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Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis. How to Effectively Analyze Literature Through Essay. Purpose. The Purpose of this Literary Analysis Essay is to explain why and how effectively an author used the literary structures we’ve been studying. How does an author complicate the story through rising action?

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Literary Analysis

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  1. Literary Analysis How to Effectively Analyze Literature Through Essay

  2. Purpose The Purpose of this Literary Analysis Essay is to explain why and how effectively an author used the literary structures we’ve been studying. • How does an author complicate the story through rising action? • How does the conflict of the story develop or change? • How does the author use foreshadowing to build suspense? The purpose should come directly from the writing prompt.

  3. Audience You are writing this for an English teacher who knows the stories you are analyzing. • Your examples need to be specific; detailed • You need to use academic language • Your writing needs to organized and to the point • Everything must be supported by textual examples

  4. Content Deciding what to write about is a three step process: • Explore the elements of the story: conflict, foreshadow, plot. • Choose a focus by developing a thesis statement that clearly identifies the literary element you’re analyzing and the key points you plan on making about i. • Collect evidence, quotes, details, ideas to support your thesis.

  5. Structure – The Intro Your introduction paragraph is a map for the reader; capturing their attention, identifying the literary work being analyzed, and telling the points you will make. • Hook: set your reader up • T.A.G.S.: identify the title, author, genre, brief summary • Thesis: tell the reader your point and your evidence

  6. Structure – The Intro “It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. Martin, a thin twelve-year-old, felt nervous in it from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment.” The first lines of William Sleator’s short story, “The Elevator” establish the main character as claustrophobic. Martin’s fear of small spaces turns the elevator into a horrific monster each time he has to ride. Fear consumes him to the point where he can think of nothing but terror of the elevator. It is fear, his internal conflict that drives the plot of Sleator’s story to a climatic end where Martin is finally overcome.

  7. Structure – The Body Your body paragraph must be clearly organized, concentrating on one element. • Topic Sentence: identify the element/idea • Evidence: quote or paraphrase a example of the element being used • Explain: state what you think the author is doing in your example • Analyze: explain how you think it worked Notice steps 3-4 involve your unique ideas, therefore you can not summarize.

  8. Structure – The Body After a few more experiences with the fat lady on the elevator Martin’s fear of the elevator becomes overpowering. When the elevator opens one morning to an awaiting fat lady, Martin runs. “Martin started running down the stairs. The stairs were dark and he fell.” Martin breaks his leg. While he believes this is a blessing because he thinks he will get to stay at home for a while and not have to deal with the elevator or the fat lady on it. He doesn’t realize that his actions have sealed his fate. His fear caused him to run. Running caused him to fall. Falling caused a broken leg. The broken leg forces him back on the elevator at least one final time.

  9. Structure – The Conclusion Your conclusion paragraph needs to explain why the element(s) being analyzed is crucial to the story, restate your ideas, and make the reader think. • Appeal: ask and answer a question • The Big Idea: why is this element crucial • Restate: tie all your ideas together

  10. Structure – The Conclusion Can fear actually cause someone to imagine a living, breathing monster? Yes, just ask any kid afraid of what’s under the bed or hiding in the closet. William Sleator uses this same fear to drive the plot of “The Elevator” towards a climatic end. This internal conflict is a catalyst for all the action, suspense, and drama of the story. Fear causes Martin to become anxious on the elevator. Fear causes Martin to imagine the unbearable monster riding the elevator with him. Ultimately, it is fear that causes Martin to get trapped in the elevator and mentally collapse.

  11. Style Think of style as tuning up your essay to make it more efficient, and more effective. Most of this I done through editing and revision. • Use formal, academic language…no slang, no overused expressions, no “I, me, we” pronouns • Choose active verbs instead of overused adjectives and adverbs…use “shouted” instead of “spoke loudly” • Add effective transitions

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