Writing an Extended Literary Analysis

1
Writing an Extended Literary Analysis

• A literary analysis presents a critical
  understanding of a literary work or works.
• In a literary analysis you are NOT repeating
  the plot or giving a review of the short story
  or novel. You are looking at the piece
  critically, analyzing and explaining important
  aspects/specifics about the text.

2
The Basics

• This form of analysis should be based primarily
  on your own interpretation of your subject.
  However
• Refer to important critics to support your main
  ideas or to offer alternative interpretations.
• An effective extended analysis synthesizes
  information from multiple sources into a
  thoughtful, unified essay.
• You must cite directly from the text being
  discussed! Use proper MLA documentation
  throughout your paper. Be sure to include a
  works cited page at the end as well.
• (Authors last name, page number)
• All papers should be at least 4 pages. (2000
  words)

3
Getting Started

• 1. Establish a thorough understanding of your
  subject carefully read (and reread if
  necessary) the selected piece of literature.
• 2. Think about features (possible focus points)
  from the text that you could write about
• Analysis of Theme
• Analysis of Character (s)
• Plot structure
• Analysis of Setting
• Symbolism
• Analysis of Style
• Interpretation
• Analysis of Images/figurative language
• 3. Take notes to ensure comprehension of the
  text.
• 4. Make sure that you can support your focus
  with direct references to the text. (MLA
  documentation)

4
Introduction

• Be sure to name the work and its author early in
  the first part of the paper.
• Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is one of the most
  well-known novels of the Romantic era. The story
  is one that has seeped into the popular
  imagination
• Explain your points of interest. What are you
  analyzing? What is your focus?
• Start with a quotation from the book and then
  comment upon its importance in terms of your
  focus for the analysis.
• Explain a possible disagreement, textural problem
  or overall structural problem that you see with
  the text.
• Express your praise for how the author may have
  capitalized on a certain aspect of the piece.
• Thesis statement should be clear and illustrate
  the focus of your paper.

5
Body

• All paragraphs must support your thesis and work
  toward a solution to the problem you have stated
  OR praise the area of interest you have discussed
  in the introduction.
• Be sure every paragraph has a unified topic which
  helps develop your argument.
• Use specific quotes and examples from the work
  you are discussing.
• Analyze characters carefully
• What they do
• What they say
• How others treat them
• How they treat other people
• What others say about them
• What the narrator says etc..
• Isolate main issues and find words, lines, to
  justify your emphasis.
• Cite important critics who support your thesis.
• Answer critics who argue against your thesis.
• Use your best arguments and strongest examples
  last.

6
Conclusion

• Review the argument which you have pursued and
  restate the thesis. Highlight the importance of
  your argument. Leave your reader feeling
  satisfied that you know the material, discussed
  it fairly, and argued your thesis convincingly.
• Never end a paper with another critics words or
  raise a question!
• Go out with a direct statement in your own words.