Your goal in each of these essays is to present an interpretive argument about a literary text we have studied
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.
and to support that argument with detailed analysis of examples from the text.
Expect to summarize and quote from
the work(s) you are analyzing; you will need to cite these works in the text
the work(s) you are analyzing; you will need to cite these works in the text
(parenthetically) and on a works cited page.
Because I am interested primarily in what you think about a text and
Because I am interested primarily in what you think about a text and
not your ability to regurgitate what some expert (or
random website) thinks, secondary sources are not required.
random website) thinks, secondary sources are not required.
If you wish to use research in the essay, please get my
approval first, and make sure you cite the sources appropriately in MLA style.
approval first, and make sure you cite the sources appropriately in MLA style.
Plan to write several drafts of each essay.
Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly to MLA
format and documentation. Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as
your title. (For example, “The Portrayal of the Rest Cure in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” is acceptable; just “The Yellow
Wallpaper” is not.)
Finding a focus and developing an argument: For each essay, I will give you topics to address, but you will need to
narrow these topics and develop your own specific focus. Here are some tips for getting started:
Try building your essay around an aspect of the text that you found interesting, shocking, or confusing. Examine
your reaction to this element, and figure out why it intrigued you; then try to account for its purpose in the
text—this account will form the basis of your argument.
It may also help you to choose one component or organizing principle to anchor your analysis—will you focus on
character, setting, imagery, the speaker or narrator, point of view, or theme? Ask a question about this element:
for example, how does an image in a text invoke a particular connotation or emotion that affects our
interpretation? Or, you could ask a question about how one component affects another: for example, how
might the setting of a story or drama reflect the attributes of its characters?
In order to think creatively about a text, consider possible motives for your interpretation. Here are three
possible “motives” to help you develop perspective, as articulated by Gordon Harvey:
o The truth about this text isn’t what one would expect or what it might appear to be on a first reading—
there is a less obvious meaning or message that emerges as a result of thorough analysis.
o There’s an interesting wrinkle in the text—a paradox, a contradiction, a tension. How does it affect our
interpretation?
o A seemingly unimportant minor detail or character is actually important or interesting.
Structure of the essay: Your essays should have the following basic structure:
An introduction in which you introduce the title and author of the work you will discuss and the major focus of
your analysis. Your last sentence in the introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement—the main claim
or argument you are making. The thesis should not be a statement of topic or obvious fact. It should articulate a
debatable interpretive claim. Your thesis should answer a key question about the text.
Three or four body paragraphs in which you show how the text demonstrates the claim made in your
thesis/introduction. Each paragraph should have a specific focus or purpose, and each should develop an aspect
of the original claim/thesis. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, and illustrate the point expressed in the
topic sentence by analyzing specific examples from the text.
One concluding paragraph in which you reiterate your thesis and discuss the implications of the text. While your
conclusion should reinforce your thesis, it should not repeat information word for word. Construct your
conclusion so that it enables the reader to see the big picture created by your analysis. Explain why your
argument is significant or how this text shapes or challenges readers’ views about a particular issue. Ask yourself
the “so what?” question: if your interpretation is valid, why is it important?
Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly to MLA
format and documentation. Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as
your title. (For example, “The Portrayal of the Rest Cure in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” is acceptable; just “The Yellow
Wallpaper” is not.)
Finding a focus and developing an argument: For each essay, I will give you topics to address, but you will need to
narrow these topics and develop your own specific focus. Here are some tips for getting started:
Try building your essay around an aspect of the text that you found interesting, shocking, or confusing. Examine
your reaction to this element, and figure out why it intrigued you; then try to account for its purpose in the
text—this account will form the basis of your argument.
It may also help you to choose one component or organizing principle to anchor your analysis—will you focus on
character, setting, imagery, the speaker or narrator, point of view, or theme? Ask a question about this element:
for example, how does an image in a text invoke a particular connotation or emotion that affects our
interpretation? Or, you could ask a question about how one component affects another: for example, how
might the setting of a story or drama reflect the attributes of its characters?
In order to think creatively about a text, consider possible motives for your interpretation. Here are three
possible “motives” to help you develop perspective, as articulated by Gordon Harvey:
o The truth about this text isn’t what one would expect or what it might appear to be on a first reading—
there is a less obvious meaning or message that emerges as a result of thorough analysis.
o There’s an interesting wrinkle in the text—a paradox, a contradiction, a tension. How does it affect our
interpretation?
o A seemingly unimportant minor detail or character is actually important or interesting.
Structure of the essay: Your essays should have the following basic structure:
An introduction in which you introduce the title and author of the work you will discuss and the major focus of
your analysis. Your last sentence in the introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement—the main claim
or argument you are making. The thesis should not be a statement of topic or obvious fact. It should articulate a
debatable interpretive claim. Your thesis should answer a key question about the text.
Three or four body paragraphs in which you show how the text demonstrates the claim made in your
thesis/introduction. Each paragraph should have a specific focus or purpose, and each should develop an aspect
of the original claim/thesis. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, and illustrate the point expressed in the
topic sentence by analyzing specific examples from the text.
One concluding paragraph in which you reiterate your thesis and discuss the implications of the text. While your
conclusion should reinforce your thesis, it should not repeat information word for word. Construct your
conclusion so that it enables the reader to see the big picture created by your analysis. Explain why your
argument is significant or how this text shapes or challenges readers’ views about a particular issue. Ask yourself
the “so what?” question: if your interpretation is valid, why is it important?
Other tips:
When writing about literature, always write using present-tense verbs—i.e., “the grandmother says,” not “the
grandmother said.”
DO NOT use “you” or any of its forms –your, etc. Instead, find a third-person noun to use instead. NOT “When
you go to college . . “ but “when students go to college . . .”
Avoid “I,” especially in constructions like “I think,” “I feel,” or “in my opinion.” Instead, if you must use “I,” say “I
argue,” “I assert,” or “I maintain.”
Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as your title. (For
example, “The Portrayal of the Rest Cure in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” is acceptable; just “The Yellow Wallpaper” is
not.)
Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly
to MLA format and documentation. The essay must have a works cited page that lists the literary text(s) that you
refer to in the essay.
When writing about literature, always write using present-tense verbs—i.e., “the grandmother says,” not “the
grandmother said.”
DO NOT use “you” or any of its forms –your, etc. Instead, find a third-person noun to use instead. NOT “When
you go to college . . “ but “when students go to college . . .”
Avoid “I,” especially in constructions like “I think,” “I feel,” or “in my opinion.” Instead, if you must use “I,” say “I
argue,” “I assert,” or “I maintain.”
Each essay must have a title; please do not use simply the title of the work of literature as your title. (For
example, “The Portrayal of the Rest Cure in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” is acceptable; just “The Yellow Wallpaper” is
not.)
Essays should be double-spaced and in MLA format. No cover page is required, but papers must adhere strictly
to MLA format and documentation. The essay must have a works cited page that lists the literary text(s) that you
refer to in the essay.