1. 3 Questions for Literary Analysis Science Fiction 2013

2. What is it you are analyzing? The easiest question to answer… What sort of writing is it you are analyzing? A poem? A play? A film? A novel? A novel of what genre? If it’s a specific literary device you are analyzing, then which? A symbol? A metaphor? A simile? To answer this question, you should also identify the author and give a brief, general outline of the plot

3. What does the thing you are analyzing mean? A slightly more difficult question to answer… What is the author trying to say? What is the author’s message? What position is the author taking? What is the author’s opinion of the matter? What is the theme of the literature? What does the symbol represent? What is the meaning of the metaphor?

4. What does the thing you are analyzing do? The question where real analysis is done… Exactly HOW does the thing in question get the meaning across to the reader? What makes the thing effective in getting the meaning across?

5. What does the thing you are analyzing do? How does character development of a specific character in the story… contribute to the theme? (ex: carelessness in The Great Gatsby) persuade the reader to adopt a viewpoint? (ex: approving or disapproving of partygoers in The Great Gatsby) illustrate an interesting aspect of life, society, or human nature? (ex: social life in the Roaring Twenties under Prohibition) more prominently convey the ideas of one American Civil Rights Movement leader--Martin Luther King, Jr. and/or Malcolm X?

6. Writing a Thesis-Driven Essay Science Fiction 2013

7. The Variables of the Prompt Prompt: How do both Beggars in Spain and X-Men use character development of a specific character to more prominently convey the ideas of one Civil Rights Movement leader--Martin Luther King, Jr. and/or Malcolm X? What is it? Beggars in Spain, X-Men What does it do? use character development of a specific character What does it mean? more prominently convey the ideas of on Civil Rights Movement leader—MLK, Jr. or Malcolm X

8. Our Essay Formula: Claim/ Data/ Warrant Your claim is your thesis statement. Your position about a writer’s attitude, intent, method, etc. It must do more than simply restate the prompt. NO MORE: Beggars in Spain and X-Men both use character development to prominently convey the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr.

9. Our Essay Formula: Claim/ Data/ Warrant Your data is your evidence (the what does it do?) salient details that support your claim (the most influential or important elements in a text that help prove your point) May be short quotations, brief descriptions of characters and/or their actions, plot points, or literary devices (irony, figurative language, etc)

10. Our Essay Formula: Claim/ Data/ Warrant To write your thesis statement, state your claim and summarize your data Both Beggars in Spain and X-Men… “use character development of a specific character” …develop the perspective of the protagonist… “to more prominently convey the ideas of one Civil Rights Movement leader--Martin Luther King, Jr. and/or Malcolm X?” …to draw a comparison to the non-violent, altruistic methods for obtaining equality expressed by Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.

11. Our Essay Formula: Claim/ Data/ Warrant Your warrant is your explanation of precisely how… your evidence (what it does) supports your claim (what it means) Your warrant will be the bulk of your one to two page paper. First, you will present the data using short pieces of evidence directly from the text; then, you will explain what makes these details from the texts effective in doing what you say they do.

12. Our Essay Formula: Claim/ Data/ Warrant You will have to collect Data and Warrants from both Beggars in Spain and X-Men to fully answer the essay question.