10th grade literary analysis essay

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8.15: Sample Student Literary Analysis Essays

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• Page ID 101141

• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

The following examples are essays where student writers focused on close-reading a literary work.

While reading these examples, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the essay's thesis statement, and how do you know it is the thesis statement?
• What is the main idea or topic sentence of each body paragraph, and how does it relate back to the thesis statement?
• Where and how does each essay use evidence (quotes or paraphrase from the literature)?
• What are some of the literary devices or structures the essays analyze or discuss?
• How does each author structure their conclusion, and how does their conclusion differ from their introduction?

Example 1: Poetry

Victoria Morillo

Instructor Heather Ringo

3 August 2022

How Nguyen’s Structure Solidifies the Impact of Sexual Violence in “The Study”

Stripped of innocence, your body taken from you. No matter how much you try to block out the instance in which these two things occurred, memories surface and come back to haunt you. How does a person, a young boy , cope with an event that forever changes his life? Hieu Minh Nguyen deconstructs this very way in which an act of sexual violence affects a survivor. In his poem, “The Study,” the poem's speaker recounts the year in which his molestation took place, describing how his memory filters in and out. Throughout the poem, Nguyen writes in free verse, permitting a structural liberation to become the foundation for his message to shine through. While he moves the readers with this poignant narrative, Nguyen effectively conveys the resulting internal struggles of feeling alone and unseen.

The speaker recalls his experience with such painful memory through the use of specific punctuation choices. Just by looking at the poem, we see that the first period doesn’t appear until line 14. It finally comes after the speaker reveals to his readers the possible, central purpose for writing this poem: the speaker's molestation. In the first half, the poem makes use of commas, em dashes, and colons, which lends itself to the idea of the speaker stringing along all of these details to make sense of this time in his life. If reading the poem following the conventions of punctuation, a sense of urgency is present here, as well. This is exemplified by the lack of periods to finalize a thought; and instead, Nguyen uses other punctuation marks to connect them. Serving as another connector of thoughts, the two em dashes give emphasis to the role memory plays when the speaker discusses how “no one [had] a face” during that time (Nguyen 9-11). He speaks in this urgent manner until the 14th line, and when he finally gets it off his chest, the pace of the poem changes, as does the more frequent use of the period. This stream-of-consciousness-like section when juxtaposed with the latter half of the poem, causes readers to slow down and pay attention to the details. It also splits the poem in two: a section that talks of the fogginess of memory then transitions into one that remembers it all.

In tandem with the fluctuating nature of memory, the utilization of line breaks and word choice help reflect the damage the molestation has had. Within the first couple of lines of the poem, the poem demands the readers’ attention when the line breaks from “floating” to “dead” as the speaker describes his memory of Little Billy (Nguyen 1-4). This line break averts the readers’ expectation of the direction of the narrative and immediately shifts the tone of the poem. The break also speaks to the effect his trauma has ingrained in him and how “[f]or the longest time,” his only memory of that year revolves around an image of a boy’s death. In a way, the speaker sees himself in Little Billy; or perhaps, he’s representative of the tragic death of his boyhood, how the speaker felt so “dead” after enduring such a traumatic experience, even referring to himself as a “ghost” that he tries to evict from his conscience (Nguyen 24). The feeling that a part of him has died is solidified at the very end of the poem when the speaker describes himself as a nine-year-old boy who’s been “fossilized,” forever changed by this act (Nguyen 29). By choosing words associated with permanence and death, the speaker tries to recreate the atmosphere (for which he felt trapped in) in order for readers to understand the loneliness that came as a result of his trauma. With the assistance of line breaks, more attention is drawn to the speaker's words, intensifying their importance, and demanding to be felt by the readers.

Most importantly, the speaker expresses eloquently, and so heartbreakingly, about the effect sexual violence has on a person. Perhaps what seems to be the most frustrating are the people who fail to believe survivors of these types of crimes. This is evident when he describes “how angry” the tenants were when they filled the pool with cement (Nguyen 4). They seem to represent how people in the speaker's life were dismissive of his assault and who viewed his tragedy as a nuisance of some sorts. This sentiment is bookended when he says, “They say, give us details , so I give them my body. / They say, give us proof , so I give them my body,” (Nguyen 25-26). The repetition of these two lines reinforces the feeling many feel in these scenarios, as they’re often left to deal with trying to make people believe them, or to even see them.

It’s important to recognize how the structure of this poem gives the speaker space to express the pain he’s had to carry for so long. As a characteristic of free verse, the poem doesn’t follow any structured rhyme scheme or meter; which in turn, allows him to not have any constraints in telling his story the way he wants to. The speaker has the freedom to display his experience in a way that evades predictability and engenders authenticity of a story very personal to him. As readers, we abandon anticipating the next rhyme, and instead focus our attention to the other ways, like his punctuation or word choice, in which he effectively tells his story. The speaker recognizes that some part of him no longer belongs to himself, but by writing “The Study,” he shows other survivors that they’re not alone and encourages hope that eventually, they will be freed from the shackles of sexual violence.

Works Cited

Nguyen, Hieu Minh. “The Study” Poets.Org. Academy of American Poets, Coffee House Press, 2018, https://poets.org/poem/study-0 .

Example 2: Fiction

Todd Goodwin

Professor Stan Matyshak

Advanced Expository Writing

Sept. 17, 20—

Poe’s “Usher”: A Mirror of the Fall of the House of Humanity

Right from the outset of the grim story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Edgar Allan Poe enmeshes us in a dark, gloomy, hopeless world, alienating his characters and the reader from any sort of physical or psychological norm where such values as hope and happiness could possibly exist. He fatalistically tells the story of how a man (the narrator) comes from the outside world of hope, religion, and everyday society and tries to bring some kind of redeeming happiness to his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, who not only has physically and psychologically wasted away but is entrapped in a dilapidated house of ever-looming terror with an emaciated and deranged twin sister. Roderick Usher embodies the wasting away of what once was vibrant and alive, and his house of “insufferable gloom” (273), which contains his morbid sister, seems to mirror or reflect this fear of death and annihilation that he most horribly endures. A close reading of the story reveals that Poe uses mirror images, or reflections, to contribute to the fatalistic theme of “Usher”: each reflection serves to intensify an already prevalent tone of hopelessness, darkness, and fatalism.

It could be argued that the house of Roderick Usher is a “house of mirrors,” whose unpleasant and grim reflections create a dark and hopeless setting. For example, the narrator first approaches “the melancholy house of Usher on a dark and soundless day,” and finds a building which causes him a “sense of insufferable gloom,” which “pervades his spirit and causes an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart, an undiscerned dreariness of thought” (273). The narrator then optimistically states: “I reflected that a mere different arrangement of the scene, of the details of the picture, would be sufficient to modify, or perhaps annihilate its capacity for sorrowful impression” (274). But the narrator then sees the reflection of the house in the tarn and experiences a “shudder even more thrilling than before” (274). Thus the reader begins to realize that the narrator cannot change or stop the impending doom that will befall the house of Usher, and maybe humanity. The story cleverly plays with the word reflection : the narrator sees a physical reflection that leads him to a mental reflection about Usher’s surroundings.

The narrator’s disillusionment by such grim reflection continues in the story. For example, he describes Roderick Usher’s face as distinct with signs of old strength but lost vigor: the remains of what used to be. He describes the house as a once happy and vibrant place, which, like Roderick, lost its vitality. Also, the narrator describes Usher’s hair as growing wild on his rather obtrusive head, which directly mirrors the eerie moss and straw covering the outside of the house. The narrator continually longs to see these bleak reflections as a dream, for he states: “Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building” (276). He does not want to face the reality that Usher and his home are doomed to fall, regardless of what he does.

Although there are almost countless examples of these mirror images, two others stand out as important. First, Roderick and his sister, Madeline, are twins. The narrator aptly states just as he and Roderick are entombing Madeline that there is “a striking similitude between brother and sister” (288). Indeed, they are mirror images of each other. Madeline is fading away psychologically and physically, and Roderick is not too far behind! The reflection of “doom” that these two share helps intensify and symbolize the hopelessness of the entire situation; thus, they further develop the fatalistic theme. Second, in the climactic scene where Madeline has been mistakenly entombed alive, there is a pairing of images and sounds as the narrator tries to calm Roderick by reading him a romance story. Events in the story simultaneously unfold with events of the sister escaping her tomb. In the story, the hero breaks out of the coffin. Then, in the story, the dragon’s shriek as he is slain parallels Madeline’s shriek. Finally, the story tells of the clangor of a shield, matched by the sister’s clanging along a metal passageway. As the suspense reaches its climax, Roderick shrieks his last words to his “friend,” the narrator: “Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door” (296).

