Essays

LITERARY ANALYSIS

An analytical essay must be carefully structured and persuasively argued. It is vital that you provide evidence to support your opinions.

Use the general structure below when planning your analytical essay; it is not necessary to adhere strictly to this format once you have some practice in writing literary analysis.

Paragraph One:

Introduction (include the following, not necessarily in this order):

· Hook the reader with a relevant yet gripping opening statement.

· Mention the title and author of the work

· Give your opinion of the topic (state your thesis)

· Define any key words(if necessary)

· Summarize the body of the essay (the reasons for your view of the topic)

Paragraphs two, three, four, five, etc (the body):

In each body paragraph:

· Begin with a topic sentence (summarize the argument to be presented in the paragraph)

· Make statements and provide evidence for your opinions by giving examples or quotes from the book. Remember to include page references for quotes. Analyze your examples.

· Last sentence – restate the idea presented in the paragraph and provide a link to the idea in the next paragraph, if possible.

Paragraph five:

Conclusion (include the following, not necessarily in this order):

· Mention the title / author

· Restate your opinion of the topic

· Summarize the reasons for your view (summarize body)

· Provide a sense of closure

What is a Thesis Statement?

Almost all of us-even if we don’t do it consciously-look early in an essay for a one or two sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement. Typically, this summary statement comes in the first paragraph of the essay, though there is no rigid rule about position.

Why Should Your Essay Contain A Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from a Weak One.

1. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand.

Your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing an essay evaluating The Crucible’s success in portraying a theme you might write:

There are some positive and negative aspects to a theme in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible.

This, however, is a weak thesis. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase “negative and positive aspects” is vague. A stronger thesis would be:

Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, effectively portrays the destructive role that hysteria can play in dividing a community.

You could develop this thesis statement further by also explaining how Arthur Miller portrays this theme, e.g through characterization, language, etc.

2. A strong thesis justifies discussion.

A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper.

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example:

Hysteria has many causes and effects in Salem.

This is a weak thesis because “many causes and effects” is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hysteria tears apart Salem and leads to the death of innocent people because logic is replaced by vengeful accusations during the witch trails.

Some Myths about Thesis Statements

• A thesis statement must come at the end of the first paragraph. This is a natural position for a statement of focus, but it’s not the only one. Some theses can be stated in the opening sentences of an essay; others need a paragraph or two of introduction; others can’t be fully formulated until the end.
• A thesis statement must be one sentence in length, no matter how many clauses it contains. Clear writing is more important than rules like these. Use two or three sentences if you need them. A complex argument may require a whole tightly-knit paragraph to make its initial statement of position.
• You can’t start writing an essay until you have a perfect thesis statement. It may be advisable to draft a hypothesis or tentative thesis statement near the start of a big project, but changing and refining a thesis is a main task of thinking your way through your ideas as you write a paper. Some essay projects need to explore the question in depth without being locked in before they can provide even a tentative answer.
• A thesis statement must give three points of support. It should indicate that the essay will explain and give evidence for its assertion, but points don’t need to come in any specific number.

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/thesis.html

Developing Topics into Thesis Statements

If someone asks you what you’re going to write about for your research paper, what will you say?

“Hitler.”

“The Great Depression”

“I dunno.”

Hitler and the Great Depression are topics. How do you develop a thesis statement from such a topic?

1. Narrow your topic: Narrowing your topic is like taking a wide-angle camera and then zooming in to look at a single flower. By focusing your attention on only a small part of your subject, you are able to discuss it in depth, not just superficially. In the examples below each word is more specific than the word above it, shown by indenting the word (as in an outline).

GENERAL > > > > SPECIFIC

solar system

planets

earth

Middle East

UAE

Dubai

DAA

our classroom

General statement: Airlines transport people all over the world.

Specific statement: United Airlines offers the most flexibility and best value on flights from North America to Europe.

2. Write a thesis statement: Thesis statements should do the following:

· State the main topic

· Express an opinion, an idea or a belief about the topic that needs to be proved, not a fact.

· List subdivisions of the topic, or indicate the organization of the essay

For example:

Ø Advertising in Dubai is becoming more and more sophisticated.

(Topic) (opinion, or position)

Check which sentences below are thesis statements. Then label the topic and the position for those that you checked.

□ For children, painting and drawing are play activities.

□ The social role of artists has changed over time.

□ Traffic problems in Thailand disrupt people’s lives.

