A how-to guide

Introduction: Start with an attention getter. For literary analysis, this should be some background information related to the piece of literature being analyzed: Definition of the heroic journey pattern Examples and explanations of movies/ books that fit the pattern Background of Joseph Campbell (created/ defined the pattern) Remember that your attention getter must effectively “hook” your reader. If it is boring to you, it will be boring to your reader. Transition to your thesis. You must make the connection between your attention getter and your thesis for your reader. Thesis Statement: This is your statement that your book or movie fits the pattern of the hero on a journey. Should be ONE sentence Should NOT contain “I think” or “I believe.” Should also NOT refer to your paper as in “In this paper, I will prove…” Should be the last sentence of your introduction Should only argue ONE side of the issue

Body Paragraphs: You need a separate body paragraph for each point you intend to make. Transition: single word, phrase, or hook Topic Sentence: This is a statement of your first point. Must relate point to thesis Must come early in the paragraph Evidence- these are the examples of each step of the hero’s journey from your book or movie. Must be clear how evidence supports your topic sentence Concluding statement: This is the same as your topic sentence, just in different words Conclusion: A restatement of your thesis (in different words). Clincher statement: Explains how understanding the pattern of the hero on a journey has improved your reading or analytical skills.

Your Essay will start with an introductory paragraph. Thesis: sentence that contains the focus of your essay and tells your reader what the essay is going to be about. You will have at least 3 body paragraphs. I.First main point (Topic sentence): Early stages of the journey Example (ordinary world) Example (call to adventure) Example (refusal of the call) Example (meeting the mentor) Concluding sentence II.Second main point (Topic sentence): Middle stages of the journey Example (crossing the threshold) Example (tests, allies, and enemies) Example (the approach) Example (the ordeal) Concluding sentence

I.Third main point (Topic sentence): Final stages of the journey Example (the reward) Example (the road back) Example (the resurrection) Example (the return with the elixir) Concluding sentence Your essay will end with a concluding paragraph. The concluding paragraph should restate the main points without repeating them verbatim.

Never use 2 nd person pronouns (you, your, you’re, yourself). Use 3 rd person pronouns instead (he, she, it, they, their, his, hers, theirs, one, people, etc.) 1 st person pronouns should only be used when you are being asked for your opinion. Sentences begin with capital letters and end with punctuation (period, exclamation point, question mark). Proper nouns (names of people or places, titles, etc.) should always be capitalized. All paragraphs should contain at least 5-7 sentences. NO TEXT LINGO, SYMBOLS, OR ABBREVIATIONS!!!

If you are about to run out of room on a line, do not hyphenate a word and finish on the next line; skip to the next line and write the entire word. For example: Hyphenating words is not part of formal writing; if one’s word is too l- ong to fit on the line, one must skip to the next line and write the entire word. When referencing an author, only use his/her last name. Unless you know someone personally, it is never appropriate to call them by their first name. Your writing should not be formulaic… For example: Introduction: I believe (blah blah blah) because (reason 1, reason 2, reason 3). 1 st body paragraph: My first reason is (blah blah blah). 2 nd body paragraph: My second reason is (blah blah blah). 3 rd body paragraph: My third reason is (blah blah blah). Conclusion: In conclusion, (blah blah blah).