W RITING A L ITERARY A NALYSIS

W HAT IS AN A NALYSIS ? An argument in which you study the parts of something to understand: How it works What it means Why it is significant

W HAT D OES A L ITERARY A NALYSIS D ISCUSS ? How the various components of an individual work relate to each other How two separate literary works deal with similar concepts or forms How concepts and forms in literary works relate to larger aesthetic, political, social, economic, or religious concepts

H OW IS A L ITERARY A NALYSIS AN A RGUMENT ? Focus on specific attribute(s) of the text(s). Make a specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes. Defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the text.

W HAT IS A T HESIS S TATEMENT ? StanceReason

YOUR THESIS STATEMENT WILL… Answer one of the following questions: Why is ______ a symbol of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men ? Why is ______ a theme of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men ?

H OW D O I S UPPORT A T HESIS S TATEMENT ? Examples from the text Direct quotations Paraphrases Summaries of scenes Historical and social context Other critics’ opinions

T HE F IVE -P ARAGRAPH E SSAY Introduction Three Body Paragraphs Conclusion