□ Spirit Week at DAA Enriches Students’ Lives

□ Spirit Week is Introduced as a New Student Council Activity

Select two of the following topics. Develop two opposing thesis statements from each topic. Make sure that your thesis statement doesn’t just state the topic, and that it expresses a position, or opinion, that will have to be proved.

Spirit Week at DAA … Attending International Schools

Being a TCK (third culture kid) … Being Different

Young Love … Loneliness

Introductory Paragraphs

Your introductory paragraph should accomplish four things:

• Gain the reader’s interest in the subject.
• Set the tone of the essay, for example serious, formal, humorous, etc. Your attitude to the subject will be evident from the kind of language you use.
• Use key words from the question to show that you are addressing the topic.
• Present the focus or thesis that you will develop in the main part of your essay.

There are several ways to draw the reader’s attention to your subject:

• Summarize your subject briefly with a simple statement of your thesis (as you become a more experienced writer, however, you can do something more creative than this):

In his novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding writes about the evil of mankind by describing the actions of a group of young boys who are marooned on a deserted island.

• Start with a quotation from the book and then comment upon its importance:

When Wang Lung, the protagonist of The Good Earth said, “Land is one’s flesh and blood,” he summarized the central theme of this novel.

• Begin with an explanation of the author’s purpose and lead into an evaluation of how well the author achieves this purpose:

In explaining why he wrote The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck discussed what he called “the aching urge of the writer to convey something he feels is important to the reader.” Steinbeck felt urged to ….

• Begin with a general statement about the type of literature you are analyzing then discuss your subject within this context:

The best science fiction always seems believable and logical within the context of the storyline. This is certainly true in…

• Begin with an interesting story or anecdote about the subject:

When The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published it was banned because the protagonist was regarded as being an inappropriate role model for society.

• Present a startling fact or unusual opinion:

Although his novel The Catcher in the Rye still sells 400,000 copies annually, J.D. Salinger has lived as a near recluse since the publication of his novel in 1951.

• Quote a well known person or literary work:

Ernest Hemingway once said “All modern literature comes from a book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.”

• Define an important, subject-related term:

The dictionary defines a hero as “one who accomplishes remarkable deeds.” Andrew Bernstein, however, went much further than this definition when he said that the four components of heroism were “moral greatness, ability or prowess, action in the face of opposition and triumph in at least a spiritual, if not physical form.”

• Provide background information:

Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible was based upon the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692.

An effective introduction can act like a kind of funnel: it starts with a general statement about the topic (see above for ideas), it then clarifies or narrows the subject by presenting the main ideas that will be discussed in the essay, and then, in the thesis statement, it asserts the central focus of the essay.

The following paragraph is a sample of an effective paragraph written by a 9^th grade student:

The dictionary defines a hero as “one who accomplishes remarkable deeds”. If one were to go by this particular definition, only adventurers such as Robinson Crusoe would qualify to be considered as true heroes. Dr. Andrew Bernstein, however, captured the philosophical essence of the term “heroism”, when he declared that it consisted of four major components; “moral greatness, ability or prowess, action in the face of opposition and triumph in at least a spiritual, if not physical form.” Taro, the main character in Erik Christian Haugaard’s The Samurai’s Tale, exhibits these four heroic qualities in great amounts.

Using Evidence

§ What is evidence?

- A direct quotation from a text (two types: long and short)

- A paraphrased example from a text (put into your own words).

§ Why do we need to use evidence in our writing and speaking?

- to support the key assertions we make

- to sound credible and authoritative

- to demonstrate to the reader / audience that we are knowledgeable about this topic, and therefore should be taken seriously.

The whole point of your answer is to prove your point (a.k.a. thesis).

You need to make claims and defend them.

Anyone can make a claim.

eg. Romeo and Juliet were mere puppets in the feud between their hate-filled families.

But a smart student will back up that claim by using evidence from the text to demonstrate his / her true knowledge in a way that is impossible to refute.

eg. Romeo and Juliet were mere puppets in the feud between their hate-filled families. In truth, they had little autonomy over their own destinies. The chorus describes the “star-crossed lovers” as sharing a “death-marked love” as early as the prologue of the play, setting the tone for the audience to expect universal interference in their relationship and a tragic conclusion.

Can you see the design of this passage? It is:

key assertion

+ evidence

+ short discussion and expansion

_____________________________

= effective point made

_____________________________

Choosing the right evidence:

§ Try to use a combination of direct quotations and paraphrased examples.

