world literature

Literary Analysis Template

The thesis statement should indicate three things:

1. The story/author being analyzed

2. The literary device or element of fiction that you’re going to use for your analysis

3. A preview of what your interpretation is going to be

In “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner	uses symbolism	to comment on tradition in the Old South.
story/author	device/element	Interpretation preview

Each of the body paragraphs should discuss an example of the device or element and then tie it back to the interpretation.

1. Body paragraph 1:

a. A topic sentence: Miss Emily’s house is a symbol of the persistent image of the Old Southern values and how they do not fit in with modern values.

b. Some evidence from the story.

c. A sentence or two explaining how the evidence proves what you said in the first sentence and that expands the meaning in some way.

2. Body paragraph 2:

a. A topic sentence: Homer Barron symbolizes how the Old South consumes and destroys new ways of thinking and being in society.

b. Some evidence from the story.

c. A sentence or two explaining how the evidence proves what you said in the first sentence and that expands the meaning in some way.

3. Body paragraph 3:

a. A topic sentence: Emily herself symbolizes the inability of Old Southern values to continue to thrive.

b. Some evidence from the story.

c. A sentence or two explaining how the evidence proves what you said in the first sentence and that expands the meaning in some way.

The conclusion should discuss the implications of your interpretation.

· Do NOT restate your thesis.

· Instead, say something like “Consequently, the symbols of the house, Homer Barron and Emily Grierson help the reader understand the problems faced by the Old South in the years following the Civil War and up into the 20th Century.

· The next few sentences of your conclusion build on the first sentence.

© Dr. James Baker