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Pope/ ENGL 121
Paper: Literary Analysis (4-6 pages) worth 25% of your final course grade.
Brainstorming due:
Online Conference draft due:
_ Final dr.& WC appt due:
Assignment
Write a paper (minimum of four full pages) in which you make a meaningful point about a specific message,
theme, character, symbol, or some other literary technique contained in one of the assigned short stories.
Formulate an original thesis. Then, give evidence from the primary text which you analyze and interpret to
support your thesis.
Outside Sources
The primary source to be used is the short story itself. NO OTHER secondary sources should be used. (See
the section on “originality” in this handout for more explanation.)
Topics You may write about any message, theme, character, symbol, or some other literary technique
contained in one of the assigned short stories. If you are stuck, refer to the notes you took in groupwork and
class discussion. Check Canvas Lit Paper Module for some ideas specific to each story.
The Suggested Process of Writing the Lit Paper
At any point in the process: Use the Writing Center.
At any point in this process, free-write your thoughts and reactions to the stories. Expand on ideas you
heard in class. Look back at the online discussions.
1. Finish reading the text. Read for understanding, then go back to look more closely for meaning, take
notes.
2. Free-write about what you think is the deeper meaning of the story or who you think is the most
important or interesting character.
3. Find quotes that relate to / support your thesis or that are significant. Take notes about what each quote
means and why it’s important.
4. Outline / plan how you will order your thoughts and examples. (See the suggested organization on this
handout).
5. Write a rough draft.
6. Get feedback (instructor, peers, Writing Center)
7. Revise and rewrite. Reread story. More feedback. More revision.
8. Proofread for grammar and proper MLA format.
9. Submit Final Draft- packet of hard copies and online.
Evaluation:
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Clear, effective thesis statement, introduction and conclusion
Organized, cohesive paragraphs, transitions, and topic sentences
Well-developed, thoughtful analysis that supports a unified point
▪ Logical interpretation & critical analysis of examples/ quotations to support thesis
▪ Refers to and cites text at least five times
▪ Meets minimum page requirements. (4 full pages, typed double-spaced.)
Grammatically correct; Originality/ Sense of voice and style*;
Presentation/ MLA format
Engagement in the writing process
(pre-writing, rough draft, conferences, revision, Writing Center)
Pope/ ENGL 121
Getting Help
Read over this entire packet.
See CANVAS: LIT PAPER MODULE for more Topic Ideas specific to the assigned stories, Sample Papers,
Literary Devices, and MLA guidelines.
See me in office hours. Inbox me in Canvas.
Use the Writing Center.
Use Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab).
Check Canvas. Click on “Modules” and there is a Module on “Analysis” with more links to literary terms, MLA
help, how to write about literature, etc.
Originality
Making an informed guess (or claim) about what something means is called interpretation. This is an important
part of analysis, and it is what you are SUPPOSED to do in this paper. Don’t apologize; don’t be vague or be
wishy washy about it. You can express an informed opinion or discuss general observations about the human
condition, society, relationships, the world, etc., as long as you relate the observation to the story.
Do your best to avoid making “I” or “you” statements. Leave out empty praise and don’t dwell on personal
experiences and feelings. (Canvas has a link to a Purdue OWL packet/ webpage on this.) I encourage you to
find something fresh and new to say, or take something raised in class to a much deeper level, in a different
direction. Be bold—be critical, disagree with me or your classmates!
Original authorship is an absolute requirement; plagiarism may be grounds for failing the course. All
suspected plagiarism will be investigated and will garner consequences.
Googling and reading through others’ ideas will frustrate the key objective of this paper, which is for you to
formulate your own ideas and analyze evidence to support these ideas. This paper should be based solely on
your own ideas, conclusions, assertions, and interpretations of the literature. I highly caution against consulting
outside sources. You want to work on formulating your own ideas and conclusions. If you ever mention
someone else’s idea, it should be cited as so.
Style and Voice: How personal to get
Writing a literary analysis may be the least personal paper we write in this course. As much as you can, do not
rely on personal feelings and experiences; instead, analyze the text as an observer, a third party critic. Instead
of focusing on your own reactions, write about how any “reader” might react. Instead of writing extensively
about your personal experiences, discuss how such an experience, in general, can shed light on what
something means in the story. This doesn’t mean your writing need be void of all personality or passion; it just
needs to be appropriate for the purpose of academic literary criticism.