§ If you can’t have the text with you during an exam, memorize a small number of choice quotations before a written exam (revise your notes and question your teacher in order to narrow down the range of possible exam topics – read the ‘signs’ that are in front of you!).

§ If you use a direct quotation, it should be ‘short and sweet’ (brief and relevant).

§ Beware of long quotations – they should only be used if they are truly fantastic for the point you’ve raised.

§ Using the perfect piece of evidence is the academic equivalent of hitting a home run / doing a slam dunk / sinking a hole in one / hitting an ace – it’s absolutely irrefutable and highly effective, so only use the very best.

§ It is better not to use a quotation at all than to use a mediocre one.

Using your evidence correctly:

§ Must be smoothly incorporated into a sentence, not just dropped in

§ Don’t refer to it as a ‘quote’ or ‘quotation’ in your paper (this shows a lack of sophistication in your writing style – after all it was not a ‘quotation’ to the person who said it!)

§ Did you know that quote is a verb and quotation is a noun?

§ In assessments done at home, MLA citation style will be the most likely referencing system you’ll use

§ In assessments done in class, your teacher will not expect any referencing system to be used (but it’s always a good idea to ask your teacher before the assessment about their preferred method!)

§ Make sure you cite the source and don’t try to pass the evidence off as your own when it’s actually directly quoted from elsewhere – that’s plagiarism

§ Don’t retell the story – use parts of it as your evidence to prove the main points you make

§ Your key assertion and your chosen evidence will go hand-in-hand together, proving the same point and speaking with the same ‘voice’

§ Try to strike a balance in the use of evidence – not too many, not too few

§ If using a direct quotation, you must copy it accurately word-for-word or use the correct system of square brackets [ ] to show that you’ve made amendments for grammatical accuracy

§ Use evidence only if the fluency of your expression is not disrupted.

_____________________________________________________________

In summary:

· use a combination of direct quotations and paraphrased examples

· quote just the few, especially powerful, words that will specifically support your point - keep it “short and sweet” (brief and relevant)

· incorporate the few words of the added quotation smoothly and grammatically into your own sentence (no shift in person/tense)

· ensure that your key assertion and the chosen evidence/quotation go hand-in-hand together to prove the same point

· do NOT re-tell the whole story

· add square brackets [ ] to alter the quotation so that it fits grammatically and fluently into your own sentence

· use ellipses ( … ) if you need to leave out words/sentences from the original quotation

· vary the verbs used to introduce quotes: insists/ suggests/ claims/ shows/argues/ laments/ retorts (your example)

· vary the verbs used to explain the quotation: demonstrates/ indicates/ underscores/ shows/ illustrates/ argues/ testifies to (your explanation)

Words to use with quotations (all in the literary present):

suggests, shows,

implies, demonstrates,

testifies to, underscores,

indicates, argues

Transitions in Essays

Why Use Transitions?

Transitional words and phrases help to indicate the relationship between one sentence and the next, and links between paragraphs. Transitions are important not simply between paragraphs but also between sentences within a paragraph. In other words, in a well crafted essay, every sentence is a transitional sentence because it should lead readers to the next point. Transitions act like bridges to overcome the gaps that often occur between the sentences and paragraphs a writer creates when developing an argument or narrative. Therefore, using transition sentences, phrases and words will improve the logic and coherence of your writing.

Transitions Between Paragraphs

When linking two paragraphs, the writer has limitless options. However, most importantly, a writer must explain how the two paragraphs are connected logically and thematically. There are many ways to do this, and it is entirely up to the writer to determine and explain the logical connection.

Example:

… Therefore Huck’s intentions are quite honorable as he uses disguises to avoid trouble (both for himself and Jim) and to escape the harsh realities of the world.

As noble as Huck’s reasons may be for using disguises, the duke and king’s motivations were greedy and self-centered.

Another way of writing a transition sentence between paragraphs is to repeat or paraphrase the key words from one paragraph into the following one.

Example:

… Therefore Huck’s motivation is quite honorable as he uses disguises to avoid trouble (both for himself and Jim) and to escape the harsh realities of the world.

In complete contrast, the king and duke’s motivations to use disguises could be described as anything but honorable.

If you are having trouble with transitions between paragraphs this may indicate problems with your essay’s structure. If you suspect this to be the case, go back to your original outline and make sure that you have assigned only one point to each paragraph and that each paragraph naturally follows the preceding one and leads to a logical conclusion.

