Writing a Literary Analysis

Writing a Literary Analysis Discuss and Explain Identify and Show Examine and Evaluate

What Do I Need to Do? Read, Read, Read Research, Research, Research Provide specific support

What is my Reading Objective? To carefully examine and evaluate the piece of literature To break down the component parts of the piece of literature To develop an appreciation and understanding of the piece of literature

What is my Writing Objective? Stay sharply focused Develop a specific idea Convince the reader that you have supported the idea you are developing Maintain your focus throughout the paper

Really Reading A Text In order to write well about literature, you must be able to read the text closely: look at its structure, analyze the words the author has chosen, interpret the characters’ motivations, uncover the patterns of language and literary devices.

Analysis Strategies When reading through the work for the first time, read as you would at the beach: get the “gist” of the plot. 2. During the second read, pay particular attention to words that you do not know and look up those words in the dictionary. 3. Think about the setting of the work and its culture. Is the work set in the 20th century or another time? Is it set in the U.S. or another country? In what region of the U.S. or world? What are customs, traditions, and lifestyles like in that particular region? What is the socioeconomic status of the characters—are they rich, middle class or poor? What is the ethnicity of the characters?

Analysis Strategies continued… 4. During subsequent readings, methodically begin to pay attention to how characters interact with one another, how the writer uses words to convey meaning, how the characters speak, who is telling (or narrating) the story, the kinds of images the writer uses, or any other aspect of the text that seems important to you. 5. Annotating the text (by underlining or circling passages and writing in the margins) is helpful because your annotations can refer you to particular sections of the work later. Since you will need to draw the evidence for your interpretation from the work itself, having already marked sections of the work will aid you in garnering your evidence when writing the paper later.

Helpful Hints Think carefully about the beginnings and endings of sections of the text, and,too, about the opening and closing of the work as a whole. Think carefully about any assertions that the author seems inclined to repeat. Look closely at any oppositions or conflicts that would seem important in the writer’s treatment of the subject matter. Why did the author choose to title the piece the way he or she did?

Helpful Hints continued… Are there any compelling details that trigger for you any vivid memories or strong emotions? Always read everything more than once. Always try to have conversations about the things you read. Try to read persistently, to find ways to disagree with or at least to complicate the author’s message. List as many memorable details in the text and categorize them according to Kenneth Burke’s pentad of “Who-What-When-Where-Why.”

How do I create a critical and specific point of development? Your writing must cover the specific topic of your discussion Your writing must have a specific, central idea (a thesis) that controls the development of your discussion Your writing must be organized and coherent so that every paragraph relates to your central idea (thesis) and contributes to the reader’s understanding of the central idea (thesis)

What is a Thesis? A thesis is a statement (1 or 2 sentences maximum) that tells the reader the focus of your writing. In other words, your purpose and the point you are trying to make.

What do you include in a thesis statement? There are two (2) parts to a thesis statement The limited topic – the specific idea The main idea – what you want to say about it.

Where do you put the Thesis Statement in your paper? The Thesis Statement goes at the end of your introductory paragraph.

Crafting a Thesis and Argument 1. Refer to textual specifics. This is not simply an extension of the requirement that your thesis be specific. It is also a way of ensuring that you will write an analysis and not just a summary. The following sentence makes an interesting and contestable point, but it is not a great thesis: The audience is supposed to have doubts about Hamlet's sanity. Let's rewrite it with textual specifics: By causing the Prince to speak in "wild and whirling" images, Shakespeare raises doubts about Hamlet's sanity. This version focuses on a specific literary technique, imagery. Supporting its claim will require close attention to the text. Thus, the thesis lays the groundwork for a strong argument.

Crafting a Thesis and Argument continued… 2. Don't rely on statements of, or assumptions about, authorial intention. What an author meant to do in a particular work can be useful in determining that work's meaning. However, keep the following in mind: Authors lie or make mistakes. Even if Shakespeare had said somewhere (and he didn't) that he wanted the audience to doubt Hamlet's sanity, he could have had a different intention while he was writing the play, or he could have failed to carry out his intention. So do not let Shakespeare get in the way of his own text. Focus on the work itself. Authorial intention is rarely clear. Shakespeare did not give interviews, and very little is known about him personally. So how do you know what he intended? You don't. Above all else, citing authorial intention is an easy way out. If you accept an author's claims about a work, you have no more analysis to do. Why bother writing your paper?

Crafting a Thesis and Argument continued… 3. Avoid obvious arguments. In some works— for instance, John Milton's Paradise Lost— the author supplies a ready theme for readers. Do not have the bulk of your argument be, for instance, "Paradise Lost attempts to justify the ways of God to man." That's what Milton says in the first dozen lines. Instead, either call this theme into question, noting ways in which the book fails in its stated purpose, or focus on specific ways in which it achieves that purpose. If, for instance, you feel that iambic pentameter in Paradise Lost is crucial to its theme of divine providence, then say so, and prove your point. This argument avoids the obvious and requires close reading.

Crafting a Thesis and Argument continued… 4. Do not be constrained by chronological order. For example, the witches in Macbeth appear in several different scenes. You are free to discuss those scenes as a group, and then backtrack to examine an intervening scene, such as the murder of King Duncan. In other words, you can organize a literary analysis according to themes (such as witchcraft) or techniques (such as symbolism) without regard to the order in which events in a work occur.