Roderick, who slowly falls into insanity, ironically calls the narrator the “Madman.” We are left to reflect on what Poe means by this ironic twist. Poe’s bleak and dark imagery, and his use of mirror reflections, seem only to intensify the hopelessness of “Usher.” We can plausibly conclude that, indeed, the narrator is the “Madman,” for he comes from everyday society, which is a place where hope and faith exist. Poe would probably argue that such a place is opposite to the world of Usher because a world where death is inevitable could not possibly hold such positive values. Therefore, just as Roderick mirrors his sister, the reflection in the tarn mirrors the dilapidation of the house, and the story mirrors the final actions before the death of Usher. “The Fall of the House of Usher” reflects Poe’s view that humanity is hopelessly doomed.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” 1839. Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library . 1995. Web. 1 July 2012. < http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/PoeFall.html >.

Example 3: Poetry

Amy Chisnell

Professor Laura Neary

Writing and Literature

April 17, 20—

Don’t Listen to the Egg!: A Close Reading of Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”

“You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir,” said Alice. “Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called ‘Jabberwocky’?”

“Let’s hear it,” said Humpty Dumpty. “I can explain all the poems that ever were invented—and a good many that haven’t been invented just yet.” (Carroll 164)

In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass , Humpty Dumpty confidently translates (to a not so confident Alice) the complicated language of the poem “Jabberwocky.” The words of the poem, though nonsense, aptly tell the story of the slaying of the Jabberwock. Upon finding “Jabberwocky” on a table in the looking-glass room, Alice is confused by the strange words. She is quite certain that “ somebody killed something ,” but she does not understand much more than that. When later she encounters Humpty Dumpty, she seizes the opportunity at having the knowledgeable egg interpret—or translate—the poem. Since Humpty Dumpty professes to be able to “make a word work” for him, he is quick to agree. Thus he acts like a New Critic who interprets the poem by performing a close reading of it. Through Humpty’s interpretation of the first stanza, however, we see the poem’s deeper comment concerning the practice of interpreting poetry and literature in general—that strict analytical translation destroys the beauty of a poem. In fact, Humpty Dumpty commits the “heresy of paraphrase,” for he fails to understand that meaning cannot be separated from the form or structure of the literary work.

Of the 71 words found in “Jabberwocky,” 43 have no known meaning. They are simply nonsense. Yet through this nonsensical language, the poem manages not only to tell a story but also gives the reader a sense of setting and characterization. One feels, rather than concretely knows, that the setting is dark, wooded, and frightening. The characters, such as the Jubjub bird, the Bandersnatch, and the doomed Jabberwock, also appear in the reader’s head, even though they will not be found in the local zoo. Even though most of the words are not real, the reader is able to understand what goes on because he or she is given free license to imagine what the words denote and connote. Simply, the poem’s nonsense words are the meaning.

Therefore, when Humpty interprets “Jabberwocky” for Alice, he is not doing her any favors, for he actually misreads the poem. Although the poem in its original is constructed from nonsense words, by the time Humpty is done interpreting it, it truly does not make any sense. The first stanza of the original poem is as follows:

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogroves,

An the mome raths outgrabe. (Carroll 164)

If we replace, however, the nonsense words of “Jabberwocky” with Humpty’s translated words, the effect would be something like this:

’Twas four o’clock in the afternoon, and the lithe and slimy badger-lizard-corkscrew creatures

Did go round and round and make holes in the grass-plot round the sun-dial:

All flimsy and miserable were the shabby-looking birds

with mop feathers,

And the lost green pigs bellowed-sneezed-whistled.

By translating the poem in such a way, Humpty removes the charm or essence—and the beauty, grace, and rhythm—from the poem. The poetry is sacrificed for meaning. Humpty Dumpty commits the heresy of paraphrase. As Cleanth Brooks argues, “The structure of a poem resembles that of a ballet or musical composition. It is a pattern of resolutions and balances and harmonizations” (203). When the poem is left as nonsense, the reader can easily imagine what a “slithy tove” might be, but when Humpty tells us what it is, he takes that imaginative license away from the reader. The beauty (if that is the proper word) of “Jabberwocky” is in not knowing what the words mean, and yet understanding. By translating the poem, Humpty takes that privilege from the reader. In addition, Humpty fails to recognize that meaning cannot be separated from the structure itself: the nonsense poem reflects this literally—it means “nothing” and achieves this meaning by using “nonsense” words.

Furthermore, the nonsense words Carroll chooses to use in “Jabberwocky” have a magical effect upon the reader; the shadowy sound of the words create the atmosphere, which may be described as a trance-like mood. When Alice first reads the poem, she says it seems to fill her head “with ideas.” The strange-sounding words in the original poem do give one ideas. Why is this? Even though the reader has never heard these words before, he or she is instantly aware of the murky, mysterious mood they set. In other words, diction operates not on the denotative level (the dictionary meaning) but on the connotative level (the emotion(s) they evoke). Thus “Jabberwocky” creates a shadowy mood, and the nonsense words are instrumental in creating this mood. Carroll could not have simply used any nonsense words.

For example, let us change the “dark,” “ominous” words of the first stanza to “lighter,” more “comic” words:

’Twas mearly, and the churly pells

Did bimble and ringle in the tink;

All timpy were the brimbledimps,

And the bip plips outlink.

Shifting the sounds of the words from dark to light merely takes a shift in thought. To create a specific mood using nonsense words, one must create new words from old words that convey the desired mood. In “Jabberwocky,” Carroll mixes “slimy,” a grim idea, “lithe,” a pliable image, to get a new adjective: “slithy” (a portmanteau word). In this translation, brighter words were used to get a lighter effect. “Mearly” is a combination of “morning” and “early,” and “ringle” is a blend of “ring” and "dingle.” The point is that “Jabberwocky’s” nonsense words are created specifically to convey this shadowy or mysterious mood and are integral to the “meaning.”

Consequently, Humpty’s rendering of the poem leaves the reader with a completely different feeling than does the original poem, which provided us with a sense of ethereal mystery, of a dark and foreign land with exotic creatures and fantastic settings. The mysteriousness is destroyed by Humpty’s literal paraphrase of the creatures and the setting; by doing so, he has taken the beauty away from the poem in his attempt to understand it. He has committed the heresy of paraphrase: “If we allow ourselves to be misled by it [this heresy], we distort the relation of the poem to its ‘truth’… we split the poem between its ‘form’ and its ‘content’” (Brooks 201). Humpty Dumpty’s ultimate demise might be seen to symbolize the heretical split between form and content: as a literary creation, Humpty Dumpty is an egg, a well-wrought urn of nonsense. His fall from the wall cracks him and separates the contents from the container, and not even all the King’s men can put the scrambled egg back together again!

Through the odd characters of a little girl and a foolish egg, “Jabberwocky” suggests a bit of sage advice about reading poetry, advice that the New Critics built their theories on. The importance lies not solely within strict analytical translation or interpretation, but in the overall effect of the imagery and word choice that evokes a meaning inseparable from those literary devices. As Archibald MacLeish so aptly writes: “A poem should not mean / But be.” Sometimes it takes a little nonsense to show us the sense in something.

Brooks, Cleanth. The Well-Wrought Urn: Studies in the Structure of Poetry . 1942. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1956. Print.

Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking-Glass. Alice in Wonderland . 2nd ed. Ed. Donald J. Gray. New York: Norton, 1992. Print.

MacLeish, Archibald. “Ars Poetica.” The Oxford Book of American Poetry . Ed. David Lehman. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 385–86. Print.

Attribution

• Sample Essay 1 received permission from Victoria Morillo to publish, licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International ( CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 )
• Sample Essays 2 and 3 adapted from Cordell, Ryan and John Pennington. "2.5: Student Sample Papers" from Creating Literary Analysis. 2012. Licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported ( CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 )

Literary Analysis Essay

Literary Analysis Essay Writing

Last updated on: May 21, 2023

Literary Analysis Essay - Ultimate Guide By Professionals

By: Cordon J.

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Dec 3, 2019

A literary analysis essay specifically examines and evaluates a piece of literature or a literary work. It also understands and explains the links between the small parts to their whole information.

It is important for students to understand the meaning and the true essence of literature to write a literary essay.

