1 / 11

How to Write Literary Analysis (A Research Paper)

How to Write Literary Analysis (A Research Paper). OCHS English Dept. Step 1: Understand How to Answer the Question. Define any unknown terms. What is the context of the question? Identify any parts of the question that are confusing.

ronny
Download Presentation

How to Write Literary Analysis (A Research Paper)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. How to Write Literary Analysis (A Research Paper) OCHS English Dept.

  2. Step 1: Understand How to Answer the Question • Define any unknown terms. • What is the context of the question? • Identify any parts of the question that are confusing. • Finally, decide what information/knowledge you will need to answer the question.

  3. Step 2: Do the Research • The first mistake many students make is to simply cut and paste from websites, creating one master document. • The problem—no processing! Teachers are interested in what YOU think, not what you were able to find on Google. • Instead, READ the sources you find (and make a list of the URLs, books, or articles), and develop an understanding of the issues involved on your essay’s topic.

  4. Step 3: Develop a Position • Whether you are writing an expository essay, or an argumentative essay, once you understand the issues, develop a position. • Example: You’ve spent 4 days reading online about how Edgar Allen Poe’s life was full of death, lies, and tragedy. • Position: EAP wrote stories and poems that reflected his life experience.

  5. Step 4: Gather Evidence • Now, go back to your sources, and I know this sounds crazy, but re-read them—this time trying to find evidence that can support your claim/position. • Example: my position is that Edgar Allen Poe’s life was full of tragedies and that this is reflected in his writing. • I read, in one of my sources, that his first wife cheated on him while he was away in college. I will write this quote down, and use it as evidence in my paper.

  6. Step 5: Repeat Gathering Evidence • Now I will go look for more evidence from my other sources, making sure each time, to get the information I need to cite them properly. • As I am finding evidence, I will probably find similarities/connections that I can link up in my paper. • Once I have found enough evidence to support my claim/position, I will start to write my paper.

  7. Step 6: Writing a Thesis • A thesis is going to be a one sentence summary of your claim or position. • You don’t need to put evidence in your thesis—this is your interpretation of how to best answer the essay question. • Generally, your thesis should be the last sentence of your first paragraph.

  8. Step 7: Write the Essay • Now, simply explain why or how you have come to believe that your thesis is correct. • When appropriate, use the evidence you’ve collected to support your statements. Hint: the longer your essay, the more evidence and research you will need to do. • Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, explaining what that paragraph is generally about.

  9. Step 8: Write a Conclusion • A good way to write a conclusion is to restate your position or claim, basically showing that you’ve answered the essay question using evidence. • The last thing to do in a conclusion is to show how what you’ve written relates to the world of your intended audience, OR to explain what else, related to your research, it might be interesting to know more about.

  10. Step 9: RE-READ AND EDIT YOUR ESSAY! • Edit your essay. • Read it aloud to make sure there are no errors. • Make sure your sources are cited correctly (hint: if you have questions, ask your teacher). • Read your essay again, or have someone else take a look at it once more, to make perfectly sure there aren’t mistakes.

  11. Step 10: Works Cited Page • List all of the resources you used for evidence. • Make sure you have all the information for each work that you cite (hint: if you have questions, ask your teacher). • Now, staple the WCP to the back of your essay. Congrats! You’re done…

More Related