Literary Analysis PDF

CONVENTIONAL L I T E R A RY A N A LY S I S S O M E T I P S  THE PURPOSE: TO EXPLAIN AND DISCUSS To carefully examine and evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature Requires you to break the subject d...

CONVENTIONAL L I T E R A RY A N A LY S I S S O M E T I P S  THE PURPOSE: TO EXPLAIN AND DISCUSS To carefully examine and evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature Requires you to break the subject down into its component parts, its elements Is not an end in itself, but rather a process to help you better appreciate and understand the work of literature as a whole Analysis of a poem might Consider the function and interrelationship of different types of images Elucidate relationship between form and content Analysis of a play might Tease out the significance of a subplot in fueling the main plot, Trace the distinctive characteristics and function of a character Analysis of a short story might Identify how a writer specifically and uniquely explores a particular theme that emerges via the story’s point of view (e.g. a “coming of age” narrative), Explain how the main character’s attitude towards the gender of various characters is revealed through dialogue and/or actions—and why THE THESIS S TAT E M E N T Tells your reader what to expect in the essay and guides the reader by revealing what they should take away from the essay A well-developed thesis statement tends t include three elements: THE TOPIC: Define the boundaries of your essay (While ostensibly a love poem, close attention to the denotation of the words within William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 reveals the poet’s interest in loss.) THE ROAD MAP, Shakespeare uses images of aging and disease embedded in conventional romantic images and words.) THE “SO WHAT”: Ask yourself, “Okay, I’ve shown this imagery pattern in Shakespeare’s poem. So what? Why should anyone care?” This is the most difficult part of the thesis, the point you are trying to make, the larger significance of your argument (In this way, Shakespeare shows that as time passes, lovers’ bodies will age and decay, and that, paradoxically, sustaining loss is an integral part of sustaining love.) T I P S O N T H E S I S S TAT E M E N T S IT’S A STATEMENT: It is called a “statement,” not a thesis “sentence”: do not feel bound to squeeze all of your ideas into one sentence if they do not fit. Depending on the length of your paper, a thesis statement may expand into two, three, or more sentences. IT’S A GUIDE: Typically, the thesis statement falls somewhere within the introductory section of your paper. In very short papers, this will likely be in your introductory paragraph. IT’S THE PRODUCT OF A PROCESS: Your thesis need You need not “twist” evidence to fit not be completely formulated before you begin preconceived thesis. You may “write writing. You can start with a “hypothesis” about your way” ito your thesis. You may what you think you will find as you select evidence, find the fully developed thesis in the examine it, put it together, write. You may reach a conclusion to the paper. You may slightly different conclusion. move it up front. THE INTRODUCTION Should try to both capture reader’s interest and bring immediate focus to subject. May Use a quotation, Elegantly set the stage, immerse us in time or place or author’s oeuvre Include relevant or necessary background information Ask provocative question Offer a brief anecdote or startling statement, Like the host of a party, you are “introducing” your reader to the topic and to your point of view. So think about how you can do that politely and with a little panache. As part of this convention, you should include the title of the work of literature and name of the author  A. What would one expect to be the personality of a man who has his wife sent away to a convent (or perhaps has had her murdered) because she took too much pleasure in the sunset and in a compliment paid to her by another man)? It is just such a man—a Renaissance duke—who Robert Browning portrays in his poem “My Last Duchess.” B. The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios‟s short story, “The Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy’s view of growing up—everything changes. As the narrator informs the reader, when the magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a pile of dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the-same part,” while adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Rios implies that adults have the benefit of experience and know the trick will work as long as the technique is correct. When people “grow up,” they gain this experience and knowledge, but lose their sense of wonder. In other words, the price paid for growing up is a permanent sense of loss. C. The setting of John Updike’s story “A & P” is crucial to the reader’s understanding of Sammy’s decision to quit his job. Even though Sammy knows that his quitting wil make life more difficult, he instinctively insists upon rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he rings up a “No Sale” and “saunter[s]” out of the store, Sammy leaves behind not only a job, but also the rigid state of mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy is the central character in the story, Updike seems to invest as much effort in describing the setting as he does Sammy. The title, after all, is not “Youthful Rebellion” or “Sammy Quits” but “A & P.” S AT I S FA C T O R Y I N T R O D U C T O R Y PA R A G R A P H S T H E B O DY THE BODY: the development of the central idea of a literary analysis essay This is where the magic happens! OF THE Where your readers spend the most time E S S AY Where you win them over by supporting your thesis statement Where you put the “meat” of the paper: textual evidence (summaries, paraphrases, specific details, direct quotes) Where you do more—you explain what you see in the evidence and how it supports your larger claim Where the close reading, unpacking of, and reflection on evidence occurs