One of the most difficult assignments for students is writing a literary analysis essay. It can be hard to come up with an original idea or find enough material to write about. You might think you need years of experience in order to create a good paper, but that's not true.

This blog post will show you how easy it can be when you follow the steps given here.Writing such an essay involves the breakdown of a book into small parts and understanding each part separately. It seems easy, right?

Trust us, it is not as hard as good book reports but it may also not be extremely easy. You will have to take into account different approaches and explain them in relation with the chosen literary work.

It is a common high school and college assignment and you can learn everything in this blog.

Continue reading for some useful tips with an example to write a literary analysis essay that will be on point. You can also explore our detailed article on writing an analytical essay .

On this Page

What is a Literary Analysis Essay?

A literary analysis essay is an important kind of essay that focuses on the detailed analysis of the work of literature.

The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to explain why the author has used a specific theme for his work. Or examine the characters, themes, literary devices , figurative language, and settings in the story.

This type of essay encourages students to think about how the book or the short story has been written. And why the author has created this work.

The method used in the literary analysis essay differs from other types of essays. It primarily focuses on the type of work and literature that is being analyzed.

Mostly, you will be going to break down the work into various parts. In order to develop a better understanding of the idea being discussed, each part will be discussed separately.

The essay should explain the choices of the author and point of view along with your answers and personal analysis.

How To Write A Literary Analysis Essay

So how to start a literary analysis essay? The answer to this question is quite simple.

The following sections are required to write an effective literary analysis essay. By following the guidelines given in the following sections, you will be able to craft a winning literary analysis essay.

Introduction

The aim of the introduction is to establish a context for readers. You have to give a brief on the background of the selected topic.

It should contain the name of the author of the literary work along with its title. The introduction should be effective enough to grab the reader’s attention.

In the body section, you have to retell the story that the writer has narrated. It is a good idea to create a summary as it is one of the important tips of literary analysis.

Other than that, you are required to develop ideas and disclose the observed information related to the issue. The ideal length of the body section is around 1000 words.

To write the body section, your observation should be based on evidence and your own style of writing.

It would be great if the body of your essay is divided into three paragraphs. Make a strong argument with facts related to the thesis statement in all of the paragraphs in the body section.

Start writing each paragraph with a topic sentence and use transition words when moving to the next paragraph.

Summarize the important points of your literary analysis essay in this section. It is important to compose a short and strong conclusion to help you make a final impression of your essay.

Pay attention that this section does not contain any new information. It should provide a sense of completion by restating the main idea with a short description of your arguments. End the conclusion with your supporting details.

You have to explain why the book is important. Also, elaborate on the means that the authors used to convey her/his opinion regarding the issue.

For further understanding, here is a downloadable literary analysis essay outline. This outline will help you structure and format your essay properly and earn an A easily.

DOWNLOADABLE LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY OUTLINE (PDF)

Types of Literary Analysis Essay

• Close reading - This method involves attentive reading and detailed analysis. No need for a lot of knowledge and inspiration to write an essay that shows your creative skills.
• Theoretical - In this type, you will rely on theories related to the selected topic.
• Historical - This type of essay concerns the discipline of history. Sometimes historical analysis is required to explain events in detail.
• Applied - This type involves analysis of a specific issue from a practical perspective.
• Comparative - This type of writing is based on when two or more alternatives are compared

Examples of Literary Analysis Essay

Examples are great to understand any concept, especially if it is related to writing. Below are some great literary analysis essay examples that showcase how this type of essay is written.

A ROSE FOR EMILY LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

THE GREAT GATSBY LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

If you do not have experience in writing essays, this will be a very chaotic process for you. In that case, it is very important for you to conduct good research on the topic before writing.

There are two important points that you should keep in mind when writing a literary analysis essay.

First, remember that it is very important to select a topic in which you are interested. Choose something that really inspires you. This will help you to catch the attention of a reader.

The selected topic should reflect the main idea of writing. In addition to that, it should also express your point of view as well.

Another important thing is to draft a good outline for your literary analysis essay. It will help you to define a central point and division of this into parts for further discussion.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics

Literary analysis essays are mostly based on artistic works like books, movies, paintings, and other forms of art. However, generally, students choose novels and books to write their literary essays.

Some cool, fresh, and good topics and ideas are listed below:

• Role of the Three Witches in flaming Macbeth’s ambition.
• Analyze the themes of the Play Antigone,
• Discuss Ajax as a tragic hero.
• The Judgement of Paris: Analyze the Reasons and their Consequences.
• Oedipus Rex: A Doomed Son or a Conqueror?
• Describe the Oedipus complex and Electra complex in relation to their respective myths.
• Betrayal is a common theme of Shakespearean tragedies. Discuss
• Identify and analyze the traits of history in T.S Eliot’s ‘Gerontion’.
• Analyze the theme of identity crisis in The Great Gatsby.
• Analyze the writing style of Emily Dickinson.

If you are still in doubt then there is nothing bad in getting professional writers’ help.

We at 5StarEssays.com can help you get a custom paper as per your specified requirements with our do essay for me service.

Our essay writers will help you write outstanding literary essays or any other type of essay. Such as compare and contrast essays, descriptive essays, rhetorical essays. We cover all of these.

So don’t waste your time browsing the internet and place your order now to get your well-written custom paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a literary analysis essay include.

A good literary analysis essay must include a proper and in-depth explanation of your ideas. They must be backed with examples and evidence from the text. Textual evidence includes summaries, paraphrased text, original work details, and direct quotes.

What are the 4 components of literary analysis?

Here are the 4 essential parts of a literary analysis essay;

No literary work is explained properly without discussing and explaining these 4 things.

How do you start a literary analysis essay?

Start your literary analysis essay with the name of the work and the title. Hook your readers by introducing the main ideas that you will discuss in your essay and engage them from the start.

How do you do a literary analysis?

In a literary analysis essay, you study the text closely, understand and interpret its meanings. And try to find out the reasons behind why the author has used certain symbols, themes, and objects in the work.

Why is literary analysis important?

It encourages the students to think beyond their existing knowledge, experiences, and belief and build empathy. This helps in improving the writing skills also.

What is the fundamental characteristic of a literary analysis essay?

Interpretation is the fundamental and important feature of a literary analysis essay. The essay is based on how well the writer explains and interprets the work.

Law, Finance Essay

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

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• Write a Perfect Literary Analysis Essay Outline

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ELA Common Core Lesson Plans

• Create Characters Lesson Plan
• Creative Writing Lesson Plan: Using Details
• How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay
• How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay Lesson Plan
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• How to Write a Reflective Essay
• How to Write an Article Critique and Review
• How to Write an Introduction to an Essay
• How to Write a Problem Solution Essay
• Lesson Plan: Effective Sentence Structure
• Lesson Plan: Improve Writing Style with Improved Sentence Structure
• Logical Fallacies Lesson Plan with Summary & Examples
• Teaching Active and Passive Voice
• Teaching How to Revise a Rough Draft
• Teaching Instructional Articles: How to Write Instructions
• Teaching Word Choice: Using Strong Verbs
• Using Imagery Lesson Plan
• Writing for Audience and Purpose
• Writing Transitions Lesson
• Analyzing Humor in Literature Lesson Plan
• Analyzing Shakespeare Strategies
• Fun Reading Lesson Plan

How to Write a Literary Analysis.

• How to Annotate and Analyze a Poem
• Lesson Plan for Teaching Annotation
• Literary Terms Lesson Plan
• Literature Exemplars – Grades-9-10
• Teaching Short Story Elements
• Using Short Stories to Teach Elements of Literature
• Bill of Rights Lesson Plan
• Fun Ideas for Teaching Language
• Comma Rules: How to Use Commas
• Difference between Denotation and Connotation
• Effective Word Choice Lesson Plan
• Fun Grammar Review Game or Vocabulary & Language Arts
• Lesson Plans for Substitute Teachers and Busy English Teachers
• Lesson Plan: Creating the Perfect Title
• 4.08 – Lesson Plan: Using Semicolons Correctly
• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Lesson Plan
• Sentence Combining Made Easy Lesson Plan
• Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
• Using Tone Effectively Lesson Plan
• 4.12 – Word Choice Lesson Plan: Eliminate and Replace “To Be” Verbs
• Using Voice in Writing Effectively Lesson Plan
• Speaking & Listening
• Teacher Guide Central

Lesson Plan: How to Write a Literary Analysis

Remember when you assigned a literary analysis or an interpretive essay and all you got was 237 summaries of a short story you'd already read 15 times, so you slammed your hand in the filing cabinet drawer until you drew blood and broke every finger?

