Writing Workshop

Writing About Literature: Analyzing FictionMr. Lynch

UMHS

Three Kinds of Essays About Literature Personal Response

Write about how you felt and what you thought Passages that felt particularly meaningful Other works you were reminded of

Evaluation Write about how good or bad the work is. Based on objective criteria or standards

Literary Analysis Write about one or more of the elements of fiction:

Characters, Plot, Setting, Point of View, Theme Posing an argument and proving that argument with

examples from the text

Reference to the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge

Thesis Statement

Example

Another example

General Statement or Topic Sentence

Many examples

General Statement

Quotations

General Statement or Topic Sentence

Allusion/ Comparison with St. Francis

Conclusion

Writing Strategies for Analyzing Fiction Identify title and author Present a thesis statement

End of introduction Clearly summarizes your controlling idea in a

sentence or two Give a very, very, very brief plot summary

Few sentences- no longer than a paragraph Make clear, general statements

Also known as Topic Sentences

Strategies Continued

Use present tense Refer to characters or events in the work in Present tense

Support your statements More support = more understanding for your reader Quote from the text for direct examples Refer to details in the text when not needing a quote Make comparisons or allusions to other works Summarize an Expert: Do research to discover literary

criticism about the work or the writer. Be sure to give due credit.

Watch your tone Should be formal and serious Avoid contractions, sentence fragments, and slang

Strategies Continued

ANT for introduction Attention getter: get the readers attention

Rhetorical question Relevant quote from an outside source Relevant quote from the story Fact or Statistic Shocking Generalization

Necessary Information Author’s full name Title of story BRIEF plot

Thesis Statement Announce Topic, Make a Judgment, Signal Organization to

follow

Strategies Continued

TIQA for body paragraphs Topic Sentence or General Statement

Ties into your thesis Has a limiting idea

Introduce Quote or Specific Reference Provide Context of specific info to come

Quote or Specific Reference Actual quote or EVIDENCE from the text to support

your argument Analysis

Your reflection on the quote…your word on what it proves or how it ties to your thesis