From a literary essay on Macbeth, a thesis might look as follows:The Greek notion of Nemesis, or retribution, plays a central role in the play, punishing Macbeth and his wife with death, and rewarding Malcolm with the throne of Scotland.

Click below to move back to “The Bare Essentials” of essay

writing.

Doing the Grunt Work

The research and reflection stage requires you to carefully examine the essay question, brainstorm ideas, and consult the text and outside resources for assistance.

For a literary analysis, a good place to start is by defining your topic. Do this in a web format.


Consider the following questions:

1) What do I want to communicate?

2) Who will my audience be?

3) What does the essay question demand from me?

4) How much support will I need for my argument?


A mind-map (web) does wonders to generate ideas. Work with the 5ws. Here is a sample outline for “Guilt” on Robertson Davies’ novel Fifth Business.

GUILT

Bearing the “Albatross”

Def: the intense feeling that accompanies a breach of conduct

Complex emotion

The snowball affairDunstan assumes guilt; Boy

feels none

Why? 1)Changes, 2) Pres. upbringing, 3) Boy’s refusal

Boy represses guilt his entire life; leads

meaningless existenceDunstan acknowledges his guilt; leads fulfilling life.

Beyond our control

Repressing guilt can be dangerous to one’s

psychological well-being

A negative emotion, that ironically can produce

positive results


You will have to supplement your brainstorming by scanning the text for details which you can use to support your thesis.

You may wish to bring in outside research into your argument. If you consult and/or use any outside sources in the formulation of your essay, make sure you write down your source to be included in a “Works Cited Page”.


writing.

Incessant Plot Details

• Analytical essays must make ASSERTIONS about a story, not RETELL the plot.

• When a student provides little assertion, but LENGTHY summation of the plot, this “style” says: “I don’t think you have read the book. Therefore, hear me speak it to you in its entirety—one painful line after another!

Incessant Plot DetailsOriginal Example:

Luckily for Dunstan there was a couple walking near him and Percy Boyd Staunton. It was the Dempsters, Amasa Dempster being the local Baptist minister and Mary Dempster seven months pregnant. Because they were close to him, Dunstan dodged in front of them just as the snowball was thrown, missing him but hitting Mrs. Dempster. She then falls to the ground, injured, and later gives birth to her son prematurely.

Modified:

Dunstan dodges Boy’s snowball, and what was meant for him hits Mrs. Dempster—leaving her “simple” and in danger of miscarrying her child. The snowball represents a malicious act, and like a true politician, Boy refuses to accept any responsibility for the incident. Dunstan is left to accept the blame, and ultimately, his entire life is shaped by this fateful incident.


writing.

Citing References and Using Quotations

If you decide to use quotations from the text to support your argument, you must first properly “set-up” the quotation. There are three basic ways of doing this:

1. Introduce the complete quotation with a phrase followed by a comma.

E.g. According to Robert Frost, “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

(Complete quotation introduced by phrase + comma)

2. Introduce the complete quotation with an independent clause followed by a colon.

E.g. Robert Frost had a peculiar opinion of the value of higher learning: “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

(Complete quotation introduced by independence clause + colon)

3. Introduce a portion of the quotation with a phrase or statement that requires no punctuation between it and the quotation. Use ellipses and square brackets, if necessary, to signal any changes you make in the original wording.

E.g. Robert Frost defined education as “the ability to listen to anything without losing [one’s] temper or [one’s] self-confidence.”

(Partial quotation introduced by phrase requiring no punctuation; changes indicated with ellipses and square brackets)


If you are quoting from the textbook, ensure you write the page number in parentheses after the quotation, followed by end punctuation.

GOOD example:

In response to his guilt over the snowball affair, Dunstan returns to the battlefield at Passchendaele in search of the statue of the Madonna. He states, “The little Madonna was a bee in my bonnet, and I was determined to find her” (56), demonstrating his preoccupation with Mrs. Dempster.

POOR example:

In response to his guilt over the snowball affair, Dunstan returns to the battlefield at Passchendaele in search of the statue of the Madonna. “The little Madonna was a bee in my bonnet, and I was determined to find her” (56)


If you are quoting from another source, say a literary criticism on the novel, still introduce the quotation, and then record the author’s name and page number of the reference in parentheses following the quotation.

For example:

In regards to guilt, Carl Jung, the noted Swiss psychologist, has said, “All individuals must face their ‘dark side’ or risk irreparable psychological damage” (Jung 223).


At the end of your paper you MUST include a “Works Cited” or “Works Consulted” page. Here you prove your research, and avoid charges of plagiarism. See your portfolio reference sheets for examples of these pages.