The better option, of course, would have been to teach students how to write an interpretive essay or to teach students how to write a literary analysis.

Would you like a rubric? Of course, you would: Literary Analysis Generic Rubric .

The Basics of Writing a Literary Analysis

Use the following guidelines for teaching how to write an interpretive essay or how to write a literary analysis:

• The introduction must introduce the literary work, capture the reader's attention , and include a clearly written thesis statement that contains the literary interpretation.
• The body of the essay must support the thesis statement through evidence--facts, examples, summaries--and commentary--opinions, analysis, interpretation, insight.
• The conclusion summarizes the interpretation and allows the writer to draw attention to the most important aspects of the analysis.

An 'A' essay does the following:

• Identifies the author, title, and gives a brief summary of the literary work.
• Provides a clear interpretation of the author's message and purpose.
• Provides details, quotations

Writing and Drafting

• Reread the literary work several times. This seems logical to teachers. It's not logical for students. Read through the first time to get a feel for the work. Reread and look for passages and ideas that stand out or have special meaning.
• Before drafting, brainstorm possible interpretations. A good strategy is to write annotations as you read.
• Discuss the interpretation with others who have read the work. As a teacher, it's important to have class discussions on works being analyzed.
• Make sure you have a clear answer to the following questions as you write or revise:
• What is the main point of the essay? This main point should be clearly identified in the thesis statement.
• What evidence best supports the interpretation ?
• Are there any points that should be added to clarify the interpretation?
• Is there any superfluous evidence that could be deleted?

Common Pitfalls

Writing a Summary : No matter how many times you emphasize that you do not want a summary, you'll still get them. The only way to eliminate this error is to model analysis and give really low grades to students who summarize rather than analyze.

Listing Facts : A close relative of the summary is listing facts. It's also called the, "I'll list as many facts as I can about this literary work and hope the teacher doesn't grade it very closely" syndrome. Explain that listing facts without explaining how the fact supports the thesis statement or why that fact is important is useless.

Having No Evidence : At the other end of the bad analysis spectrum is the no evidence analysis. It consists of nothing but conjecture.

Mini Lesson

Teach how to write a literary analysis or how to write an interpretive essay and avoid the common pitfalls before you assign the essay. Try this exercise.

• Write down a specific quotation or example from a literary work.
• Underneath the quote write the phrase this shows________ .
• Complete the sentence two times for each quotation.
• Discuss answers and point out the difference between analysis and summary.
• Once students have the basic idea down, assign the essay.
• Another option is to have them answer discussion questions in the following format: 1 detail from the story, with 2 pieces of analysis.

Common Core Standards

Teaching how to write a literary analysis satisfies the following ELA Common Core Standards.

• RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• L.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
• W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• W.9-10.1a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
• W.9-10.1b Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.
• W.9-10.2b   Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. W.9-10.2a  Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings); graphics (e.g., figures, tables); and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• W.9-10.1c   Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
• W.9-10.2f   Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
• W.9-10.3c   Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
• W.9-10.4   Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• L.9-10.1  Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Types of Essays

Step-by-step instructions for writing different types of essays can be accessed by the following links.

• Problem-Solution Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Instructional Article
• Literary Analysis
• How to Write a Tall-Tale
• How to Write an Article Critique
• Cause and Effect Essay

Last Updated on December 6, 2016 by Trenton Lorcher

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10th Grade Argument Essay: Literary Criticism

• Literary Criticism
• Start Here to Find Literary Criticism
• Collections of Poems, Plays & Short Stories

What Is Literary Criticism?

What is Literary Criticism?

Before you can find literary criticism, it is important to know what it is.

Literary criticism is an in-depth analysis of a literary work:  novel, short story, play, or poem .These articles  usually  are published in scholarly journals as opposed to popular magazines and newspapers.

Use this guide to find sources of literary criticism available both in print and electronically from the RHS Media Center

If you are still having trouble locating criticism on your book or author, please email [email protected] for help. Click on the Get Help! tab to find out how to contact us!

Why Use Literary Criticism?

Reading how other people have evaluated a novel, short story, play or poem can help you define your own views.

• Perhaps they see aspects of the work that you didn't notice.
• Maybe they give historical background that explains why the work was written the way it was.
• Maybe you will disagree with them and it will help you focus your opinion.

Criticism doesn't substitute for reading the original work because it won't give a detailed plot summary.  However it can help you understand the main points of a story and identify the significant parts.

Many critical sources discuss an author's overall writing and may not even mention the specific work you have read.  This is especially true for poems and short stories. This sort of criticism can still be useful if you apply the overall interpretation of an author to your particular work.

Who was Harold Bloom?

• Who was Harold Bloom? Harold Bloom (July 11, 1930 – October 14, 2019) was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University.[1] He is often cited as the most influential English-language critic of the late 20th century. Following the publication of his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books,[2] including 20 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and a novel. During his lifetime, he edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm.[3][4] Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. more... less... from Wikipedia

• Next: Start Here to Find Literary Criticism >>
• Last Updated: Oct 7, 2023 10:22 AM
• URL: https://ramseyhs.libguides.com/c.php?g=1218761

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Literary Analysis

When you read for pleasure, your sole objective is to have fun. You may find yourself reading to escape into an intriguing narrative, learn about a fascinating time or location, or simply pass the time. Perhaps you’re seeking for motivation, advice, or a personal perspective. There are as many valid methods to read a book as there are books on the planet. 

However, when you read a work of literature in English class, you are being asked to read in a unique way: you are being expected to undertake literary analysis . Breaking something down into smaller bits and examining how those parts perform separately and collectively is the definition of analysis. Literary analysis entails looking at all of the elements in a novel, play, short story, or poem—things like character, setting, tone, and imagery—and analyzing how the author employs them to achieve specific results. 

Now, let us try to define what the term literary analysis means: 

A literary analysis is more than just a synopsis of a piece of literature. Instead, it is a discussion of the work that expresses a writer’s personal viewpoint, interpretation, judgement, or critical appraisal of the work. This is done by looking at the author’s literary devices, word choices, and writing structures in the work. A literary analysis ‘ goal is to show why the author chose certain ideas, words, or writing structures to deliver his or her point. 

Let us take a look at some points to take care while writing a critical analysis:

1. ask questions.

It is normal that you are stuck with too many ideas after reading a text. But being packed with these many ideas can come back to bite you while writing a critical analysis of the text.  

Don’t worry! Just start by asking these questions to yourself which can help you write your analysis effortlessly: 

What struck you? 

Did a specific image, line, or scenario stick with you for a long time? If it piqued your interest, you could probably use it to produce an interesting essay. 

What confused you? 

Perhaps you were taken aback by a character’s actions, or perhaps you didn’t understand why the book concluded the way it did. Confusing moments in literature are like a stray thread in a sweater: if you pull on it, the whole thing unravels. If you ask yourself why the author chose to write about that character or scenario in the way he or she did, you can learn something new about the work as a whole. 

Did you notice any patterns? 

Is there a word or an image that the main character utilizes repeatedly throughout the book? You’ve almost sketched out your entire article if you can figure out how that pattern weaves through the text and what the relevance of that pattern is. 

2. Collect Evidence

It’s time to examine the book for things that will assist you answer the question once you’ve decided what question you want to answer. Don’t stress if you haven’t decided what you want to say yet; you’re just gathering information and ideas at this point. Keep track of any texts, symbols, images, or scenes that pertain to your subject. You’ll eventually begin to see connections between these cases, and your thesis will emerge. 

To back your points with solid evidence, you should be well-acquainted with the elements of a story: plot, character, conflict, setting, point of view, themes, and tone. A literary analysis would be incomplete without mentioning these elements.  

Last, but not the least, it is very important to take note of the structure the text follows and the way it is organized, as it is quite vital to mention it in your analysis. Some novels are told in chronological, straight order, while others jump around in time. Some plays have a three-or five-act structure, while others are made up of a sequence of loosely related episodes. Some authors purposefully leave gaps in their writings, leaving readers to fill in the blanks. The organization and structure of a work can reveal a lot about the message it wishes to express. 

3. Construct a Thesis

After you’ve gone through all of your data and decided how you want to respond to the inquiry, proceed to create your thesis statement. A thesis is a claim about a piece of literature that must be backed up with facts and arguments. The thesis statement is the heart of any literary essay, and you’ll spend the majority of your time trying to prove it. 

