“ Quote Analysis ”

Review: Writing an essay We have already talked about how to write the thesis based on theme—this should be the last sentence of an intro paragraph The next task is to divide your big idea into small ideas called claims. These are theme-based and should answer how or why your thesis is true Then, you need to prove your idea with evidence from the book Finally explain your evidence and apply the information to come to an idea about it—this is the analysis

Old Lessons you’ve learned… Highlight your thesis statement: Circle the motif. Underline the judgment word. Underline all your claims (remember, these are NOT plot based sentences, rather they set up the analysis by breaking the thesis into smaller parts) Go through the body paragraphs (you did write in paragraphs, right?) In your second color: Highlight all the direct quotes or plot references. What are you noticing?

Example from student OMM essay Thesis: We should all have dreams because dreams help give life a sense of active purpose. Claim 1: Every dream moves us towards a goal. Claim 2: Not only are people who have a dream driven to move toward their goal, but also people with a dream tend to have more confidence than people who do not. Is she doing it correctly?

Results Overall on Your Essays Positives: Nearly everyone had a good, working thesis Nearly everyone had good, working claims Negatives: Too little evidence Not enough variety in your evidence (only using a portion of the book, or the same characters each time) Summary vs. Analysis

Analysis Dictionary Definition: the process of breaking a complex topic into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it How does this apply to an essay? Complex Topic=Theme Smaller Parts=Points to Prove Thesis (Claims) Better Understanding: Your explanation and evidence So often in essays, I see students choosing good quotes but not doing anything productive with them When you plug these into your essays, you often summarize that quote instead of analyze the quote

Avoid Summary! Thesis: We must have dreams. Body Paragraph 1: If we lack having dreams, we will be left with a negative perspective on life. Curley’s wife gave up her dream of being a movie star: “Coulda been in the movie, an’ had nice clothes—all them nice clothes” (Steinbeck 89). Curley’s wife gave up on her dream of being in Hollywood. What is the problem with this? We already know this from the quote. The “analysis” is just a paraphrase. This author has simply summarized the quote-NO! NO! NO! This is info we know because we have read the book. No unique thought This author hasn’t ANALYZED

What is the SO WHAT? The SO WHAT part of the essay is the analysis. This author chose the quote for a specific reason—it was important in some way. Was this student able to convey why this quote was important? HECK NO! He just re-told us info that we knew. SO WHAT SHOULD S/HE HAVE DONE? He needs to answer the SO WHAT? Why is this quote important? What does it prove? What does it show? How does it give the reader insight into the plot and/or characters? There needs to be something new added—proof of THOUGHT!

How do you do it? To achieve this… Break down the quote first, relate and analyze the impact on the text Then apply it to the claim (which, in turn, supports your thesis) Remember, all your evidence (quotes), must support your claim!

Good example Thesis: We should have dreams, even when unachievable. Claim 1: To begin, dreams give us hope for our future. Claim 2: Dreams give us something to hope for, and we find our confidence in that dream as well. After Candy and Lennie tell Crooks about the dream, he is given hope for happiness and hope to escape the ranch, but he is given more than hope as well. When Curley’s wife comes into the barn and starts to berate him, he actually stands up for himself and says, “You got no rights comin’ in a colored man’s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus’ get out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to let you come in the barn no more” (Steinbeck 80). Crooks has been given courage, because he now has hope for happiness. With even the potential of his new-found dream, Crooks feels empowered, like he’s on top of the world and nothing can hurt him. Before having the inspiration and hope of the dream, however, he would not have had the courage to stand up for himself.

Self Assess Look over your quotes. Did you actually analyze? How much is quotes vs your words? Did you explain how the quote connects to your claim (and don’t say something like “this supports my claim because…”) Are you getting beyond the obvious elements of the book?

Tips to remember for next time Before you write: Think about the claim—how will this evidence prove my claim? When you write: Introduce the quote by giving the context of what is happening (this will take care of the situational summary) State the quote Cite it (author’s name page number) Analyze

Intro Paragraph Intro Paragraphs (all take home essays) Start with a hook—get the audience’s attention State author and book title (book titles are always in italics) Transition into your thesis (thesis is the last sentence of intro paragraph) 3-5 sentences

Conclusion Transition from final body paragraph to conclusion First sentences should be a paraphrase or restatement of your thesis. DON’T restate it word for word, but summarize it Should bring us back to the bigger picture/“real world” by thinking about why any of this matters Answers the question SO WHAT? Also, see the wiki for links to help writing Intros, conclusions and MLA formatting

Your task Edit and revise your essay Typed, double spaced Draft day Friday 10/9. Must have typed copy Final due Monday 10/12, uploaded to TurnItIn.com Reminders: use in text citations at the end the each sentence in which the quote appears (Steinbeck 45). Italicize the book title (Of Mice and Men) Spell characters’ names correctly (Lennie, Curley) Use author’s whole name, or last name only (don’t call him John!)