Effective Essay Writing Techniques for Literary Analysis

1. “Chunking” Method in Essays English 9 Survey

2. Analysis • Analysis: To take a part and examine closely. • Literary analysis: take apart a text (a piece of literature) and examine it carefully with a specific purpose/intention.

3. Essay Structure • Introduction • Attention Grabber • Thesis Statement • Body • Topic Sentences • Concrete Details • Commentary (Analysis) • Closing Sentence • Conclusion • Reiterate your thesis and main ideas

4. Introduction: Attention Grabber -GRABS the readers ATTENTION • Quote • Interesting fact/statistic • Anecdote (story) • Open-ended questions

5. Thesis Statement • Gives the reader the main idea on what the paper is about in 1 sentence. • Must Include: • Author’s name (GIVE HIM/HER CREDIT) • Work’s title (Important to know WHAT you are analyzing) • Your TOPIC with SUPPORTING REASONS EX: In Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,”it is evident that Rainsford is a dynamic character because his attitude, tactics, and ideas toward hunting change from the beginning to the end.

6. Body Paragraph • Topic Sentence: identify the topic/point/purpose of the paragraph • Concrete Details: Clear details/examples from the story • Commentary: Analysis- Clear explanations, reasons, opinions, thoughts for each concrete detail • Closing sentence: Transition

7. Concrete Detail • Specific, relevant detail directly from the text! This is the proof and evidence that comes from the text! • Use a quote from the story • Use a summary

8. If you use a quote… • Introduce the quote • Use correct punctuation. • Make sure it relates to topic • Add citations! • Rainsford’s attitude toward hunting changes when the narrator states, “Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels” (25).

9. If you summarize… • Be clear, be specific, be detailed • Add a citation • When General Zaroff approaches each trap, Rainsford begins to feel like the animals that he once hunted; he feels fear and pain (25).

10. Commentary • Commentary: Your ideas, reactions, responses, explanations, reasons, opinions of the concrete details • Tell why it is significant/important • Use 2 after each Concrete Detail!!

11. Closing Sentence • This is where you transition from one thought to the next

12. Transitions On the other hand To sum up From another perspective Meanwhile Afterward Simultaneously In Contrast Likewise In brief • Therefore • So • As a Result • Hence • Accordingly • For this purpose • Above All • Except • However

13. Hamburger! Topic Sentence  Concrete Detail #1 Commentary #1 and #2 Concrete Details #2  Commentary #1 and #2 Closing Sentence 

14. Important Points • Avoid personal pronouns (I, ME, MY, MYSELF , YOU, YOUR, WE, etc.) • Short stories and poems go in “quotes” • Novels and movies go in italics • Punctuation always goes INSIDE the quotation mark • Indent paragraphs • Use PRESENT TENSE. Literature is a live!

15. Introduction • Attention Grabber • Background (What is this topic? Why is this topic important?) • Thesis Statement • Body Paragraph #1 (Enrich) • Topic Sentences • Concrete Detail #1 • 2 Commentary • Concrete Detail #2 • 2 Commentary • Closing Sentence • Body Paragraph #2 (Detract) • Topic Sentences • Concrete Detail #1 • 2 Commentary • Concrete Detail #2 • 2 Commentary • Closing Sentence • Conclusion • Reiterate your thesis and main ideas