4. Develop and Organize Arguments

The middle paragraphs of your essay will contain the reasons and instances that support your thesis. You’ll probably wind up working on steps 3 and 4 at the same time because you can’t really compose your thesis statement until you know how you’ll arrange your argument. 

There is no single argumentation approach that will work in every situation. One essay question can ask you to contrast and compare two characters, while another would ask you to trace an image through a piece of literature. These questions necessitate various types of responses and, as a result, various types of arguments. 

5. Write the Introduction

The entire essay is set up by the introduction you give it. It’s where you establish your topic and specify the issues and topics you’ll be addressing. It’s also where you identify yourself to your readers as the author. A persuasive literary essay establishes the author as a learned and authoritative figure right away. 

The length of an introduction depends on the overall length of the essay, although it should not exceed one paragraph in a standard five-paragraph essay. Your introduction, no matter how long it is, must: 

Provide the necessary context: 

The reader should be placed in context and know what to expect in your introduction. What book are you talking about? Which characters are they? What will you be speaking about? 

Answer the “So What?” question: 

Why is this topic significant, and why is your perspective on it noteworthy? Your beginning should ideally catch the reader’s curiosity by indicating how your argument is unexpected or otherwise counterintuitive. Literary essays expose less-than-obvious facts and offer surprising connections. 

Present your thesis: 

This usually happens at the end of your introduction or very close to it. 

Indicate the shape of the essay to come: 

After reading your introduction, your reader should have a decent idea of the breadth of your essay as well as the path you’ll take to prove your thesis. You don’t have to detail every step, but you should indicate the organizational structure you’ll use. 

6. Write the Body Paragraphs

After you’ve finished your introduction, you’ll write your body paragraphs using the arguments you outlined in step 4. The organization of this area of your essay will be primarily decided by the argumentation method you employ, but your body paragraphs must accomplish the following: 

Fully and completely develop a single thought: 

Do not jump around in your paragraph or try to cram too much information in. Body paragraphs are like bricks: if each one isn’t robust and sturdy, the whole construction will fall apart. Before moving on to the next one, make sure you’ve demonstrated your case. 

Use transitions effectively: 

Each paragraph in a literary essay should be clearly and powerfully linked to the information surrounding it. Consider each paragraph to be a response to the one before it. To express what kind of response you’re making, use transition words and phrases like however, similarly, on the contrary, consequently, and additionally . 

7. Write the Conclusion

You’ll utilize the conclusion to briefly review the information learnt thus far and then hint at the broader ramifications of your issue, much as you did in the introduction to ground your readers in the topic before giving your thesis. A successful conclusion will: 

Do more than simply restate the thesis: 

If you argued that The Catcher in the Rye can be read as a Christian allegory, in your thesis, don’t just state, “And that is why The Catcher in the Rye can be viewed as a Christian allegory,” at the end of your article. This type of statement will be unnecessary if your arguments have been well-constructed. 

Synthesize the argument, not summarize them: 

Similarly, in your conclusion, don’t repeat the details from your body paragraphs. The reader has already read your essay, and it is unlikely that they have forgotten all of your ideas. 

Revisit the “So What?” question: 

You established why your topic and perspective are significant in your introduction. You should make a similar gesture at the end of your essay. What have your readers learned that they didn’t previously know? How would such understanding assist them in better appreciating or comprehending the work as a whole? 

Move from the specific to the general: 

Most likely, your article focused on a single character, a tiny group of images, or a particular piece from the work. Try to illustrate how this specific subject has broader ramifications for the work as a whole in your conclusion. If your essay on To Kill a Mockingbird concentrated on Boo Radley’s character, for example, you could want to include a section in your conclusion discussing how he fits into the novel’s greater message about children, innocence, or family life. 

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Free Printable Text Analysis Worksheets for 10th Grade

Text Analysis: Discover an extensive collection of free printable ELA worksheets for Grade 10 students, carefully crafted by Quizizz to enhance their reading comprehension and analytical skills.

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Text Analysis worksheets for Grade 10 ELA are an essential resource for teachers looking to help their students develop strong analytical and critical thinking skills. These worksheets cover a wide range of topics, from literary analysis to understanding the structure and organization of various text types. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide their Grade 10 students with engaging and challenging activities that will not only improve their comprehension and interpretation of texts but also prepare them for more advanced ELA coursework. With the right selection of Text Analysis worksheets for Grade 10 ELA, teachers can ensure that their students are well-equipped to tackle complex texts and develop a deeper appreciation for the power of language.

In addition to Text Analysis worksheets for Grade 10 ELA, teachers can also take advantage of digital platforms like Quizizz to enhance their students' learning experience. Quizizz offers a wide range of interactive quizzes and activities that can be easily integrated into lesson plans, providing students with a fun and engaging way to test their understanding of various text analysis concepts. Furthermore, Quizizz allows teachers to track their students' progress and identify areas where they may need additional support or practice. By combining the use of Text Analysis worksheets for Grade 10 ELA with innovative tools like Quizizz, teachers can create a dynamic and effective learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of their Grade 10 students, ensuring their success in ELA and beyond.

Literary Analysis Essay

Literary Analysis Essay - Step by Step Guide

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Published on: Aug 16, 2020

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Literature is an art that can inspire, challenge, and transform us. But how do we analyze literature in a way that truly captures its essence? 

That's where a literary analysis essay comes in. 

Writing a literary analysis essay allows you to delve into the themes, characters, and symbols of a literary work. It's a chance to engage with literature on a deeper level and to discover new insights. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will take you through the process of writing a literary analysis essay, step by step. Plus, you’ll get to read some great examples to help you out!

So let’s dive in!

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What is a Literary Analysis Essay?

Literary analysis is a process of examining a literary work in detail to uncover its meaning and significance. 

It involves breaking down the various elements of a work, such as plot, character, setting, and theme. And then analyzing how they work together to create a specific effect on the reader.

In other words, literary analysis is an exercise in interpretation. The reader of a work asks questions about what the author means to say, how they are saying it, and why. 

A literary analysis essay is an essay where you explore such questions in depth and offer your own insights.

What is the Purpose of a Literary Analysis Essay?

In general, the purpose of a literary analysis essay is as follows: 

• To gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the work.
• To be able to think critically and analytically about a text. 

Content of a Literary Analysis 

A literary analysis essay delves deep into the various aspects of a literary work to examine its meaning, symbolism, themes, and more. Here are the key elements to include in your literary analysis essay:

Plot Analysis 

Plot refers to the sequence of events that make up the storyline of a literary work. It encompasses the main events, conflicts, and resolutions that drive the narrative forward. 

Elements of Plot Analysis 

The elements of a plot typically include:

• Exposition: The introduction of the story that establishes the setting, characters, and initial circumstances.
• Rising action: A set of events or actions that sets the main conflict into motion, often occurring early in the story.
• Conflict: The series of events that build tension and develop the conflict, leading to the story's climax.
• Climax: The turning point of the story, where the conflict reaches its peak and the outcome hangs in the balance.
• Falling Action: The events that occur after the climax, leading towards the resolution of the conflict.
• Resolution: The point in the story where the conflict is resolved, providing closure to the narrative.

Character Analysis 

Character analysis involves studying the role, development, and motivations of the characters in a literary work. It explores how characters contribute to the overall narrative and themes of the story.

Elements of Character Analysis 

• Identification of major and minor characters.
• Examination of their traits, behaviors, and relationships.
• Analysis of character development and changes throughout the story.
• Evaluation of the character's role in advancing the plot or conveying themes.

Symbolism and Imagery Analysis 

Symbolism and imagery analysis focuses on the use of symbols, objects, or images in a work. It analyzes and explores the use of literary devices to convey deeper meanings and evoke emotions. 

Elements of Symbolism and Imagery Analysis 

• Identification of key symbols or recurring motifs.
• Interpretation of their symbolic significance.
• Analysis of how imagery is used to create vivid mental pictures and enhance the reader's understanding and emotional experience.

Theme Analysis 

Analyzing the theme involves exploring the central ideas or messages conveyed in a literary work. It examines the underlying concepts, or messages that the author wants to convey through the story.

Elements of Theme Analysis 

• Identification of the main themes or central ideas explored in the text.
• Analysis of how the themes are developed and reinforced throughout the story.
• Exploration of the author's perspective and the intended message behind the themes.

Setting Analysis 

The Setting of a story includes the time, place, and social context in which the story takes place. Analyzing the setting involves how the setting influences the characters, plot, and overall atmosphere of the work.

