Writing a Response to Literature Essay

1. Writing a Response to Literature Essay

2. Purpose: • To explain and persuade the reader • Analyze an authors point of view • Use text as evidence when proving a thesis

3. Requirements:What should it look like? • Introduction: • Thesis statement according to the prompt • Title and author • Brief plot summary

4. Requirements:What should it look like? • Body: • Justify your interpretation of the author's message by giving examples and evidence from the text • Give your insights into the characters and the meaning of the story

5. Requirements:What should it look like? • Conclusion: • Summarize the author's message and what you learned from the story

6. Major Hints! • Include topic sentences (TS) for each main body paragraph. • Find concrete details (CD) that directly support your thesis, including direct quotes (“ ”) from the story.

7. Major Hints! • Include some commentary (CM) sentences that explains each concrete detail and supports your thesis. • Don’t forget your concluding sentences (CS) that gives each paragraph a finished fell.

8. Big Hint!!! • The Response to Literature essay is analytical –not personal!

9. Basic Elements for Analysis(what to look for when analyzing) • Setting—in terms of how it impacts character and events • Plot—in terms of cause and effect • Character—traits, actions, motivation • Theme—what do the characters and events in the story tell the reader that is important to learn about life.