Literary Analysis

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Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Prewriting What is the essential question of the assignment?: This will be answered in your thesis statement and your entire essay. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Due dates: Essential question: __________ Thesis Statement: __________ Completed graphic organizer: __________ First Complete Draft: __________ Final Draft: __________

Brainstorming: Use this section to begin answering the essential question. You should go back to the text to begin gathering information that will help you answer this question.

Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Introductory Paragraph

Thesis statement: Your answer to the essential question posed in the original assignment.

_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Ideas you will address in the body of the essay: This is sometimes referred to as the map or blueprint of the body. Your key points, arguments and/or key definitions that you will discuss in the body of your essay should be introduced here. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

A brief overview of work of literature to be discussed: History, plot summary, etc. This section should present information that informs your audience about the work of literature you’re discussing in terms of your broad subject. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Your introduction should start on a general level with lead-in statements and gradually focus in on the specific topic of the essay. In the introduction, the reader should find the main idea of the essay expressed in the thesis statement. Also in the introduction, the reader should be able to tell what specific points about the main idea will be discussed and in what order they will be developed.

Lead-in statement –Intro of broad subject: Lead in statements might (1) make a striking assertion, (2) provide an anecdote or example that helps to illustrate your subject, (3) use an interesting detail, statistic, or quote, or (4) ask a provocative question. Regardless of your approach, you need to let your reader know about the broad subject of the essay _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Work(s) of literature and author(s) studied: You need to incorporate this into the “Lead-In” or “Brief Overview” sections of your intro paragraph! _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Please remember:

Your essay needs all three!

Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Body Paragraph #1 Topic sentence for supporting point 1: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Body paragraphs provide evidence from your research and discuss how it supports/proves your thesis statement. Primary support sentences are general statements which support the topic sentence. The secondary support sentences (or concrete illustrations), which support the primary support sentences, provide specific details, quotes, statistics, or real-life examples.

Evidence: Provide several specific details/facts that help to prove or support your thesis statement. Be sure to tell where this information comes from (page, chapter, book, etc! Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.

1.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!

1.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Punch sentence: This sentence clarifies the paragraph's relation to the thesis statement and purpose of the paper as a whole. It should answer these questions: “How is this paragraph's point important to my paper?” and “Why did I just tell all this to my reader?” ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Notes:

Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Body Paragraph #2 Topic sentence for supporting point 2: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Notes:

your thesis statement. Be sure to tell where this information comes from (page, chapter, book, etc! Consider using quotes as well as specific paraphrasing.

Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!

1.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Body Paragraph #3 √

Topic sentence for supporting point 3: The topic sentence should be a major point of argument that supports the thesis statement – this is the topic of the following paragraph. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Notes:

Discussion: How does the evidence support the thesis statement? NOTE: Be sure to discuss each quote when you provide it in your essay!

1.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Literary Thesis Essay Graphic Organizer

C. Rush 3/2009

Concluding Paragraph

Restatement of thesis statement: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Restatement of key supporting points/arguments: These were presented in the topic sentences of the body paragraphs. 1.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

Wrap-up/extension: The “So what?” section of your essay – sometimes referred to as the “kicker” statement. Here you may discuss ideas beyond what has been stated in the essay: project into a modern context, draw a further conclusion or give a personal opinion. However you approach this section, you should not include new evidence in your last paragraph. _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _

The concluding paragraph should include a general summary statement that recaps the thesis, a sentence that restates the major points of argument, and a wrap-up statement. The conclusion could also contain the end of a split anecdote that would finish the story begun in the introduction. The wrap-up statement could contain insights of the essay writer, encourage the reader to take action, emphasize the importance of one of the points of argument, or create a solid sense of finality.

Some information in this packet quoted from <http://www.freeessays.cc/db/35/peh301.shtml> and <http://hometown.aol.com/stetsonenglish/body_par.htm>.

Notes:

Now you’re ready to write your first draft!