Elements of Setting Analysis 

• Description and analysis of the physical, cultural, and historical aspects of the setting.
• Examination of how the setting contributes to the mood, atmosphere, and themes of the work.
• Evaluation of how the setting shapes the characters' actions and motivations.

Structure and Style Analysis 

Structure and style analysis involves studying the organization, narrative techniques, and literary devices employed by the author. It explores how the structure and style contribute to the overall impact and effectiveness of the work.

Elements of Structure and Style Analysis 

• Analysis of the narrative structure, such as the use of flashbacks, nonlinear timelines, or multiple perspectives.
• Examination of the author's writing style, including the use of language, tone, and figurative language.
• Evaluation of literary devices, such as foreshadowing, irony, or allusion, and their impact on the reader's interpretation.

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How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay?  

Writing a great literary analysis piece requires you to follow certain steps. Here’s what you need to do to write a literary essay:

Preparing for Your Essay 

The pre-writing process for writing a literary analysis essay includes the following:

• Choosing a literary work to analyze
• Reading and analyzing the work
• Taking notes and organizing your thoughts
• Creating an outline for your essay

Choosing a Work to Analyze 

As a student, you would most probably be assigned a literary piece to analyze. It could be a short story, a novel, or a poem.  However, sometimes you get to choose it yourself.

In such a case, you should choose a work that you find interesting and engaging. This will make it easier to stay motivated as you analyze the work and write your essay.

Moreover, you should choose a work that has some depth and complexity. This will give you plenty of material to analyze and discuss in your essay. Finally, make sure that your choice fits within the scope of the assignment and meets the expectations of your instructor.

Reading and Analyzing 

Once you’ve chosen a literary work, it's time to read the work with careful attention. There are several key elements to consider when reading and analyzing a literary work:

• Plot - The sequence of events that make up the story. Analyzing the plot involves examining the structure of the story, including its exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Characters - The people or entities that populate the story. Analyzing characters involves examining their motivations, personalities, relationships, and development over the course of the story.

Want to learn more about character analysis? Head to our blog about how to conduct character analysis and learn easy steps with examples.

• Setting - The time, place, and environment in which the story takes place. Analyzing the setting involves examining how the atmosphere contributes to the story's overall meaning.
• Theme - The underlying message or meaning of the story. Analyzing themes involves examining the work's central ideas and how they are expressed through the various elements of the story.

Moreover, it's important to consider the following questions while analyzing:

• What is the central theme or main point the author is trying to make?
• What literary devices and techniques has the author used?
• Why did the author choose to write this particular work?
• What themes and ideas are present in the work?

These questions will help you dive deeper into the work you are writing about.

Take Notes and Gather Material 

As you read and analyze the literary work, it's important to take notes so you don’t forget important details and ideas. This also helps you identify patterns and connections between different elements of the piece.

One effective way to take notes is to list important elements of the work, such as characters, setting, and theme. You can also use sticky notes, highlighters, or annotations to mark important passages and write down your ideas.

Writing Your Literary Analysis Essay 

Once you have read a piece of literature and taken notes, you have all the material you need to write an essay. Follow the simple steps below to write an effective literary analysis essay.

Create an Outline for Your Essay 

Firstly, creating an outline is necessary. This will help you to organize your thoughts and ideas and ensure that your essay flows logically and coherently.

This is what your literary essay outline would look like: 

Writing the Introduction 

Writing your essay introduction involves the three following parts:

• Begin the introductory paragraph with an engaging hook statement that captures the readers' attention. An effective hook statement can take many different forms, such as a provocative quote, an intriguing question, or a surprising fact. 

Make sure that your hook statement is relevant to the literary work you are writing about. Here are a few examples of effective hooks:

• Afterward, present the necessary background information and context about the literary work. For instance, 
• Talk about the author of the work or when and where it was written. 
• Give an overview of the work or why it is significant. 
• Provide readers with sufficient context so they can know what the work is generally about.
• Finally, end the introduction with a clear thesis statement . Your thesis statement should be a concise statement that clearly states the argument you will be making in your essay. It should be specific and debatable, and it should provide a roadmap for the rest of your essay.

For example, a thesis statement for an essay on "Hamlet" might be: 

Watch this video to learn more about writing an introduction for a literary analysis essay:

Writing the Body 

Here are the steps to follow when writing a body paragraph for a literary analysis essay:

• Start with a topic sentence: 

The topic sentence should introduce the main point or argument you will be making in the paragraph. It should be clear and concise and should indicate what the paragraph is about.

• Provide evidence: 

After you have introduced your main point, provide evidence from the text to support your analysis. This could include quotes, paraphrases, or summaries of the text.

• Explain and discuss the evidence:

Explain how the evidence supports your main point or argument or how it connects back to your thesis statement.

• Conclude the paragraph: 

End the paragraph by relating your main point to the thesis and discussing its significance. You should also use transitions to connect the paragraph to your next point or argument.

Writing the Conclusion 

The conclusion of a literary analysis essay provides closure to your analysis and reinforces your thesis statement. Here’s what a conclusion includes:

• Restate your thesis statement: 

Start by restating your thesis statement in a slightly different way than in your introduction. This will remind the reader of the argument you made and the evidence you provided to support it.

• Summarize your main points: 

Briefly summarize the main points you made in your essay's body paragraphs. This will help tie everything together and provide closure to your analysis.

• Personal reflections:

The conclusion is the best place to provide some personal reflections on the literary piece. You can also explain connections between your analysis and the larger context. This could include connections to other literary works, your personal life, historical events, or contemporary issues.

• End with a strong statement: 

End your conclusion with a strong statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a thought-provoking question, a call to action, or a final insight into the significance of your analysis.

Finalizing your Essay

You’ve completed the first draft of your literary analysis essay. Congratulations!

However, it’s not over just yet. You need some time to polish and improve the essay before it can be submitted. Here’s what you need to do:

Proofread and Revise your Essay 

After completing your draft, you should proofread your essay. You should look out for the following aspects:

• Check for clarity: 

Make sure that your ideas are expressed clearly and logically. You should also take a look at your structure and organization. Rearrange your arguments if necessary to make them clearer.

• Check for grammar and spelling errors: 

Use spelling and grammar check tools online to identify and correct any basic errors in your essay. 

• Verify factual information:

You must have included information about the work or from within the work in your essay. Recheck and verify that it is correct and verifiable. 

• Check your formatting: 

Make sure that your essay is properly formatted according to the guidelines provided by your instructor. This includes requirements for font size, margins, spacing, and citation style.

Helpful Tips for Revising a Literary Essay 

Here are some tips below that can help you proofread and revise your essay better:

• Read your essay out loud:

Reading your essay out loud makes it easier to identify awkward phrasing, repetitive language, and other issues.

• Take a break: 

It can be helpful to step away from your essay for a little while before starting the editing process. This can help you approach your essay with fresh eyes and a clearer perspective.

• Be concise:

Remove any unnecessary words or phrases that do not add to your argument. This can help to make your essay more focused and effective.

• Let someone else proofread and get feedback: 

You could ask a friend or a teacher to read your essay and provide feedback. This way, you can get some valuable insights on what you could include or catch mistakes that you might have missed.

Literary Analysis Essay Examples 

Reading a few good examples helps to understand literary analysis essays better. So check out these examples below and read them to see what a well-written essay looks like. 

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay

Literary Analysis Essay Example

Sample Literary Analysis Essay

Lord of the Rings Literary Analysis

The Great Gatsby Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis Example for 8th Grade

Literary Analysis Essay Topics 

Need a topic for your literary analysis essay? You can pick any aspect of any work of literature you like. Here are some example topics that will help you get inspired:

• The use of symbolism in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
• The theme of isolation in "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.
• The portrayal of social class in "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
• The use of magical realism in "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
• The role of women in "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood.
• The use of foreshadowing in "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.
• The portrayal of race and identity in "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison.
• The use of imagery in "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.
• The theme of forgiveness in "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.
• The use of allegory in "Animal Farm" by George Orwell.

To conclude,

Writing a literary analysis essay can be a rewarding experience for any student or writer, But it’s not easy. However, by following the steps you learned in this guide, you can successfully produce a well-written literary analysis essay. 

Also, you have got some examples of essays to read and topic ideas to get creative inspiration. With these resources, you have all you need to craft an engaging piece. So don’t hesitate to start writing your essay and come back to this blog whenever you need.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 components of literary analysis.

The four main components of literary analysis are: 

• Conflict 
• Characters 
• Setting 

What is the fundamental characteristic of a literary analysis essay?