Transitions Between Sentences

Between two sentences in a paragraph, a transition is often only a word or two. What follows is a list of common transition words and their functions. If you incorporate the appropriate word or phrase into your sentences it will help your writing to flow. Always keep the literal meaning of the word in mind as you use it – therefore do not use “for example” unless you truly are introducing an example that links to the preceding information.

Words that can be used to show time:

about, firstly, meanwhile, soon, at this moment, after,

secondly, previously, later, at the same time, next,

then, formerly, afterward, as soon as, before, till,

recently, until now, immediately, during, until,

presently, finally, in the past

Words that can be used to compare things (show similarities):

likewise, as, also, similarly, in the same way

Words that can be used to contrast things (show differences):

but, however, otherwise, although, on the other hand,

yet, still, even though, nevertheless

Words that can be used to emphasize a point:

again, to repeat, for this reason, to emphasize, in fact

Words that can be used to conclude or summarize:

finally, therefore, as a result, in conclusion, all in all, thus, in closing, in summary

Words that can be used to add information:

again, another, for instance, as well as, also, and, moreover,

additionally, besides, along with, an addition, for example,

likewise, furthermore, equally important

Words that can be used to clarify:

in other words, to reiterate, to clarify, to restate

Writing a Conclusion

A conclusion provides a thoughtful end to a piece of writing; unfortunately, many conclusions are little more than summaries of what has already been said. Here are a few tips to make your conclusion more interesting.

A conclusion should:

· Stress the importance of the thesis statement.

· Give the essay a sense of closure.

· Leave a final impression on the reader.

Avoid:

· Ending with a rephrased thesis statement that contains no substantive changes.

· Introducing a new idea or subtopic (although you may end with a provocative question; see below).

· Focusing on a minor point in the essay.

· Concluding with a sentence tacked on to your final point.

· Apologizing for your view by saying such things as “I may not be an expert” or “At least this is my opinion.”

· Attempting to make up for an incomplete structure by presenting information you should have included in your body paragraphs.

Conclude an essay with one or more of the following suggestions:

· Answer the question “So what?”

Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

· Synthesize, don’t summarize.

Don’t simply repeat things that were in your essay. Show readers how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

· Redirect your readers.

Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the “real” world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

· Create a new meaning.

You don’t have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

· Echo the introduction:

Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding. Repeat key words or concepts.

· Challenge the reader

By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives. Ask the reader a provocative question or give a call to action.

· Look to the future

Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the reader’s thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally.

Editing Checklist

When revising and editing your assignment, ask yourself these questions

• Is my thesis/ central proposition/ main assertion clear?
• Do I make a clear argument or take a position about the topic? Do I state my

position in the beginning of the article?

• Does my introduction or opening paragraph prepare the reader for what follows?
• Does my assignment have a clear hook/thesis, a body and a powerful restatement of the thesis at the end?
• Does the assignment advance in logical stages?
• Are the major points connected? Are the relationships between them expressed

clearly?

• Do the major points all relate to the topic and contribute to answering the task or
• question?
• Do the sentences flow smoothly and logically from point to point?
• Does each paragraph state its case clearly and completely, or should there be

more evidence/ detail?

• Are there adequate transitions between sentences and paragraphs? Are transitions

varied or are they all the same kind?

• Are all examples and quotes relevant to and supportive of my answer?
• Are facts and opinions supported with examples or explanations where necessary?
• Have I explained my ideas clearly and explicitly?
• Have I kept my audience in mind? Have I said all I need to say so that my reader

can understand, or am I assuming they will ”know what I mean’?

• Have I written complete, grammatically correct sentences?
• In long sentences, have I separated related ideas with commas or semicolons for

easier understanding?

• Is my use of tenses correct?
• Have I referenced all the words, ideas and information sources I have used in my

assignment?

• Have I used a consistent referencing style and is all my bibliographical information correct?
• Are quotations properly introduced? Are they accurate? Are they formatted correctly?
• Do the quotations add evidence or provide an authoritative voice, or am I letting

the author(s) speak for me? Would writing it in my own words be more effective?

• Have I proof-read and revised my assignment for errors?
• Have I checked my spelling? Have I read through my assignment and not just relied on a computer spellchecker?
• Have I used correct punctuation?
• Does the presentation follow any guidelines set by my lecturer or school?
• Have I included a criteria sheet?
• Have I made sure my assignment is legible? Is it typed or written neatly?
• Have I used double-line spacing?

Checklist adapted from Tracey-Lee Downey, Pam Mort and Ian Collinson

for the Learning Center UNSW, www.lc.edu.au