Crafting a Thesis and Argument continued… 5. Feel free to argue that a text is ambiguous — but don't stop there. You do not have to deny the complexities in a literary work in order to craft a strong thesis. If a text is unclear, say so — but then explore the qualities in the writing that make it unclear. Consider these two comments on Hamlet: The ghost in Hamlet may be real, but then again, he may not be. In the closet scene, we in the audience see and hear the ghost, but Hamlet's mother does not. As a result, the play makes it impossible to tell whether we are observing an actual spirit or participating in Hamlet's delusion. In the first example, the writer sounds uncertain about the play; the comment is a confession of bewilderment, not a literary analysis. In contrast, the writer of the second comment finds the play ambiguous but takes a definite stance about the sources of its ambiguity. What lesson can we draw from these examples? We would say this: Be certain of your opinion, but don't be afraid to argue that the text itself is uncertain.

The Introduction The introduction must provide the reader with: The focus of your writing Background information to help the reader understand your position or your point.

How do you do this? Always include the title of the piece of literature and the name of the author. Catch the interest of your reader by bringing focus to your topic through the use of quotations, provocative questions, anecdotes, a startling statement, etc.

Example of an Introduction What would you expect to be the personality of a man who has his wife sent away to a convent (or perhaps has had her murdered) because she took too much pleasure in the sunset and in a a compliment paid to her by another man? It is just such a man --- a Renaissance duke --- that Robert Browning portrays in his poem “My Last Duchess.” Through what he says about himself, through his actions, and through his interpretation of earlier incidents, the Duke reveals the arrogance, jealousy, and materialism that are his most conspicuous traits.” From the poem “My Last Duchess” by Browning from Bucks County Community College

Example of an Introduction The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios’s short story “The Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy’s view of growing up --- everything changes. As the narrator tells us, when the magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a pile of dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the-same part, “ while adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the benefit of experience and know the trick will work as long as the technique is correct. When we “grow up” we gain this experience and knowledge, but we lose our innocence and sense of wonder. In other words, the price we pay for growing up is a permanent sense of loss. This tradeoff is central to “The Secret Lion.” The key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme: change is inevitable and always accompanied by a sense of loss. From the short story “The Secret Lion” by Alvaro Rios from Bucks County Community College

Example of an Introduction The setting of John Updike’s story “A & P’ is crucial to [an] understanding of Sammy’s decision to quit his job. Even though Sammy knows that his quitting will make life more difficult for him, he instinctively insists upon rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he rings up a “No Sale” and “saunter[s]” out of the store, Sammy leaves behind not only a job but the rigid state of mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy is the central character in the story and [the reader] learn[s] much about him, Updike seems to invest as much effort in describing the setting as he does Sammy. The title, after all, is not “Youthful Rebellion” or “Sammy Quits” but “A & P.” In fact, the setting is the antagonist of the story and plays a role that is as important as Sammy’s. From the sstory “A & P” by John Updike from Bucks County Community College

The Body of your paper This part of your paper presents the information (in paragraphs) that supports your thesis. Your paragraphs must contain the following: An explanation of your ideas Evidence from the literature piece that support your ideas Support from literary critics/sources that support your ideas

How do you put this textual evidence together? Textual evidence consists of: Context (not too much summary---only enough to explain the context) Repeat the process of the context (paraphrase) Specific details Direct quotations Analysis – in-depth understanding and significance of the idea you want your audience to understand --- why and how it is important to the point you are trying to make. Unity and Coherence – all points lead back to the thesis and must be presented in an organized way for understanding and appreciation of your purpose

To Sum that up. . . Each paragraph of your paper should have a topic sentence which states a point (idea) associated with your thesis combined with an assertion about how the topic will support the central idea. The topic sentence then must: Tie the details of the paragraphs to your thesis statement. Tie the details of the paragraph together. Thus, you are organized and you make sense.

An Example of a Body Paragraph Sammy’s descriptions of the A & P present a setting that is ugly, monotonous, and rigidly regulated. We can identify with the uniformity Sammy describes because we have all been in chain stores. The fluorescent light is as blandly cool as the “checkerboard green-and-cream rubber tile floor” (486). The “usual traffic in the store moves in one direction (except for the swim suited girls, who move against it), and everything is neatly organized and categorized in tidy aisles. The dehumanizing routine of this environment is suggested by Sammy’s offhand references to the typical shoppers as “sheep,” “house slaves,” and “pigs.” These regular customers seem to walk through the store in a stupor; as Sammy tells us, not even dynamite could move them out of their routine (485). From the sstory “A & P” by John Updike from Bucks County Community College

The Conclusion The concluding paragraph lets your audience know that they are coming to the end of your paper. It should include the following: Begin with restating your thesis in different words. Summarize your main points. Make a relevant point about the literary piece you have just analyzed.

Example of a Concluding paragraph “If the Duke has any redeeming qualities, they fail to appear in the poem. Browning’s emphasis on the Duke’s traits of arrogance, jealousy, and materialism make it apparent that anyone who might have known the Duke personally would have based his opinion of him on these three personality “flaws.” Ultimately, [any] opinion of the Duke is not a favorable one, and it is clear that Browning meant [the reader] to feel this way.” From the poem “My Last Duchess” by Browning from Bucks County Community College

What’s the Point? Key points to remember as you develop your paper: With a literary analysis, the focus is not on offering one’s opinion about a work; rather, the focus is to interpret and analyze the text. Certainly, you offer your informed opinion of the text’s interpretation, but you do not assess the merits of the text or tell readers whether or not you liked the work. With a literary analysis, the focus is not on offering one’s opinion about a work; rather, the focus is to interpret and analyze the text. Certainly, you offer your informed opinion of the text’s interpretation, but you do not assess the merits of the text or tell readers whether or not you liked the work.

Real Life Applications Being able to construct a reasonable claim, supported by evidence and logic, is essential to many other types of expository writing Regardless of the writing task or audience, it is essential to be able to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Skills we all use in the Real World. Can You come up with some real life examples?

Writing a Literary Analysis