Interpretive is the fundamental characteristic of a literary analysis essay. 

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ELA  /  10th Grade  /  Unit 7: The Crucible

• The Crucible

In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible , which explores the consequences of the McCarthyism scare of the 1950s, students explore the central topics of history, community, herd mentality and truth.

This unit has been archived. To view our updated curriculum, visit our 10th Grade English course.

• Text and Materials

Composition Projects

Unit summary.

In this unit on Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible , students will explore the thematic topics of history, community, and truth. Written during the McCarthyism scare of the 1950s, the play underscores the importance of remembering the events of our collective past. In exploring the circumstances of the Salem witch trials, which occurred centuries prior to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s communist “witch hunt,” Miller raises questions about the devastating impact that corruption, herd mentality, and vengeance can have on a community.

In addition to the play, students will read several paired texts that add to their analysis of the core text. Through reading excerpts of Maryse Condé’s I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem , which is the story retold from the slave’s, Tituba’s, perspective, students can analyze the impact of narration and point of view in a work of fiction. The nonfiction readings “Herd Behavior,” “On Tragedy,” and “McCarthyism” provide a foundation on which students can build their analysis of the play. And finally, Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” and Margaret Atwood’s poem “Half-Hanged Mary” allow students to explore similar themes in different genres.

While reading and analyzing the works of fiction and nonfiction in this unit, students will be working to develop their literary analysis skills, speaking and listening skills, and writing skills.

At Match, students have a Composition class 4 days per week in addition to English class. Below, we have included Supplementary Composition Projects to reflect the material covered in our composition course. For teachers who are interested in including these Composition projects but do not have a separate Composition course, we have included a “Suggested Placement” to note where these projects would most logically fit into the English unit. While the Composition projects may occasionally include content unrelated to English 10, most have both a skill and content connection to the work students are doing in their English 10 class. 

In the English lessons of Unit 2, students will focus on analyzing author’s craft, investigating how authors use various techniques to create mood, tone, character, point of view and theme. In these parallel Composition projects, students will learn to craft effective literary analysis essays expressing their thoughts on various authors’ uses of literary techniques to create mood, tone, character, and point of view. Additionally, students will be asked to try on various techniques for appealing to an audience, including practice with establishing a specific tone and mood in their own writing. While the writing days described in the English unit are exclusively on-demand pieces of writing, the Composition projects are a blend of on-demand writing and process writing so students have exposure to writing for a range of topics, timeframes, and purposes.

Texts and Materials

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Core Materials

Play:  The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Penguin Classics, 2003)   —  1320L

Short Story:  “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Book:  I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde (University of Virginia Press, 2009)

Supporting Materials

Article:  “Herd Behavior” by CommonLit Staff

Article:  “McCarthyism” by USHistory.org (CommonLit)

Poem:  “Half Hanged Mary” by Margaret Atwood

Article:  “On Tragedy” by Aristotle (CommonLit)

Article:  “The Salem (and Other) Witch Hunts” by Mike Kubic (CommonLit)

This assessment accompanies Unit 7 and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.

Download Content Assessment

Download Content Assessment Answer Key

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

• Read and annotate The Crucible and this unit plan.
• Read and annotate at least the designated passages of I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem .
• Read and annotate “The Lottery.”
• Take the unit exam and write a mastery response for the essay on the unit exam.
• Read the article, "McCarthyism" and any other resources on McCarthyism that help you to feel confident discussing The Crucible in the context of the time in which Arthur Miller wrote the play.
• Make visuals for the classroom that will aid in students’ analysis and comprehension (e.g., character lists or maps, thematic questions, etc.).

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

• History: Why is it important to recall our past, even if it is difficult?
• Community: What impact do herd mentality and vengeance have on a community? Can their impact ever be positive?
• Truth and Lies: Can lying ever be justified? What if the lie could save a life?

Writing Focus Areas

Specific skills to focus on when giving feedback on writing assignments

English Lessons Writing Focus Areas

There are notes throughout this unit that encourage the teacher to use analysis of their students’ writing in order to determine the areas of focus for writing instruction in this unit. One suggested area of focus is on teaching students to use partial quotations to support their analysis and arguments rather than entire sentences or multiple sentences. A potential spiraling area of focus is ensuring students write a thesis statement that addresses the prompt and previews what is to come in the essay.

Composition Projects Writing Focus Areas

Below are the writing focus areas that are recommended for the Composition projects described in this unit. Each focus area comes from a particular row and column of our Composition Writing Rubric and more detail about each area of focus is provided in the description of each specific project.The teacher should feel free to substitute or revise these writing focus areas in order to meet his/her students where they are and help students improve their writing in ways that authentically address the students' areas for growth.

• Focus on Task: appropriate for task, purpose and audience 
• Diction: Includes precise language and vocabulary
• Thesis: Includes a clear, relevant and unique thesis statement
• Analysis: Demonstrates clear and logical reasoning
• Evidence: Draws relevant evidence to support position
• Professional Revised: Adequate revisions

Related Teacher Tools:

Grades 9-12 Composition Writing Rubric

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

Literary Terms

plot, characterization, setting, stage directions, symbolism, characterization, point of view/perspective, tone, metaphor, rising action, irony, tragic hero, paradox, power dynamics

Roots and Affixes

Integ- (integrity), be- (begrudge), def- (defamation)

“The Lottery”: profusely, uneasily, reprimand, jovial, paraphernalia, perfunctory, soberly, paradox, petulantly

The Crucible:  persecuted (3), sect (4), fanatic (4), justice (6), paradox (6), vengeance (7), dissembling (8), propriety (8), conjure (10), abomination (10), begrudge (11), vindictive (14), formidable (15), prodigious (23), defamation (29), anarchy (30), trepidation (37), fraud (50), conviction (50), falter (52), ameliorate (54), civilly (57), base (59), daft (65), bewilder (66), wrath (75), contentious (79), pretense (82), immaculate (92), incredulously (96), slovenly (104), transfixed (106), denounce (111), prodigious (114), gaunt (115), remedy (117), adamant (120), mercy (120), incredulous (130)

Idioms and Cultural References

The Crucible:  land-lust (7), theocracy (6), the Mayflower (6), the Puritans, “soiled my name” (12), Goody___ (12), “the Fiend” (34), ordained (62), poppets (69), deposition (82), the Gospel (84), “ipso facto” (93), “wash your hands of this” (Macbeth reference), poppet (95), anti-Christ (111)

Content Knowledge and Connections

Fishtank ELA units related to the content in this unit.

Students will become aware of the concept of a theocracy and also a paradox. Students will discover the strict religious mindset and values of the Puritans who came to Massachusetts in the 1600s and will explore the role this mindset played in causing their demise. Students will also be exposed to McCarthyism and its impact on 1950s America.

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

• Students will be able to connect the idea of corruption from  10th Grade ELA - The Catcher in the Rye  to the corruption in the court and the church in this text. 
• Students might also make connections between the political message of 10th Grade ELA - The Catcher in the Rye and the political message of Animal Farm , which was read in {% unit 419 %}

Future Fishtank ELA Connections

• 11th Grade ELA - The Scarlet Letter   will be a future unit in which students can make connections to Puritan culture as well as the themes of truth and deceit.

Distinguish between mood and tone in the first pages of “The Lottery.”

Independently identify and analyze symbols used in “The Lottery."

Finish “The Lottery” and explain how Jackson’s tone serves to underscore the horror of the events in the story.

Reexamine “The Lottery” for clues early on that hint at the eventual ending. 

Explain theme in a short written response that addresses Checks For Understanding from the previous unit’s test.

• “Herd Behavior”
• The Crucible — Act I, pp. 1-7

Explain the herd mentality phenomenon.

Analyze the full setting and explain how the setting helped to create the herd mentality that caused the witch trials.

Establish the power dynamics, conflict, and characterization as revealed in Act 1.

Characterize the relationship between John Proctor and Abigail.

Identify and describe the conflict between the Putnams and the Nurses as developed by Miller in this scene.

Characterize Hale and explain what he represents in the play. 

Explain how the role of the Devil has changed in religion over time and explain how the people of Salem viewed him.

• The Crucible — Act I, pp. 38-46
• I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem pp. 55 – 63

Explain the difference in perspective and tone between the excerpts from Condé’s book and Miller’s play.

Analyze Proctor and Elizabeth’s relationship and identify each of these characters’ tragic flaws.

• The Crucible — Act II, pp. 53-60 and pp. 60-67
• “McCarthyism”

Draw parallels between McCarthyism and the events of The Crucible .

