Soldiers Home Outline

LIT1100 Introduction to Literature University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Directions for Literary Analysis Thesis & Outline

The paper requires a formal analysis of the texts, including proper documentation style, but outside sources are not allowed. Failure to provide the conference draft on time will lower your essay’s final grade one level. The essay will be graded according to the quality of your ideas and their formal presentation, including editing.

Thesis Statement The central idea will appear as the thesis statement in your paper. The thesis, which should be included in your introduction, will be composed of three parts:  Title and author (unless previously stated in the introduction): Remember

that titles of poems and short stories are in quotation marks, and titles of plays and novels are in italics.

 Assertion: the interesting, insightful, possibly arguable idea about a literary element in the text

 Forecasting statement: a preview of the main topics you will use to develop your thesis.

Sample Thesis Statements: Character: In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, the protagonist Minnie Wright changes from passivity to destructive assertiveness. This change in character is indicated by her clothing, her dead canary, and her unfinished patchwork quilt.

Setting: In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe uses many details of setting to create a mood of horror and repulsion; his readers are both fascinated and repulsed by the mood of ghastliness and heartlessness that the author establishes through his vivid descriptions of underground rooms, space, and sound.

Theme: In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin uses the foreshadowing of a spring setting, the transformation in the protagonist’s feelings, and the ironic ending to suggest that an individual’s need for self-assertion or personal freedom is even more basic than his or her need for love.

Plot: In “The Demon Lover,” Elizabeth Bowen crafts a plot that manipulates the readers’ emotions of fear and suspense; her deliberate and clever use of foreshadowing, conflict, and flashbacks heightens the readers’ feelings of anxiety and dread, which she leaves ultimately unresolved even at the end of the story.

*Review my feedback on your topic assignment before finalizing your thesis statement.

LIT1100 Introduction to Literature University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Formulating the Literary Essay Outline Once you have an approved topic (central idea) for your paper, the next step is to consider the organization of your paper and to gather your textual support. Create an outline based on the forecasting statement used for your thesis. Outlining is helpful for reading because it helps you to better understand the content and structure of the text. It is helpful for writing essays as it helps you to think through the general structure that your essay will take. Begin by jotting down the textual support you might be able to use under each main point. Review the example below:

Example Thesis In Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, the protagonist Minnie Wright changes from passivity to destructive assertiveness. This change in character is indicated by her clothing, her dead canary, and her unfinished patchwork quilt.

First point: Minnie Wright’s clothing, past and present, indicates her changing from a person of charm to a person of neglect and passive acceptance of her situation.

-wore attractive and colorful dresses as a young woman (134) -was “young and sweet” then (135) -now asks only for an apron and a shawl (137) -reflects drab life and suggests suppression of her spirit (138)

Second Point: Minnie Wright’s dead canary reveals her changing from a passive person to one of rage.

-she had loved music as a young girl (133) -during her cheerless marriage, the bird provided hope (135) -the death of the bird and its burial box reflects her anger (135)

Third Main Point: ...

General Guidelines:

1) Use a formal, multi-leveled outline with roman (I, II) and Arabic (1, 2) numerals together with capital and lowercase letters.

2) Be detailed enough for me to see where you think you will be headed in this essay (Don't worry; I know some things will change, but I just want to force you to think through what you might be writing to ensure you are on the right track.).

3) Don't write full sentences in your outline – be concise but specific!

LIT1100 Introduction to Literature University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Literary Essay Structure:

I. Introductory Paragraph

A. Attention Getting Sentences: entice the reader to want to read more of your essay. Can be

a brief anecdote, a very compelling question, a shocking statement, etc. relating to your topic. This piece will be several sentences because you will provide some background information to tie the attention-getter to the thesis statement.

B. Thesis Statement: This is the main point of your essay, and it should be clearly stated. The

entire essay will attempt to prove this point.

C. Forecasting statement: This is a clear and concise statement (or statements) that explains how the thesis will be supported or proven. (If the thesis is where your essay is going, the forecasting points that make up your statement are how you will get there.)

II. Body: the number of main points will depend on how you organize your thoughts. Also, you might include a counterargument as a main point to counter-argue a different assertion that you believe several of your readers might believe (see “The Misfit” example outline and essay).

A. First Main Point: begin with the first main point you identify in your plan of coherence.

1. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

2. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

3. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

B. Second Main Point: begin with the first main point you identify in your plan of coherence.

1. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

2. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

3. Supporting details / Specific "proof" of your topic sentence point

* Each main point might be of different lengths. One main point might only be one paragraph while others might span several paragraphs.

III. Concluding Paragraph

A. Restate thesis and forecasting statement in different words

B. General statements about topic

C. Clincher statement that concludes entire paper in a strong, memorable way and may refer

back to attention getter ("framing" effect)

LIT1100 Introduction to Literature University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Example Literary Essay Outline for “The Misfit” Student Sample Essay: *Note: ellipses indicate text that has been omitted for brevity in this example. Your outline is expected to have every point detailed with intended support.

I. Introduction

A. In every great story there are characters that battle for an epic outcome ….

B. Thesis: The Misfit displays characteristics more prominent of a protagonist than of an antagonist.

C. Forecasting: He, in essence, represents the very moral of the story, and in the end is the most dynamic character. The Misfit’s ironic but truthful spiritual revelations, the fact that he is the only dynamic character in the story, and the reality that he is the only character who advocates for justice allow the reader to dig deeper into some important spiritual truths.

II. Body Section 1: What makes the Misfit the protagonist

A. First Main Point: The Misfit is an odd proponent for spiritual revelations.

1. Text Support: “I ain’t a good man, but I ain’t the worst in the world” (358)

2. “I never was a bad boy that I remember of…” (359) ….

B. Second Main Point: The Misfit is the only dynamic character

1. “If [Jesus] did what He said, then it’s nothing for you to do but throw away everything and follow Him, and if He didn’t, then it’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can …” (361)

2. After he shoots the seemingly “righteous” grandmother, his criminal friend Bobby Lee says of the shooting that it was “some fun!” (361) ….

C. Third Main Point: The Misfit is also the only character to advocate justice …

III. Body Section 2: What prevents the grandmother from being the protagonist

A. Paragraph 1: Why readers would think her to be the protagonist …

B. Paragraph 2: Why she really isn’t the protagonist. …

IV. Conclusion

A. In the end, while The Misfit is not a usual hero, he advocates the very morals of the story and the very dynamic changes that are inherent in many great literary heroes.

B. The truth of the story lies within The Misfit’s ability to dig deeper into the meaning of life:

C. Even though that makes him an unusual protagonist, in the end he shows himself to be, in essence, worthy of the title.