MLA format
In-text citations (page numbers) required. Works Cited Page optional. See Canvas for links to MLA website for
more thorough explanations, especially about long quotes. The Writing Center and Library can also help you.
If your sentence “has a quote” in the middle, do this (87).
Do this if your sentence “has a quote” (87) in the middle, and the rest of your sentence is about something
else.
The narrator claims, “I like to keep an open schedule” (22).
The narrator claims that a flexible schedule is important to her (22).
Sentence Structure/ Mechanics:
Write strong, clear, varied, and expressive sentences with minimal errors in grammar, spelling, usage or
mechanics. Work with me or the Writing Center on grammar on your “troublespots.”
Pope/ ENGL 121
Thesis Statement
Create an effective, thoughtful thesis statement and make sure it is in your introduction paragraph. The thesis
should be assertive, insightful and focused- not wishy-washy. The thesis statement should state clearly:
a) the title of the text you will be examining,
b) the author’s name, and
c) the point you want to make about the text;
d) any relevant key terms, such as the literary device, message, theme, or characters important to your paper.
Example of thesis statement: Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby focuses on the American dream; ultimately, the
message is that money cannot buy happiness.
Suggested Organization
One paragraph intro:
Hook and / or summary of story
Overview-glance / Lead-in to Thesis
Thesis Statement
OR
Two-paragraph intro:
First paragraph:
Anecdote or hook that catches reader’s attention, about an issue that relates to your thesis
End this paragraph with thesis statement OR put it at the end of the next paragraph
Second paragraph:
Summary of story
Lead-in to thesis/ Thesis Statement
Multiple Supporting Body Paragraphs:
Introduce with a transition and topic sentence. Each paragraph is about ONE thing.
“Thesis Sandwich” each quote or example. (see below)
Conclusion Paragraph
Restate thesis (include author and title)
Review the ideas in each of your body paragraphs
Leave with final thoughts and/ or go back to idea in the hook.
Well- Developed Support: Evidence & Analysis
Quotes and examples from the text DO NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. Quotes and examples support your
points BUT they need explanation. Don’t drop “quote bombs”! Build up to your quote/ example, state the
quote/ example, and then explain and analyze it, clarifying how it’s relevant to your thesis.
Don’t saturate it with quotes, especially long quotes. Sometimes, a paraphrase or summary is more effective.
Save quotes for the really special lines. Whether you paraphrase or directly quote, you should always provide
a citation (page number).
Remember the “sandwich.” In general, most body paragraphs should be structured like this:
• Topic/transition sentence that signals key ideas from the thesis and if possible links the point in this
paragraph to other ideas throughout your paper.
(Topic sentences should NOT be just a statement of plot but should make a thesis-related statement.)
• Introduce quote/example
• Give quote/example (and cite it)
• Interpret quote and analyze the quote’s specific significance (your own commentary)
• Possibly include other quotes in the same paragraph that are making a very similar, repeated point
• Make connections to your broader thesis or relate it to another example you’ve given; be critical!
Pope/ ENGL 121
The “Thesis Sandwich”: Building Paragraphs with Analysis
For each paragraph:
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Begin with THESIS-related topic sentence- introduce the main idea of the paragraph
Lead up to quote or example (set it up)
Refer to evidence: paraphrase, quotes, etc.
React/ analyze the examples and quotes*
Sum- up with THESIS-related point
Topic sentences of body paragraphs – are NOT plot based. They must be rooted in the thesis and
introduce topic of the paragraph.
Don’t drop quote bombs. Interpret / react. Break it down and explain it. Think about :
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What is “really” happening? What is it “really” saying? Look underneath the surface, between the lines.
What is the POINT? What do I want my reader to see that I see?
Does it say something about a character, a theme, symbolism, irony, etc?
How does it relate to some of my other quotes and examples? Put it in context – how does it work in the big
picture?
How is it related to my thesis?
Not everything has to be a direct quote. Don’t saturate the paper with too many quotes.
Paraphrase or summarize. If you can restate the “gist” of the quote in your own words, and nothing is lost, then
summarize it. It shows more control over your own ideas and your own interpretation of what’s going on.
Save quotes for when the author’s wording is just so graphic, full of symbolism, figurative language, or otherwise really
important. The longer the quote, the more important it must be, and thus MORE analysis will be required from you.
Don’t forget to wrap up your thesis really clearly before moving on to your next point.
Note about VERBS: Use present tense verbs when you make any reference to action in the story. “When the
narrator sees the first hologram….” (not saw)
“Nadine rips up the letter from her parents …” (not ripped)