EXAMPLE

Works Cited

Davies, Robertson. Fifth Business. Toronto: Penguin Books,

1977.

Jung, Carl. “Psychology and Religion”. Collected Works.

London: Princeton Publishing, 1954.


writing.

Getting the Format Right

Student Name

Class

Date

TITLE (UPPER CASE)

Hints:

- [CMD+2] double space - [CMD+E] centre

- [CMD+J] justify - [CMD+OPT+R] thesaurus

John Doe

English 30-1

November 28, 2005

BEARING THE ALBATROSS: THE POWER OF GUILT

IN ROBERTSON DAVIES’ FIFTH BUSINESS

Hint:

The title should reflect a major element in your paper, as well as state the title and author of the literature being discussed. Use a colon to separate your “creative” title from the author/title of the novel.


writing.

Outlining Example

Essay Title In From the Cold

Lead Every year, North American businesses lose billions of dollars to the common cold.

Thesis Folk medicine, science-based remedies, and preventive measures can significantly reduce absenteeism.

I. Topic Sentence Drink lots of fluids

1. Danger of dehydration; Minimum 8 glasses water a day 2. Chicken soup reduces stuffiness

3. Garlic soup scientifically effective 4. Hot lemon and honey for sore throats

II. Topic Sentence What science offers cold sufferers

1. Over-the-counter remedies may be harmful 2. Nutritional supplements relieve symptoms and reduce duration

of illness (Vitamin C, Zinc, Garlic)

III. Topic Sentence Prevention is the best solution

1. Avoid infected people

2. Avoid spreading infection

3 Wash hands frequently

IV. Conclusion By communicating these preventive and supportive tips to employees, employers can reduce absenteeism. A consoling

thought: teenagers catch colds twice as often as people over fifty.

Outlining

Outlines will help you avoid writing rambling paragraphs that fail to develop a point.

Consider this example of a body paragraph outline:

I. Passion begets fanaticism--we must understand ourselves and try to understand the forces that compel us.

1. Dunstan fervently believes he is responsible for the madness of Mary Demspter, assuming the guilt of Percy Boyd Staunton—who is truly responsible.

2. He does not understand forces that compel him to assume this guilt (Presbyterianism, mother, adolescence)

3. He is convinced Mary has committed three miracles

4. Enters world of hagiography; joins Bollandists

5. Researches saints, publishes books

6. Personal sacrifice: single, “funny”, few relationships

7. Toll must be paid for not understanding one’s identity

Passion begets fanaticism, and Dunstan fervently comes to believe he is responsible for the simplicity of Mary Dempster and its corresponding tragedies. He soon comes to think Mary has performed three miracles, namely the reformation of Joel Surgeoner in the gravel pits of Deptford, the resurrection of his brother Willie, and the miraculous appearance of her face on the statue of the Madonna in Passchendaele. Dunstan’s beliefs lead him into the obscure world of hagiography, a science concerned with saints and their miracles. Eventually, through his work with the Jesuit Bollandist society, he even becomes a best-selling author of books like A Hundred Saints for Travellers and The Saints: A Study in the History of Popular Mythology. Yet these accomplishments come with personal sacrifice. Boy labels Dunstan “funny” and “queer”, and indeed, Dunstan moves away from any meaningful relationships with the opposite sex, his trysts with Agnes Day and Libby Doe being poor substitutes for a real relationship. He even breaks off with Dianna because he desires freedom to study and pursue his theory about Mary. A toll must be paid. For Dunstan, the price equates to fifty years of artificial relationships with women as he removes the burden of Mary from his neck.

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A conclusion should essentially accomplish two things:

1. It should SUMMARIZE or REINFORCE the main

points of your paper.

2. It should end with an appropriate CLINCHER.

The Conclusion

The ConclusionSUMMARY STATEMENTS:

Your summary statement should be as concise as you can make it, and it must be phrased in such a way that it does not repeat word-for-word the portion of your thesis that identifies the main points.

In other words, you should “arrive” at some insights related to your thesis

The Conclusion

CLINCHER:

Your clincher is a memorable statement designed to leave your readers feeling satisfied with your essay and perhaps taking away with them something further for thought.

There are a number of strategies for effective clinchers:

1. End with a thought-provoking quotation.

2. Offer a solution to a problem discussed within the paper.

3. End with one or more relevant or thought-provoking questions.

4. Point out the value or significance of your subject to the reader.

5. Make a connection to a statement made within the introduction.

6. End with a suggestion for change or a prediction about the future.

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Writing an Effective Literary Analysis I. The Bare Essentials - Thesis statements - Research - Outlining - Quotations & References - Proofreading - Formatting