1. Writing a Literary Analysis
Rationale: Welcome to “Writing the Literary Analysis.” This 14-slide presentation is designed to help teachers introduce writing literary analyses to their students.
Directions: Each slide is activated by a single mouse click, unless otherwise noted in bold at the bottom of each notes page.
Writer and Designer: Brian Yothers
Updating authors: Arielle McKee, 2014
Developed with resources courtesy of the Purdue University Writing Lab
Grant funding courtesy of the Multimedia Instructional Development Center at Purdue University
© Copyright Purdue University, 2007.
BRIAN YOTHERS
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

2. What is Literary Analysis?
It’s literary.
It’s an analysis.
It’s—
An Argument!
It may also involve research on and analysis of secondary sources.
This screen is designed to provide a brief overview of the entire presentation. The most significant point to be emphasized here is that literary analysis is an argument about a literary work, and that whatever recommendations are made throughout the presentation stem from the need to write persuasively about a clear, debatable thesis.
Click mouse for each paragraph.

3. Important Literary Concepts
The Basics:
Other Key Concepts:
Plot
Historical context
Setting
Social, political, economic contexts
Narration/point of view
Characterization
Ideology
Symbol
Multiple voices
Metaphor
Various critical orientations
Genre
Irony/ambiguity
Literary theory
These concepts can be described in as much detail or as cursorily as time permits. It can be helpful to give an explanation of some of the terms, but also to direct students to glossaries of literary terms that can help them learn about these concepts for themselves.

4. Metaphor? Setting? How is it “Literary”?
Usually, a literary analysis will involve a discussion of a text as writing, thus the term literary, which means “having to do with letters.”
This will involve the use of certain concepts that are very specifically associated with literature.
This might be a good moment at which to asked students what it means to look at a novel, poem, play, essay, etc. as writing—what kinds of emphases that does and does not imply. I particularly stress the fact that words, figures of speech, and patterns of organization matter when we are talking and writing about literature.
Metaphor?
Setting?

5. What is an Analysis? An analysis of a literary work may discuss:
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 contexts.
Here the facilitator may wish to give examples of how these categories can play out in essays on specific literary works discussed in class and/or ask students to suggest examples.

6. How is Literary Analysis An Argument?
Writing an Argument:
When writing a literary analysis, you will focus on specific attribute(s) of the text(s).
When discussing these attributes, you will want to make sure that you are making a specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes.
You will defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the text.
Here the facilitator may wish to define precisely what a thesis statement is give some examples of thesis statements for literary essays. The comparison to law can be useful in order to demonstrate to students that when they write a literary analysis they are advocating a specific understanding of the text in relation to other understandings of the text, some of which their argument may coincide with, and some of which their argument may directly oppose.

7. Thesis Statements Which is the best Thesis Statement?
Moby-Dick is about the problem of evil.
Moby-Dick is boring and pointless.
Moby-Dick is about a big, white whale.
The use of “whiteness” in Moby-Dick illustrates the uncertainty of the meaning of life that Ishmael expresses throughout the novel.
The fourth option, while not scintillating, is the one thesis statement on the list that could be developed and supported throughout an essay. A good strategy here is to ask students to talk about why each of the first three options is problematic. (Examples: Option 1 is too broad and abstract, Option 2 is appropriate if they are asked to recommend or not recommend a book to those who haven’t read it but doesn’t offer an interpretation of the book, Option 3 is excessively obvious)
The Purdue OWL hosts a number of resources of building strong thesis statements and developing arguments.

8. How to Support A Thesis Statement Evidence and Support:
Include examples from the text:
Direct quotations
Summaries of scenes
Paraphrases
Cite other critics’ opinions
Discuss the text’s historical and social context
Always remember to read carefully and highlight useful passages and quotes.
Many students need to have the importance of direct quotations emphasized strongly. It may be useful here as well to direct students to the handout on Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting on OWL. The facilitator might also ask students to suggest ways of finding out about historical and social context in preparation for the next two slides.

9. What is a Secondary Source? Secondary Sources:
A book or article that discusses the text you are discussing.
A book or article that discusses a theory related to the argument you are making.
A book or article that discusses the social and historical context of the text you are discussing.
For example: In discussing Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale,
Lee Patterson argues that: “…
Many students are simply not familiar with the term “secondary sources,” so it’s worthwhile to take the time to define the concept.

10. How do I Find Secondary Sources? You might consult: Academic Databases
Ebsco Host is free for you to use as well as Google Scholar. However, Google Scholar does not have as many filters as Ebsco does. Both databases are entirely reliable.
The facilitator may wish to ask students what resources they have found helpful in the past. For help in searching the library, students can refer to the “Research and Citation” and “Internet Literacy” resources on the Purdue OWL.

