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Steps For Writing A Literary Analysis

This document provides instructions for writing a literary analysis essay, including defining what a literary analysis essay is, outlining the key steps to take which are: 1) critically reading the text, 2) formulating a thesis statement, 3) planning an outline, and 4) writing the essay. It emphasizes that a literary analysis essay involves analyzing elements of the text like language, perspective and structure, and explaining how the author uses literary devices rather than just summarizing the plot.

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Tashfia Ahamed
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195 views

Steps For Writing A Literary Analysis

This document provides instructions for writing a literary analysis essay, including defining what a literary analysis essay is, outlining the key steps to take which are: 1) critically reading the text, 2) formulating a thesis statement, 3) planning an outline, and 4) writing the essay. It emphasizes that a literary analysis essay involves analyzing elements of the text like language, perspective and structure, and explaining how the author uses literary devices rather than just summarizing the plot.

Uploaded by

Tashfia Ahamed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Literary Analysis Essay

A literary analysis essay is not just a


summary of the plot or a book review.
Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay
where you need to analyze elements such as
the language, perspective, and structure of
the text, and explain how the author uses
literary devices to create effects and
convey ideas

Following are the steps to writing a literary


analysis essay:
1. Reading the text critically
2. Planning an outline
3. Formulating a thesis statement
4. Writing the essay
1. Reading the text critically
Carefully read the text(s) and take initial
notes. As you read, pay attention to the
things that are most intriguing, surprising, or
even confusing. These are the things you are
going to dig deeper into in your essay. In the
class discussions, this is what we do. When
answering a passage-based question, thus
your first step will be to annotate the text.
When you are reading the text by yourself,
make sure you are reading critically by
questioning the narrative technique, poetic
meter, literary devices, setting, etc.
Remember: reading critically means not just
identifying these features, but also asking
why the writer includes each of these
features.
2. Formulating a thesis statement
When you read the question, always highlight
the keywords first to identify which
specific theme or technique the question is
asking about. Once that is identified, your
next step will be to create your thesis
statement. Think of the thesis statement as a
one sentence answer to the question. For
example---
Q. Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious
parable?
Your thesis statement should be an answer
to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a
statement of why this is or isn’t the case:
Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious
parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.
Let's look at another example to clarify
things further---
Q. How is the character of Frankenstein portrayed?
Your initial answer might be a surface-level
description:
The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively
in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
However, this statement is too simple to be
an interesting thesis. Instead, develop the
answer into a more nuanced and arguable
thesis statement:
Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to
portray Frankenstein as an increasingly cruel figure
that he slowly morphs into, represented in the novel
by the parable of the monster's corporeal form.
3. Planning an outline
Planning the outline is a crucial part of
writing your literary analysis essay. Think of
these essays like argumentative essays
where you have to prove a point---hence,
throughout the course of the essay, you will
try to prove your thesis statement. In doing
so, you must keep your points organized
according to the framework of the thesis
statement, and aligned with the assessment
objectives of the paper. Thus, plan out about
5-6 paragraphs, where there will be an
introduction, 3-4 body paragraphs, and a
conclusion. In the body paragraphs, dedicate
each paragraph to an assessment objective
(namely--form, context, writer's technique,
etc). Note down 2-3 relevant points for each
of them. For example, in proving Elizabeth
Bennet to be a quintessential feminist
character, do not just point out her actions,
write points that relate to the author's
technique in devising Lizzie as such. So you
may write in your outline for context some
points about Austen's own life that may have
influenced Lizzie's characterization and for
technique in the outline, you may write the
point "Jane Bennet is a foil for Lizzie."
4. Writing the essay
When you start writing, make sure to keep
your introduction brief and concise. You may
start with a hook to spruce up your essay,
but it is not mandatory. Focus on the thesis
statement---it should appear at the end of
the introduction and be very specific. Follow
your outline to write out your body
paragraphs. You may dedicate the first body
paragraph to discussing the form and how it
supports your argument, the second to
context, and so on and so forth. For each
claim you make in these paragraphs, make
sure to give a reference from the text that
you have annotated earlier. A key part of
literary analysis is supporting your
arguments with relevant evidence from text.
This involves introducing quotes from the
text and explaining their significance to your
point. It’s important to contextualize quotes
and explain why you’re using them.
The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t
introduce any new quotations or arguments.
Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay.
Here, you summarize your key points and
try to emphasize their significance to the
reader. A good way to approach this is to
briefly summarize your key arguments, and
then highlight the new perspective your
thesis provides on the text as a whole:
We have thus identified how the narrative structure
shifts our perception of the character. While the
Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having
innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—
first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his
own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him
to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive.

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