Argumentative Writing For Literary Analysis Adapted from the MLA Owl at Purdue

Claims within body paragraphs How does the government obtain and maintain control over the populous in “The Lottery”? Claim = Title + Subject (Who/What) + The Argument + Details (So what?) In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the government obtains and maintains control over populous through brainwashing, which results in ignorance.

Evidence within body paragraphs Evidence = Lead-In + Quote (Should NOT be more than 3 sentences) Example 1: “Use a direct quote” (Seuss 6). Or Example 2: “You may not paraphrase!” (Ramp 1). As you choose quotations for a literary analysis, remember the purpose of quoting. Your paper develops an argument about what the author of the text is doing--how the text "works." You use quotations to support this argument; that is, you select, present, and discuss material from the text specifically to "prove" your point--to make your case--in much the same way a lawyer brings evidence before a jury. Quoting for any other purpose is counterproductive. Don't quote to "tell the story" or otherwise convey basic information about the text; assume the reader knows the text. Don't quote just for the sake of quoting or just to fill up space. Don't make the reader jump up and shout "Irrelevant!"

Evidence Integration Introduce a quotation either by indicating what the quote is intended to show or by naming its source, or both. For non-narrative poetry, it's customary to attribute quotations to "the speaker"; for a story with a narrator, to "the narrator." For plays, novels, and other works with characters, identify characters as you quote them. Do not use two quotations in a row, without intervening material of your own. Keep it past tense (to be on the safe side).

In-text/parenthetical citations MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).  Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263). Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information: Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford UP, 1967. Print.

Short Quotes To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples: According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), though others disagree. According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (184). Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184)?

Omitting part of a quote If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a space. For example: In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).

Long Quotations No one should need these for any papers written in this class as they will not be lengthy papers. For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by an additional quarter inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.) For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples: Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

Analysis within body paragraphs Analysis = 1. Say – Explain more about the claim. 2. Mean – How does your quote support the argument of your claim? 3. Matter – Explain why your argument matters. Think: How does our argument change the story? How does our argument change the character that we are arguing? How does our argument change the plot?

Introductions The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions: What is this? Why am I reading it? What do you want me to do/understand?

You should answer these questions by doing the following: Set the context –provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support State why the main idea is important –tell the reader why he or she should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read and act upon State your thesis/claim What’s the difference between a paper’s topic and its thesis?

Conclusions Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research….this is sometimes called the “SO WHAT?” statement. The following outline may help you conclude your paper: In a general way, Restate your topic and why it is important, Restate your thesis/claim, Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position, The “So what?” statement. Why is this important? You could almost call it the mean and matter of your entire paper. It can also be a call for action or overview future research possibilities.

You’re done! Remember that once you accomplish these tasks, unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you are finished. Done. Complete. Don't try to bring in new points or end with a whiz bang(!) conclusion or try to solve world hunger in the final sentence of your conclusion. Simplicity is best for a clear, convincing message. The preacher's maxim is one of the most effective formulas to follow for argument papers: Tell what you're going to tell them (introduction). Tell them (body). Tell them what you told them (conclusion).