LITERARY ESSAY WRITING WHAT IS A LITERARY ESSAY

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LITERARY ESSAY WRITING

LITERARY ESSAY WRITING

WHAT IS A LITERARY ESSAY? • The purpose of a literary essay is to

WHAT IS A LITERARY ESSAY? • The purpose of a literary essay is to carefully analyze, examine and sometimes evaluate a work of literature in order to extract meaning from it. As with any analysis, this requires you to break the narrative down into its parts in order to examine it thoroughly.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF A LITERARY ESSAY? • Literary essays ultimately boil down

WHAT IS THE POINT OF A LITERARY ESSAY? • Literary essays ultimately boil down to the development of an idea. Your objective in writing a literary essay is to convince your reader that you have supported the idea you are developing and that your idea is valid.

THE “CLASSIC PARTS” OF A LITERARY ESSAY • The “classic” five step process to

THE “CLASSIC PARTS” OF A LITERARY ESSAY • The “classic” five step process to writing an effective literary essay follows this order: • Introduction • Body paragraph 1 • Body paragraph 2 • Body paragraph 3 • Conclusion

WRITING AN INTRODUCTION • The introduction is the first paragraph in a literary essay.

WRITING AN INTRODUCTION • The introduction is the first paragraph in a literary essay. It should try to capture your reader’s interest. You may want to use a one line summary, a quotation or a startling statement in order to both explain your argument and draw in a readers attention. However, all introductions must include a thesis statement.

THESIS STATEMENT • The most important part of a literary essay is thesis statement.

THESIS STATEMENT • The most important part of a literary essay is thesis statement. A thesis statement is a declarative sentence which directly identifies your essays main argument and ideas about the text. The thesis statement usually appears near the end of the introductory paragraph.

THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLE • In class we have been talking about theme. Some thesis

THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLE • In class we have been talking about theme. Some thesis statements may be the declaration of a theme and how it plays into the text overall. • Example: In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, weakness and vulnerability are regarded as characteristics of uselessness, and therefore those who embody elements of weakness are socially cast aside.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT 1. Arguable: Your idea is logical,

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT 1. Arguable: Your idea is logical, but it could also be disagreed with. 2. Supportable: Your ideas can be backed up with evidence. 3. Specific: Your thesis focuses on a specific argument. It is not vague, general or broad. 4. “Maps out” the paper: Your thesis provides the reader with a guide and organizes the argument. 5. Uses third person: No use of “I”, “Me” or “In my

APPLYING THE 5 CRITERIA • “Homeless people in Montreal should be given increased access

APPLYING THE 5 CRITERIA • “Homeless people in Montreal should be given increased access to public services, such as regular food donations, restrooms, and shelters, because it would improve life for all inhabitants of the city. ”

IDEAS FOR LITERARY ESSAYS • Literary essays can make texts meaningful through illustrating themes

IDEAS FOR LITERARY ESSAYS • Literary essays can make texts meaningful through illustrating themes and examining: • The setting and society • The relationships between certain characters • The reoccurring motifs and symbols • A combination of any and all of these things

BODY PARAGRAPHS • The body of your essay is reserved for the development of

BODY PARAGRAPHS • The body of your essay is reserved for the development of your argument or thesis statement. Body paragraphs, “unpack your essay” by explaining a specific part of your argument in detail. • Quotations which help to support your argument are found mostly in the body paragraphs.

FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG BODY PARAGRAPH • Topic sentence: Introduces your reader to

FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG BODY PARAGRAPH • Topic sentence: Introduces your reader to the upcoming topic and tells your audience about what we can expect to find in the paragraph. • Idea: Makes a connection between the arguments presented in thesis and the idea introduced in the topic sentence. • Quote: Find a quote that supports the idea and gives the reader evidence. • Summarize: Explain what the quote means in your own words. • Link: Explain how it relates to your thesis or argument

BODY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE • In considering the characters who embody weakness, Candy is illustrated

BODY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE • In considering the characters who embody weakness, Candy is illustrated as possessing both physical and emotional forms of frailty. Aside from his kind demeanor, Candy’s missing hand pegs him as physically incapable and therefore places him at a the bottom of the social order on the ranch. This social position is recognized by all the men including Candy where in the novel he expresses that, “ I got hurt four years ago. They’ll can me pretty soon. Jus as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the country. ” (pg. 60) In this passage Candy recognizes that he himself is physically weak and therefore he is at risk of being out casted by the other men. This passage relates to the notion that weakness is a characteristic which provokes social exclusion.

QUOTATIONS • Quotations are used as evidence to back up your points. • After

QUOTATIONS • Quotations are used as evidence to back up your points. • After every quotation please be sure to write the page number in parentheses. • “A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him. ” (pg. 49)

CONCLUSION • Your literary essay should have a concluding paragraph that gives your essay

CONCLUSION • Your literary essay should have a concluding paragraph that gives your essay a sense of completeness and lets your readers know that they have come to the end of your paper. Your concluding paragraph might restate thesis in different words, or summarize the main points you have made. • Do not introduce a new topic in your

TITLES • Give your essay a title that is creative, yet describes the content

TITLES • Give your essay a title that is creative, yet describes the content of your essay. • You may want to separate your title with a colon to emphasis both creative and critical aspects. • Always capitalize all words of the title except articles (of, and, in, to) • Example: “ Social Castaways: How Characteristics of Weakness and Masculinity Define Social Order in Of Mice and Men”

INTRODUCTORY EXAMPLE • In, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates a world locked in

INTRODUCTORY EXAMPLE • In, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates a world locked in the stagnation of the American Great Depression. Within this setting, Steinbeck reveals that some of the tensions of the times are reflected in the relationships among men. In the novel, signs of male weakness and vulnerability in particular are regarded as characteristics of uselessness, and therefore those who embody elements of weakness are socially cast aside.