11. Integrating Secondary Source
When you use secondary sources, be sure to show how they relate to your thesis.
Don’t overuse any one secondary source, or for that matter, secondary sources in general
Remember that this is your paper, your argument—the secondary sources are just helping you out.
Never, never, never plagiarize. You must use in-text citations in your work, even if you paraphrase!
The OWL handout on plagiarism can be a useful supplement for this slide. See

12. Recap: Literary Analysis
When writing a literary analysis:
Be familiar with literary terms.
Analyze specific items.
Make an a argument.
Make appropriate use of secondary sources.
Consult instructors and tutors for help when needed.
This screen gives the facilitator a chance to sum up the content of the presentation.

13. The End WRITING A LITERARY ANALYSIS BRIAN YOTHERS
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

14. How Should I Structure My Essay?
Introduction:
You must always start with your hook. This is where you get the audience’ attention. You can ask a question, use a quote, or have a strong statement.
Once you have written your hook, you must provide some background information regarding the text you selected. This is where you can tell what the book is about, without giving away the ending! You could also discuss the time period or the author so the reader has more understanding regarding your essay’s topic.
The last sentence in your introduction is your thesis statement. This is where you state your topic, state your claim/interpretation, and list your reasons/points of discussion regarding why you have that interpretation/claim. This should be done in one sentence, and it is never a question!

15. How Should I Structure My Essay (Continued)?
Supporting Body Paragraphs:
You must start each body paragraph with a transition and a topic sentence. Your body paragraphs are ordered in the order you listed them in your thesis statement since each topic sentence is referring to a point of discussion you listed.
After your topic sentence, you must provide textual evidence to support that topic sentence. Your quotes must have an introduction to them. A majority of your quotes are from your primary source (the text you selected). Use your secondary source(s) sparingly. These are to further support your interpretation/claim, so use them when your own words cannot say your idea better. If you are writing an argumentative style essay, use your secondary source to show where you got your claim. Every quote must have an in-text citation.
After your textual evidence, you must provide an explanation of how that quote sufficiently supports your topic sentence. Every quote must have an explanation before moving on to anything else in your paragraph. Your explanations are the majority of your body paragraphs as I want to know your take on the text, not read a book report. This essay is NOT a book report at all.
Once you are done with your evidence and explanation, you must write your clincher sentence. This is where you sum up your paragraph’s idea and transition into the next idea, so your essay can flow. You do not transition into your conclusion.

16. How Should I Structure My Essay (Continued)?
Counter Argument:
You only provide a counter argument if you are choosing to write your essay as an argumentative paper. Remember that if you choose to write an argumentative essay, the counter argument can either go immediately after your introduction or right before your conclusion. Those are the only two places your counter can go.
Your counter argument must have a transition to show you are writing a counter argument paragraph and have a topic sentence. The topic sentence states one point someone against you could have.
Once you state your topic sentence, you must have a rebuttal. This is the rest of the paragraph. You start with textual evidence from your primary and/or secondary source to WEAKEN the topic sentence.
After you provide textual evidence, you provide an explanation for how your textual evidence sufficiently weakens that topic sentence, thus, strengthening your argument. Every quote must have an explanation.
When you are done with your evidence and explanation, you write a clincher sentence. This sums up the paragraph’s idea and transitions into the next paragraph’s idea, so your essay can flow. You do not need to transition into your conclusion.

17. How Should I Structure My Essay (Continued)?
Conclusion:
You must start your conclusion with your reworded thesis statement.
After you reworded thesis, you write a summary of your essay. This is the majority of your conclusion paragraph. Look at each of your explanations. If your audience did not understand what points you were making, how would you reword each of your explanations so they better grasp your point/interpretation?
After you provide a summary of your essay, you end with your final thought. Your final thought is similar to your hook. If you are writing your essay as an argument, this is your last chance to get the audience to agree with you. If you are writing your paper as an expository, this is where you want the audience to think more about your topic and make their own opinion about it. You can use a quote, ask a question, or end with a strong statement.

18. Things to Remember Your paper must be written formally.
Your secondary source (s) must be reliable.
You must use MLA formatting.
Your in-text citations are the first thing listed in your works cited
Your works cited is listed in alphabetical order. Numbers are first.
Your body paragraphs must be ordered from weakest to strongest. This goes for your thesis statement too!
If your paper is written as an expository, you are simply informing the audience about your interpretation.
If your paper is written as an argumentative, you are including a counter argument and trying to persuade the audience to have the same opinion as you.

19. What Can I Use as a Primary Source?
Songs (focus on the lyrics)
Poems
Short Stories
Novels
Comics
Art (paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs)
I recommend you use short stories as they are short enough to re-read with the time given for you to write your paper.
If you use a novel, I recommend it is something you can have quick access to, and it is something you have read already. This way, you are already familiar with it, so it makes it easier to analyze/write about.