Explain events of the rising action and the irony of the situation.

Explain John Proctor’s decision to go to the court.

Analyze the symbolism of the courtroom and the significance of Danforth.

Track Mary Warren’s changing emotions throughout this scene.

Continue tracking Mary Warren’s emotions.

Examine Miller’s use of suspense. 

Continue to track Mary Warren’s emotions for open response.

Produce a written analysis of Mary Warren’s changing emotions.

• The Crucible — Act IV, pp. 112-113
• I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem — p. 91

Identify and compare perspective in two texts.

Explain Danforth’s motives in this scene and analyze Proctor’s choice.

Explain John Proctor’s tragic flaw.

• “On Tragedy”

Explain what makes The Crucible a tragedy and John Proctor its tragic hero.

• “Half Hanged Mary”

Explain the tone and author’s purpose of specific lines of the poem.

Draw connections to events in The Crucible.

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(ON DEMAND)

You need $100 to pay for a student activity fee (for a club, sport, or other extra-curricular activity). There is no prospect of you earning this money, so you are going to have to convince someone to give it to you. You are going to have to ask your audience for a gift of $100. Not a loan –  a gift. You cannot lie or make up ridiculous things, but you will obviously need to use some creativity to complete this assignment. You should be trying to actually convince your audience to give you $100. So have fun with this, but get the cash. It’s up to you to decide how much of this information to reveal to the recipient of your letter, but outright lying is not allowed. 

Remember: You will need to select a specific audience to whom you will be writing and identify the tone you intend to develop in order to persuade this particular audience. Possible audiences from which to choose: a teacher, a family member, a friend, a classmate, a financial aid organization, the principal, a religious leader, other (please specify).

An effective letter:

• Effectively establishes a purpose
• Develops a tone appropriate for appealing to the intended audience
• Includes precise language and advanced vocabulary

L.9-10.3 W.9-10.3.a

(PROCESS WRITING)

Use the speech, “Enemies from Within” by Joseph McCarthy as well as your understanding of rhetorical devices to respond in writing to the prompt below.

Analyze the techniques that Senator Joseph McCarthy uses to appeal to the emotions of his audience in his speech, “Enemies From Within.” Use evidence from the speech to support your analysis.

An effective essay:

• Includes a clear, relevant and unique thesis statement
• Demonstrates clear and logical reasoning
• Draws relevant evidence to support position
• Uses precise language and advanced vocabulary

W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5 W.9-10.6 W.9-10.9.a

Both The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Maryse Conde’s novel, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem , explore the events of Salem in 1692. Explain the major differences between the two works, making sure to consider tone, perspective and purpose in your response.

• Analyzes tone, perspective and purpose
• Draws relevant evidence from both texts to support position

W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b

Use the events occurring at the end of Act 2 and your knowledge of John Proctor’s character to write a narrative in response to the prompt below.

Write a journal entry from the perspective of John Proctor that reflects his thoughts and feelings about the events of the evening recorded on p. 67-76. Use relevant and specific details from the text to develop his perspective.

A successful narrative:

• Establishes John Proctor’s perspective accurately and in the first person
• Uses details from the text in order to convey his perspective
• Uses precise language and vocabulary

Analyze Mary Warren’s changing emotions during the court scene. Use evidence from throughout Act 3 of The Crucible  by Arthur Miller to support your answer.

• Describes Mary Warren’s emotions at the beginning and end of Act 3
• Analyzes how the author conveys these emotions and why Mary is experiencing these emotions
• Draws relevant evidence from throughout Act 3 to support position

W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5 W.9-10.6

Using Aristotle’s “On Tragedy,” analyze The Crucible by Arthur Miller and assess how well it fits Aristotle’s description of a tragedy. Include information and evidence from both The Crucible and the Aristotle reading.

A successful argumentative essay:

• Includes a compelling thesis that previews the arguments to be made
• Provides a clear and accurate definition of tragedy according to Aristotle
• Offers multiple accurate examples of the literary techniques that qualify The Crucible as a tragedy OR make The Crucible not a tragedy
• Uses evidence from both the play and the article to support the analysis
• Displays evidence of revision

SL.9-10.1 W.9-10.1.a W.9-10.1.b W.9-10.4 W.9-10.5 W.9-10.6 W.9-10.9.a

Common Core Standards

Core standards.

The content standards covered in this unit

Language Standards

L.9-10.3 — Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

L.9-10.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9—10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

L.9-10.6 — Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading Standards for Literature

RL.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Speaking and Listening Standards

SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Writing Standards

W.9-10.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.9-10.1.a — Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

W.9-10.1.b — Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.

W.9-10.3 — Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.9-10.3.a — Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

W.9-10.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.9-10.5 — Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

W.9-10.6 — Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

W.9-10.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.9-10.9.a — Apply grades 9—10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]").

W.9-10.9.b — Apply grades 9—10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning").

W.9-10.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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• Introduction : Curriculum Components
• Writing: Skills-Based Writing Instruction
• Routines: Instruction
• For All Learners : Access
• Unit 1: Identity

Unit 2: Personality

• Unit 3: Society and its Structure
• Unit 4: Otherness
• Unit 5: Challenging Truths/Coming-of-Age
• Unit 6: Establishing Truths/Coming-of-Age
• Unit 1: The Quest
• Unit 2: The Unlikely Hero
• Unit 3: Dystopia
• Unit 4: The Anti-Hero
• Unit 5: The Monster
• Unit 6: The Tragic Hero
• Unit 1: The Contemporary American Experience
• Unit 2: The Creation of the American
• Unit 3: The American and the Changing Landscape
• Unit 4: The Reawakening of the American
• ELA Regents: Resources
• ELA Regents: Multiple Choice
• ELA Regents: Writing from Sources Essay
• ELA Regents : Text Analysis Essay
• Find Resources

The Unlikely Hero

Organizing the Literary Analysis Essay

Identity Archive

Developing Skills : Organizing the Literary Analysis Essay

Teacher Feedback

Please comment below with questions, feedback, suggestions, or descriptions of your experience using this resource with students.

Bell Ringers

Teaching literary analysis in middle school.

My literary analysis resources have basically been seven or eight years in the making.

I don’t know about you, but when I first realized I needed to be teaching literary analysis to a bunch of twelve and thirteen year-olds, I didn’t even know where to begin.

I had been teaching upper elementary in the three years prior, and we had done some on-demand literary analysis reading responses, but really digging into a literary analysis essay overwhelmed me.

Truth be told, my teaching strengths at the time were primarily reading and math. I had always had to dig deep to find my writing teacher voice.

But, I was now a seventh and eighth grade ELA teacher who could no longer hope her students picked up some writing skills along the way.

So I did what any good teacher would do…. I Googled how to teach…

I think I Googled something like, “Examples of middle school literary analysis essays.”

Nothing showed up in Google.

Then I Googled, “How do you teach literary analysis essays?”

I was able to find an example of a college-level literary analysis essay…

… and that was about it.

Because I couldn’t really find what I was looking for, I began creating and practicing each step of the literary analysis essay before I taught it.

This also created a ton of exemplars for my students.

I broke down each area of a literary analysis essay into lessons, chunks, chart papers, reference materials, and writing examples.

In the beginning, it was to get my brain wrapped around things, but not surprisingly it was exactly what my students needed too.

I literally learned how to write a literary analysis essay in front of them.

I would type my rough drafts as they were working and I could stop them as I came to struggles.

My mini-lessons were based on challenges I was having and again, not surprisingly the same challenges they were having.

I could also make reference pages (like the ones in your freebie) as we went along in the unit, because I could see what terms and concepts they needed constant reminders and help with.

Want to know what happened?

My student’s ELA proficiency scores increased 45% in one year and almost 70% in just two years. Those are not typos.

>>  CLICK HERE  << to download  the FREE Literary Analysis Reference Booklet.

• Read more about: Middle School Reading , Middle School Writing

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Search this blog, english literature (10th grade): character analysis essay.

1. English Literature (10th Grade): Character Analysis Essay

Prompt: In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch is a complex and memorable character. Choose one specific event or interaction from the book that reveals something significant about Scout's personality and development. Analyze the scene closely, focusing on Scout's thoughts, actions, and dialogue. How does this scene contribute to your understanding of Scout as a character?

Assignment: Write a 3-4 page essay that analyzes the chosen scene and explains how it reveals Scout's character. Use textual evidence to support your claims and demonstrate your understanding of literary devices.

How to guide :

Interesting assignment

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