First they killed my father

1. First they killed my father Literary Analysis Essay

2. Essay prompt • Survival techniques: • Secrecy • Sacrifice • Stealing • Separation • practical measures • Emotions: anger and hatred • Trace the themes of survival in the book and its effect on the characters. • Choose one technique of survival and reflect upon the effect it has on multiple characters. • Choose one character and comment on how he/she survives throughout the story. • Choose two or three techniques and show how they helped multiple characters survive for an amount of time.

3. Essay structure • Five paragraph essay: • Introduction • 3 body paragraphs • Conclusion • Thesis statement must • Present a persuasively worded argument • Include character(s) name(s) • Outline survival technique(s) used by character(s)

4. introduction • Hook • Famous quote • Short anecdote or narrative • Interesting statistic or fact • Short, shocking statement • Interesting, relevant background information • Analogy (comparison) • Definition of a term (go beyond simple dictionary definitions) • Plot summary • 4-5 sentences that summarize the memoir • Include author, title, and genre of work • Thesis statement • Ends the introduction

5. Introduction format • Introduction • Hook • Transition sentence • Plot summary • Transition sentence • Thesis statement

6. Body paragraphs • Topic sentences • Define topic (characters, survival technique) • Word persuasively (support the thesis) • Lead-in sentences • Introduce/prepare for evidence (relate to topic sentence) • Provide context to prepare for quote • Evidence • Integrate evidence (quotes) into your sentences • Commentary • Comment upon/analyze significance of evidence • Discuss how evidence supports the thesis statement • Clinchers • Persuasively worded summary statement that supports thesis

7. Body Paragraphs Follow this process: • Topic sentence (support the thesis) • Transition, Introduce first quote • Provide quote as evidence • Explain significance of quote and how it supports the thesis • Transition, Introduce second quote • Provide quote as evidence • Explain significance of quote and how it supports the thesis • Transition, Introduce third quote • Provide quote as evidence • Explain significance of quote and how it supports the thesis • Transition, Clincher summarizes topic of paragraph • Repeat process for body paragraph #2 • Repeat process for body paragraph #3

8. Quotes • An effective literary analysis essay relies upon quotes to strengthen the analysis. • A quote need not be more than a few words or a phrase. Generally, there is no need to quote an entire sentence. • Choose only the most important word(s) to quote. • Explain the quote without referencing it directly by saying “This quote shows…” or “This proves…” • Cite all quotes: “Quoted” words (Page #).

9. QUOTE INTEGRATION • Quotes must be smoothly integrated into a sentence of your own. Without quotations marks, the reader should not be able to tell where your words end and the quoted words begin. • Contextualize quotes by providing the context and speaker (if quoting dialogue): • When he hears her answer, Jessup “flies off the handle” and tells her to “Get lost!” (94). • If you need to change words within a quote, use brackets [new word] around the new word. • After the trial, Scout tells Jem that she “heard [Miss Gates] say it’s time somebody taught [the black people of Maycomb] a lesson” (247).

10. COMMENTARY: So What? • Always go one step further in your commentary and be sure to answer the question “So what?” • Always explain your point. • The story is set in the South. • So what? • The main character is a hypochondriac. • So what? • The road symbolizes choice. • So what?

11. conclusion • Restate the thesis (in different wording) • Summarize each point/piece of evidence offered in every body paragraph • Connect back to the hook/offer insight

12. Conclusion format • Conclusion • Restate thesis • Summary sentences of first body paragraph • Summary sentences of second body paragraph • Summary sentences of third body paragraph • Connect to hook/provide insight

13. Verb Usage • Use present tense verbs when discussing events from literature. • Atticus tells Scout that she needs to step into someone else’s shoes in order to better understand that person. • Eliminate overuse of linking verbs. Replace/reword with action verbs. • is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being • Weak: Atticus is a good father. • Better: Atticus possesses many fine qualities that make him a good father.

14. What to Avoid • Avoid: • First-person pronouns: I, me, my, us, we • Second-person pronouns: you • Adverbs (-ly words): really, actually, totally, very • Things is not to be used at all. • Vague words: kind of, sort of, probably • Like is not to be used at all.

15. Also Avoid • Do not refer to your writing in your essay by saying any of the following: • I think • This shows • That quote shows • In this essay • I have shown • In the last paragraph • As stated above • This proves