Literary Analysis Essay

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Literary Analysis Essay

• Mrs. van der Kwast
• Methacton High School

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to
• write about. (FOCUS)
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence. (FOCUS AND CONTENT)
• 3. Create a thesis statement. (FOCUS)
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
  (CONTNET)
• 5. Write an outline. (ORGANIZATION)
• 6. Write the body paragraphs. (CONTENT)
• 7. Write the introduction (FOCUS/ORGANIZATION)
  
• 8.Write the conclusion. (FOCUS/ORGANIZATION)
  

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Attack
The Prompt

• Choose any one of the short stories that was
  assigned and read in class this semester and
  write an essay in which you analyze literary
  devices and the authors purpose for using them.

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 4. Create a thesis statement.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8. Write the conclusion.

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There are three stories from which to choose

• The Most Dangerous Game
• by Richard Connell
• The Sniper
• by Liam OFlaherty
• The Scarlet Ibis
• by James Hurst

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8. Write the conclusion.

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Writing a Good Thesis Statement

• The thesis statement tells your reader what to
  expect it is a restricted, precisely worded
  declarative sentence that states the purpose of
  your essay -- the point you are trying to make.
  Be sure to identify the title and give credit to
  the author!
• Without a carefully conceived thesis, an essay
  has little chance of maintaining focus. The
  following are thesis statements which would work
  for a 500-750 word literary analysis essay

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Good Thesis Statements

• Gwendolyn Brookss 1960 poem, The Ballad of
  Rudolph Reed, demonstrates how the poet uses the
  conventional poetic form of the ballad to treat
  the unconventional poetic subject of racial
  intolerance.
• The fate of the main characters in Antigone
  illustrates the danger of excessive pride.
• The imagery in Dylan Thomass poem Fern Hill
  reveals the ambiguity of our relationship with
  nature.
• PLEASE NOTE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT YOUR THESIS
  STATEMENT IS AT THE END OF YOUR INTRODUCTORY
  PARAGRAPH

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• 3. Decide on the theme of the story based on how
  the main character changed or learned in the
  story. Write it down
•  
• Rainsford learned that even the most seemingly
  civilized person is capable of great savagery.
• The theme of The Most Dangerous Game by Richard
  Connell is that people can be dangerous and
  brutal.

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Which Literary Devices?

• 4. Choose the three forms of literary devices
  that were used most effectively in the story to
  show how the character felt about or reacted to
  the conflict.
•  
• 1.imagery
• 2. foreshadowing
• 3.irony

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Turn it in to a sentence

• Richard Connell uses irony, imagery and
  foreshadowing to convey his theme that humans can
  be savage in his short story The Most Dangerous
  Game.
• The Most Dangerous Game is an adventurous story
  in which Richard Connell uses foreshadowing,
  imagery and figurative language to create a
  conflict that shows how capable of evil people
  can be.

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If you do TAG in B of the Outline, leave it out
of the Thesis Statement.

• Richard Connell uses foreshadowing, imagery and
  figurative language to create a conflict that
  shows how capable of evil people can be.
• Connell uses irony, imagery and foreshadowing to
  convey his theme that humans can be savage in his
  short story

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3.Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8.Write the conclusion.

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Organizational Chart
Title ____________________ __________________________ Author______________________ _______________________________ Theme________________________________ _________________________________________
Literary Device Example in quotes ________________________ ________________________ _______________________ ______________(p.___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it___________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ Tie the example to the theme ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Example in quotes ________________________ ________________________ _______________________ ______________(p.___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it____________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Tie the example to the theme _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________
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Organizational Chart
Literary Device Example in quotes ________________________ ________________________ ______________(___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it___________________ _________________________ _________________________ Tie the example to the theme ________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Example in quotes ________________________ _______________________ ______________(___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it___________________ _________________________ _________________________ Tie the example to the theme ________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Literary Device Example in quotes ________________________ ________________________ ______________(___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it___________________ _________________________ _________________________ Tie the example to the theme ________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Example in quotes ________________________ ________________________ ______________(___). Identify and explain example and the authors purpose for using it___________________ _________________________ _________________________ Tie the example to the theme ________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________
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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8. Write the conclusion.

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• Outline
• Introductory Paragraph
• General Theme Statement
• Summary of conflict and how character changes
  with TAG
• Thesis statement
• Body Paragraph 1
• Body Paragraph 2
• Body Paragraph 3
• Conclusion
• Thesis re-stated with TAG
• Re-statement of theme.
• Sentence about how theme relates to characters
  growth.
• Sentence about how the three literary elements
  helped develop this theme.
• Final theme statement about how the theme is a
  universal lesson.

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Writing a good topic sentence

• For your middle (body) paragraph, you want a
  topic sentence that does the following
• Uses a transitional word or phrase that ties it
  in to the rest of the essay.
• Tells the reader which literary element will be
  analyzed in this paragraph.
• Explains the authors purpose in connecting to
  the theme.
• yes, all this in just one sentence!!

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Examples of Topic Sentences

• To set the mood for his adventurous, dangerous
  tale, Connell uses vivid imagery that reflects
  his theme of human savagery.
• As a complement to the imagery in the story,
  Connell also includes a great deal of figurative
  language to create a mood of danger.
• The strongest stylistic device used in the story
  is irony, as the theme of brutal predation is
  driven home by the ironic twist in the story.

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8. Write the conclusion.

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Body Paragraphs

• I usually write the body paragraphs before I
  write the introduction. That way, I know what my
  evidence is before I introduce my topic. Planning
  and Writing the body paragraph helps me write a
  better introduction and conclusion later.

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Body Paragraph Format 8 Sentences

• TS Topic Sentence Introduces the literary
  device and the authors purpose for using it.
• Concrete 1- Introduces and quotes something from
  the story, with quotation marks and page number.
  (From Chart)
• Commentary Tells what the literary device means
  and its effect on the reader.
• Commentary Tell how the example reflects the
  theme.
• Concrete Detail 2 - Introduces and quotes
  something from the story, with quotation marks
  and page number. (From Chart)
• Commentary Tells what the literary device means
  and its effect on the reader.
• Commentary Tell how the example reflects the
  theme.
• CS Concluding Sentence Brings paragraph to an
  end and leads to next paragraph.

Repeat this step at least TWO TIMES for a total
of at least THREE BODY PARAGRAPHS
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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8. Write the conclusion.

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Writing the Introduction

• A. Write a broad statement/ generalization
  about the theme.
• B. Write a brief (no more than three
  sentences) explanation of plot events that
  create the conflict that changes the
  protagonist/teaches him/her about the theme).
  As you do this, remember to include the TAG
  (title, author and genre of the story, properly
  capitalized.
• C. Thesis statement Write one or
  two sentences telling how the author presents
  the theme through the three literary devices
  that you have outlined in your planner.

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6.Write the body paragraphs.
• 7.Write the introduction
• 8.Write the conclusion.

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Writing the Conlusion

• Restatement (same idea, use TAG this time) of the
  Thesis Statement, using synonyms for your main
  theme words
• B. Write a sentence about how this theme/message
  was important to the main character of the story
• C. Write a sentence or two about how the
  literary devices that you cited were used
  to create a mood/tone in the story
  that helped the reader get the message.
• D. Write a sentence that tells how this lesson
  could help everyone or society as a whole.

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The Steps to a Good Essay

• 1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
  to write about.
• 2. Determine what material I will use for
  evidence.
• 3. Create a thesis statement.
• 4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
• 5. Write an outline.
• 6. Write the body paragraphs.
• 7. Write the introduction
• 8.Write the conclusion.

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