Literary Analysis Essay Mrs. Tollison San Marcos High School.

Literary Analysis Essay

Mrs. Tollison

San Marcos High School

The Steps to a Good Essay:

1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to write about.

2. Determine what material I will use for evidence.

3. Create a thesis statement.

4. Develop an evidence chart or table.

5. Write an outline.

6. Write the body paragraphs.

7. Write the introduction

8.Write the conclusion.

Created by Barbara Tollison

Attack

Choose any one of the short stories that was assigned and read in class this semester and write an essay in which you analyze literary devices and the author’s purpose for using them.

The Prompt










8. Write the conclusion.


There are three stories from which to choose:

The Most Dangerous Game

by Richard Connell

The Sniper

by Liam O’Flaherty

The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst


The thesis statement tells your reader what to expect: it is a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay -- the point you are trying to make.

Without a carefully conceived thesis, an essay has no chance of success. The following are thesis statements which would work for a 500-750 word literary analysis essay:

Writing a Good Thesis Statement


Gwendolyn Brooks’s 1960 poem “The Ballad of Rudolph Reed” demonstrates how the poet uses the conventional poetic form of the ballad to treat the unconventional poetic subject of racial intolerance.

The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the danger of excessive pride.

The imagery in Dylan Thomas’s poem “Fern Hill” reveals the ambiguity of our relationship with nature.

PLEASE NOTE: THE BEST PLACE TO PUT YOUR THESIS STATEMENT IS AT THE END OF YOUR INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

Good Thesis Statements:


3. Decide on the theme of the story based on how the main character changed or learned in the story. Write it down:

Rainsford learned that even the most seemingly civilized person is capable of great savagery.

The theme of “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell is that people can be dangerous and brutal.


Which Literary Devices?

4. Choose the three forms of literary devices that were used most effectively in the story to show how the character felt about or reacted to the conflict.

1.imagery

2. foreshadowing

3.irony


Turn it in to a sentence:

Richard Connell uses irony, imagery and foreshadowing to convey his theme that humans can be savage in his short story “The Most Dangerous Game”.

“The Most Dangerous Game” is an adventurous story in which Richard Connell uses foreshadowing, imagery and figurative language to create a conflict that shows how capable of evil people can be.


If you do TAG in B of the Outline, leave it out of the Thesis Statement.

• Richard Connell uses foreshadowing, imagery and figurative language to create a conflict that shows how capable of evil people can be.

• Connell uses irony, imagery and foreshadowing to convey his theme that humans can be savage in his short story





3.Create a thesis statement.







Title ____________________

__________________________

Author______________________

_______________________________

Theme________________________________

_________________________________________

Literary Device: Example in quotes:________________________

________________________

_______________________

______________(p.___).

Identify and explain example and the author’s purpose for using it:___________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Tie the example to the theme: ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Example in quotes:________________________

________________________

_______________________

______________(p.___).

Identify and explain example and the author’s purpose for using it:____________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Tie the example to the theme: _____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Organizational Chart



________________________

______________(___).

Identify and explain example and the author’s purpose for using it:_____________________________________________________________________

Tie the example to the theme: _____________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________

______________(___).




________________________

______________(___).




________________________

______________(___).



Organizational Chart


OutlineI. Introductory Paragraph

A. General Theme StatementB. Summary of conflict and how character changes

with TAGC. Thesis statement

II. Body Paragraph 1III. Body Paragraph 2IV. Body Paragraph 3V. Conclusion

A. Thesis re-stated with TAGB. Re-statement of theme.C. Sentence about how theme relates to character’s

growth.D. Sentence about how the three literary elements

helped develop this theme.E. Final theme statement about how the theme is a

universal lesson.


Writing a good topic sentenceFor your middle three (body) paragraphs, you

want a topic sentence that does the following:

1. Uses a transitional word or phrase that ties it in to the rest of the essay.

2. Tells the reader which literary element will be analyzed in this paragraph.

3. Explains the author’s purpose in connecting to the theme.

1. yes, all this in just one sentence!!


Examples of Topic Sentences:• To set the mood for his adventurous, dangerous

tale, Connell uses vivid imagery that reflects his theme of human savagery.

• As a complement to the imagery in the story, Connell also includes a great deal of figurative language to create a mood of danger.

• The strongest stylistic device used in the story is irony, as the theme of brutal predation is driven home by the ironic twist in the story.


Body Paragraphs

I usually write the body paragraphs before I write the introduction. That way, I know what my evidence is before I introduce my topic. Planning and Writing the body paragraph helps me write a better introduction and conclusion later.


Body Paragraph Format:TS – Topic Sentence: Introduces the literary device and the

author’s purpose for using it.

Evidence 1- Introduces and quotes something from the story, with quotation marks and page number. (From Chart)

Analysis: Tells what the literary device means and its effect on the reader.

Analysis: Tell how the example reflects the theme.

Evidence 2 - Introduces and quotes something from the story, with quotation marks and page number. (From Chart)

Analysis: Tells what the literary device means and its effect on the reader.

Analysis: Tell how the example reflects the theme.

CS – Concluding Sentence: Brings paragraph to an end and leads to next paragraph.

Repeat this step at least TWO TIMES for a total of at least THREE BODY PARAGRAPHSCreated by Barbara Tollison

Writing the Introduction: A. Write a broad statement/ generalization about the

theme.

B. Write a brief (no more than three sentences) explanation of plot events that create the conflict that changes the protagonist/teaches him/her about the theme). As you do this, remember to include the TAG (title, author and genre of the story, properly capitalized.

C. Thesis statement: Write one or two sentences telling how the author presents the theme through the three literary devices that you have outlined in your planner.








6.Write the body paragraphs.

7.Write the introduction



Writing the Conlusion:A. Restatement (same idea, use TAG this time) of the Thesis

Statement, using synonyms for your main theme words

B. Write a sentence about how this theme/message was important to the main character of the story

C. Write a sentence or two about how the literary devices that you cited were used to create a mood/tone in the story that helped the reader get the message.

D. Write a sentence that tells how this lesson could help everyone or society as a whole.


Template Provided By

www.animationfactory.com

500,000 Downloadable PowerPoint Templates, Animated Clip Art, Backgrounds and Videos


http://www.animationfactory.com/

http://www.animationfactory.com/

Literary Analysis Essay Mrs. Tollison San Marcos High School.

Documents

Transcript of Literary Analysis Essay Mrs. Tollison San Marcos High School.