1 THE FIVEPARAGRAPH ESSAY Writing a Literary Analysis

1 THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY Writing a Literary Analysis

2 ANALYSIS Features of Literary Analysis Essays Literary analysis involves: q examining all the parts of a text (character, setting, tone, theme, imagery, etc. ) q thinking about how the author uses those elements to create certain effects. q 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? ”

3 GOALS Features of Literary Analysis Essays • • To analyze some aspect of a novel, play, etc. To state a thesis – a strong, clear claim about some aspect of the story. To support that thesis with examples and direct quotations. To present your analysis in a logical order.

PROCESS 4 Process of Writing an Essay 1. Ask questions 2. Collect evidence 3. Construct a thesis 4. Develop and organize arguments 5. Write the introduction 6. Write the body paragraphs

5 COMPOSITIO Composing the 5 -paragraph essay NIntroduction – states a thesis 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Body paragraph one – support 1 Body paragraph two – support 2 Body paragraph three – support 3 Conclusion

6 COMPOSITIO Diagram of the 5 -paragraph essay N

7 INTRODUCTI Include ON Title and Author 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.

8 INTRODUCTI Give Some Background on ON Story q q q 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.

9 INTRODUCTI Your Introduction Should ON NOT: q q q 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

THESIS 10 Make a Strong, Clear Claim 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,

THESIS 11 What a Thesis Statement Is Not 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”!

THESIS 12 Make a Strong, Clear Claim Your THESIS should typically: • be stated in a single sentence • be followed by a “method of development” NOTE: Your “blueprint statement” should not sound like a science lab report”. • be the final sentence in your first paragraph

THESIS 13 Good or bad? (1) The Great Gatsby describes New York society in the 1920 s. No. It’s not debatable. It is a statement of fact. Both George and Lenny change a great deal in Of Mice and Men. No. It’s too obvious. How do they change?

THESIS 14 Good or bad? (2) Dr. Frankenstein’s monster tells us a lot about the human condition. No. Too vague. What exactly does the monster tell us about the human condition? What does “a lot” mean?

THESIS 15 Good or bad? (3) Through the course of the novel Bradbury suggests that television – this was a new invention when Bradbury was writing the novel in the early 1950’s –has the capability to transform people into passive, mindless creatures. Bradbury supports this suggestion especially through the characters of Captain Beatty, Mildred Montag, and Clarise Mac. Clellan.

THESIS 16 Good or bad? (4) A bell jar is a bell-shaped glass that has three basic uses: to hold a specimen for observation, to contain gases, and to maintain a vacuum. The bell jar appears in each of these capacities in The Bell Jar, Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel, and each appearance marks a different stage in Esther’s mental breakdown.

SUPPORTS 17 Supporting Your Claim Each support paragraph: • illustrates, explains, or proves your main claim – thesis. • • contains and details a particular point that relates to the main claim. includes a topic sentence that supports thesis statement.

18 QUOTATION Use Quotations from the Story S This is an excellent way to illustrate your major supports. Get in the habit of using at least one important quotation in each body paragraph. Example: Romeo describes the emotional pain of love: “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, / Too rude, too bois’trous and it pricks like thorn” (1. 4. 25 -26). Beware: Do not use extensive quotations – keep to short ones.

19 CONCLUSIO Add Some Insight to the Conclusion N Remind readers of your thesis, but don’t restate your thesis. An effective conclusion: reminds readers of the main point • summarizes and reinforces the support paragraphs • provides an insight beyond restating thesis •

20 STYLE HOW YOU EXPRESS YOUR IDEAS Style concerns the artful expression of your ideas. Ask yourself: How can I best introduce and develop my topic so that it will interest my readers?

21 3 RD Always Write in the Third Person PERSON Avoid using the first person “I” and “we, ” “me” and “us”. Avoid: We can clearly see that Joe Gargery is acting magnanimously. Improved: Joe Gargery is acting courageously.

22 3 RD Always Write in the Third Person PERSON Avoid saying, “I feel…” or “I believe…” or “I think…” Just state what you believe in strong, clear language. Avoid: I believe that Dickens uses Herbert as a foil to Pip. Improved: Dickens uses Herbert as a foil to Pip.

23 3 RD Always Write in the Third Person PERSON Avoid the use of second person “you”. Stay in the third person. Avoid: This would lead you to believe Joe is a courageous as he is honorable. Improved: This incident shows that Joe is a courageous as he is honorable.

LANGUAGE 24 Just State the Facts …when giving background about the story. Avoid writing, “This story is about…” or “My essay will show. . ” Just relate what you have to say about the story in strong, clear language. Avoid: Old Man and the Sea is a story about an old man who fight a 1, 000 -pound marlin on the open sea. Improved: In Old Man and the Sea, an old man struggles with a 1, 000 -pound marlin on the open sea.

LANGUAGE 25 Use Formal Language …and avoid using colloquial or slang expressions. Avoid: “Pip has a little problem. How do I put this lightly? He’s crushing big time on Estella. ” Avoid: Something is seriously wrong here. Let me clear it up for you.

TENSE 26 Use the Literary Present Tense 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.

27 QUOTATION Use Quotations from the Story S Again, this is an excellent way to illustrate your major supports. But do not ever use the word “quotation” to introduce a quote or refer to a quote. Example: Romeo describes the emotional pain of love: “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, / Too rude, too bois’trous and it pricks like thorn” (1. 4. 25 -26). Beware: Do not write out a quotation and then write: “This quote is saying that…”

ANALYSIS 28 Avoid Editorializing When you are writing an analytical paper, you should never “editorialize. ” In other words you should not make judgments, give advice, or offer opinions. Keep to ANALYSIS and EXPLANATION. Avoid: It’s funny how Pip continues to like Estella… Avoid: Why does the only pretty girl in the story have to die? Avoid: Something is seriously wrong here…

29 FORMAT

HEADING 30 Use a proper heading John Q. Student A. P. English Literature Mr. Rose 21 September 2012 Your Title Goes Here

FORMAT 31 Remember to Double-Space Your heading should be single-spaced But the essay itself should always be doublespaced.

TITLE 32 Always Give Your Essay a Title The title of your essay should: § Reflect the content of your essay § Include the name (or author) of the text § Centered (rather than aligned left) The title of your essay should NOT: • Be underlined or have quotation marks Except for those words that are in the title of a book or story.

TITLE 33 Always Give Your Essay a Title Examples: Wuthering Heights & the Cult of Revenge Bradbury’s Parlor People in Fahrenheit 451

34 Assignment: Great Expectations essay • Underline your thesis statement • State your thesis in a single sentence. • Your thesis should be followed by a “method of development. ” • Your introduction should give some background of the story. • You must have three major supports – three body paragraphs. • You must have a conclusion that does more than restate thesis. • You must include at least one quotation in each body paragraph. • You must properly format your essay. • You must give your essay a title that reflects the essay.