As a rule of thumb, consider spending at least as much “space” explaining the significance of your textual evidence as you do referencing the text (no need for long quotations with little discussion ot significance) You do NOT necessarily need three supporting points or three supporting paragraphs— though you may if that it what best serves your argument THE TOPIC SENTENCE of each paragraph should label the content of that paragraph tiesits ideas together stateshow the information in that paragraph supports the thesis statement EXAMPLE: 1ST D E V E L O P M E N TA L PA R A G R A P H I N “A A N D P ” P A P E R TOPIC SENTENCE EXPLANATIONS AND TEXTUAL EVIDENCE Sammy's descriptions of the A & P present a setting that is ugly, monotonous, and rigidly regulated. The chain store is a common fixture in modern society, so the reader recognizes the uniformity Sammy describes. The fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the "checkerboard green- and-cream rubber tile floor" (486). The "usual traffic in the store moves in one direction (except for the swim-suited girls, who move against it), and everything is neatly organized and categorized in tidy aisles. The dehumanizing routine of this environment is suggested by Sammy's offhand references to the typical shoppers as "sheep," and "pigs” (486). These regular customers seem to walk through the store in a stupor; Sammy indicates, not even dynamite could move them out of their routine (485).  Gives your essay a sense of completeness and lets THE your readers know that they have come to the end Offers the “last impression” you leave with your CONCLUSION reader, Generates a sense of excitement or curiosity—or energy, at the very least Does not restate your thesis (after all, your reader has already seen your thesis and spent the whole paper thinking about it) Instead, you might Summarize the main points you have made in a fresh way Make a relevant comment about the literary work you are analyzing, but from a different perspective. Consider the implications of your argument (in its time; in our time, etc.) Outline directions for future consideration (without introducing a wholly new topic) Leave your reader thinking E X A M P L E : C O N C L U S I O N T O E S S AY ON BROWNING’S “MY LAST DUCHESS” If the Duke has any redeeming qualities, they fail to appear in the poem. Browning's emphasis on the Duke's traits of arrogance, jealousy, and materialism suggest that anyone who might have known the Duke personally may have based their opinion of him on these three personality "flaws." Ultimately, the Duke is not depicted in a favorable light, and readers can meditate on why Browning might have presented the Duke to us this way.  A title is essential Describes or gestures towards upir approach The titles that follow are appropriate for the papers (A, B, Tries to get the reader’s attention: can be straightforward, C) discussed above: clever, humorous (if apprpropriate) Robert Browning's Duke: A Portrait of a Sinister Title of the literary work alone or the assignment (Paper Man #1) is not enough The A & P as a State of Mind The Struggle of Adolescence in ‘The Secret Lion” THE TITLE AUDIENCE Imagine you are writing for not only your professor, but also the other students in your class who have about as much education and experience as you do They have read the assigned work just as you have, but perhaps they have not thought about it in exactly the same way It is not necessary to “retell” the work of literature in any way—avoid plot summary (unless asked to do so) Rather, you can be the explainer or interpreter of the work Make references to the text to remind your audience of something they already know  L I T E R A RY PRESENT TENSE Literary works, paintings, films, and other artistic creations are assumed to exist in an eternal present When you write about writers or artists as they express themselves in their work, use the present tense, known as the literary present tense Use verbs in the present tense when discussing the language, characters, and events in a work of literature Literary present is customarily used when writing about literary nonfiction as well However, use the past tense when discussing historical events. When commenting on what a writer says, use the present tense Dunn begins his work with a view into the lives and motivations of the very first settlers. When describing an author’s work, however, use the past tense In 1966, Driss Chraïbi published La Civilisation, ma Mère! M O R E L I T E R A RY P R E S E N T TENSE When writing about a certain historical event (even the creation of a literary or artistic work), use the past tense Henry Fielding wrote in the eighteenth century. Picasso produced a series of sculptures. When discussing events in a book or story, always use the present tense, unless there is a shift in the time frame within the world of the text Evelyn then rips into the carefully wrapped package and finds the greatest gift she has ever received. Her eyes fill with tears as she gazes at the jewel, but Philip does not know that these tears are the result of more than surprised joy. Evelyn suffers from guilt as she compares this present to the shoddy gift that she bought* for her beau. * “Bought” is in past tense because the buying of the present occurred before the described set of events. Sometimes a sentence must employ both present and past tense. The first part of the poem, which she completed in 1804, describes the effects of isolation from society. F I N A L LY Writing is the Technically, there are no sharpened, focused This kind of writing “right” and “wrong” expression of thought demands tight answers: your objective and study; as you organization and in writing a literary develop your writing strategic focus; every analysis essay is to skills, you will also part of the paper should persuade the person improve your contribute to the reading your essay that perceptions and reader’s understanding your argument is increase your critical of the main idea plausible by using abilities support