What do I write about?
This can be the most challenging part of the entire process – it’s also the most important part. Choosing your topic wisely will lead to a much stronger and more easily developed thesis. For those students who aren’t an English major and likely to only have to take a few literature surveys and fortunately, many professors will provide students with a list of possible topics. These topics are generally intentionally vague or broad and meant to be a starting point only. For example, in a survey of American literature, you might be given a choice of topics such as Melville and transcendental idealism or Poe and Hawthorne.
Topics this vague will not result in a clear and concise thesis. In order to come up with a much narrower focus, students should utilize their university’s online library resources. Begin with basic autobiographical information on the author(s) that will be included in the paper. Once you have some general information, type these much broader topics into a search on MLA or JSTOR, one can find hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals. The best way to proceed is to scroll through these titles to find topics that interest you – this will make the entire process much easier. Once you’ve come up with a focused topic like Melville’s Anti Emersonian views in “Bartleby the Scrivener” or Contrasting Feminine Perspective in the Short Fiction of Poe and Hawthorne, it’s time to move on to the next step…
Developing a strong thesis
A strong introductory paragraph and solid thesis are absolutely vital to a successful paper. There is no concrete rule as to length, but ideally, your introduction should be approximately one half to three quarters of a page. An introduction should briefly introduce the literary work you will be discussing as well as your specific topic. Students must bear in mind that a literary analysis is intended for an audience that has read and is familiar with the texts being referenced so any synopses or extensive plot summary should be avoided.
Once you have introduced the literary work you are writing about and broached the topic you are presenting, you will transition into your thesis. Provided here is an example of an ideal introductory paragraph and thesis, courtesy of Dr. Mark Graves at Morehead State University:
The title of Lillian Hellman’s play, The Little Foxes comes from verse 15 of chapter two of The Song of Solomon from the Bible, which in its entirety reads: “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines for our vines [have] tender grapes” (Oxford King James Version, Song Sol. 2.15). The Bible, being a largely allegorical work, in this passage establishes two kinds of people, the little foxes and the tender grapes, both of whom are in turn illustrated in the characters of the play. We can take the meaning of the foxes and the tender grapes to be representative of destroyers and victims of the same, the vine on which they grow being the lineage of a group of people or mankind as a whole. In terms of the play, the Hubbards are the little foxes, taking advantage of members of their community to gain their fortune. There are many themes at work in The Little Foxes ranging from issues of class and gender to economical and Southern themes but the most important of all the themes posed in the piece is the one set forth by the title and reiterated through the speech of three different characters.
This introduction is an appropriate length and received a 4 out of 4 possible points on Dr. Graves’ grading rubric. This student has appropriately introduced Hellman’s work and the topic/themes to be discussed as well as clearly stating and elaborating upon the interpretation that he or she will be supporting. The final sentence of the introduction is a decent transition sentence that leads nicely into the body of the paper.
How to write solid body paragraphs
Once you have selected a topic with a narrow focus and developed a strong thesis, the body of the literary analysis is relatively simple. The key to an acceptable body paragraph is relevance, appropriate integration, and strong evidence to substantiate one’s claims. Paragraphs should transition smoothly from one to the next, all quotes and references should be properly introduced and blended, and evidence should be cited. Owl Perdue is an excellent online resource for any confusion in regard to these aspects of writing a paper.
To aid in organization and smooth transitioning, begin by making an outline. Each paragraph should echo your thesis in some way. There is no need for anything elaborate, an outline can be as simple as a single topic sentence for each point you plan to make. You will expand on these points for each paragraph. As with the example provided in the previous section, the student plans to use evidence from the speeches of three characters from the text to support her points. You may wish to make your points the opening sentences of your paragraphs such as, “Addie is the first character to restate the theme based on the Bible verse when she says, ‘Well, there are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it like the Bible with the locusts. Then, there are people who stand around and watch them eat it’ (1007).” This is an ideal opening sentence with a nicely blended, properly cited quote directly from the text. Or if you haven’t yet decided which passages from the text will best support your points you may choose something as simple as “Addie serves both as representative of the community at large and of her race.” This is the main point of this particular paragraph and gives you something to build upon. The analysis that this student is arguing is supported by three specific characters and this gives her three paragraphs of good length. All that is necessary to ensure an “A” paper, other than the obvious correct punctuation, grammar, and citation, is relevant evidence.
Incorporating quotes and textual evidence
When incorporating passages from literary works and journals it is important to do so effectively. These quotes should substantiate your claims rather than simply fill space. Most literary analyses tend to be 5-7 pages in length, long block quotes should be limited to one or two at most or avoided altogether if possible. Introduce your quote, as in the example provided in the previous section. If you find yourself struggling with blending quotes, OWL Perdue has numerous examples of this with various appropriate signal statements. Do not just leave your quote “hanging” there. By introducing your evidence, you have explained what it is meant to support, follow up by explaining how and possibly exploring the implications of this evidence. When referencing essays from peer reviewed journals, paraphrase wherever possible and do not forget to cite where appropriate.
Wrapping up
Your conclusion does not necessarily need to be as elaborate as your introductory paragraph but it does need to be clear and concise. Summarize your major points in such a way that ties your body paragraphs together and end by restating your thesis (not necessarily verbatim). Avoid such statements as “in conclusion.”
A few additional tips
· Avoid using “you” or “we” as this reflects and impersonal tone. Keep your audience in mind, you will be addressing peers and professors. Stick with “the reader” or “readers”.
· Remember to write in present tense, regardless of the time period of the text being discussed.
· When writing a literary analysis remember that beyond your introductory paragraph, it is unnecessary to continue using an author’s full name. If you are writing about Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, then you will refer to the author as Twain after the initial introduction.
· When referring to outside sources, do not refer to authors by title. Dr., Mrs., Mr. should be omitted.
· If using block quotes, be sure to indent one full inch.
· When in doubt about a citation, cite first and ask later. It is better to cite and ask a professor or refer to an online resource like OWL Perdue than to unintentionally plagiarize.
· Use terminology appropriately. Refer to a source such as Harmon’s A Handbook to Literature if you are unsure of a term.
· Word choice is also extremely important. You want to keep the tone professional but do not give in to the temptation to use “big words” for ego’s sake. Using a word inappropriately can only detract from your argument. If unsure, keep it simple and refer to a thesaurus.
· Remember to revise, revise, revise! And do not forget to proofread for punctuation and grammatical errors before submitting your final draft.
Writing papers is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone, but it is a skill that is absolutely vital when pursuing any degree. It is also a skill that anyone has the potential to improve upon. By following these basic steps and any further advice from your professors, and utilizing additional sources such as the MLA Handbook and OWL Perdue, you can easily write “A” papers every time.
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