ENGL227---essay 2----Write a 2-3 page essay.
moernn91
how_to_write_about_literature4.rtfHow to Write about Literature
If you wish to write well about literature, you must keep in mind the following:
Clearly articulate a main point.
Main Points in Paragraphs
In a short writing of only one paragraph this main point is called a topic sentence and it should usually come at the beginning of the paragraph as in this example from an analysis of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (adapted from http://www.goshen.edu/english/litanalysis.html). The topic sentence is highlighted.
In the character of Pauline , Morrison shows an example of the destructive effect of African American s ’ measuring their appearance against a white standard. Pauline believes in the possibility of movie images. She describes doing her hair like Jean Harlow's and eating candy at a movie. But rather than being transported into the romantic heaven of Hollywood, she loses a tooth and ends in despair. "Everything went then. Look like I just didn't care no more after that. I let my hair go back, plaited it up, and settled down to just being ugly" (123). Admiring beauty in another is one thing; transferring a sense of self-hatred when a person doesn't measure up is another. At that point, the power of white beauty standards becomes very destructive.
Note that the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph (usually the best place to put it) and that it announces the main idea of the paragraph. It functions as a steering wheel, pointing the paragraph in one direction. Without topic sentences at the beginning of their paragraphs, writers often go astray, trying to prove multiple points in one paragraph. Remember, a paragraph should be about just one point and it should be fully supported with evidence from the text.
Main Points in Papers
In a longer paper of multiple paragraphs, the main point is usually called a thesis, and the best place for it is at the end of your introduction. Don’t forget that all longer papers need at least three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
The jobs of the introduction are to get the reader’s attention, to contextualize the topic at hand, and then to tell the reader precisely what idea he/she is going to prove or demonstrate. Here’s a sample introduction. The thesis is in bold.
William Butler Yeats wrote two poems which are together known as the Byzantium series. The first is "Sailing to Byzantium," and its sequel is simply named "Byzantium." The former is considered the easier of the two to understand. It contains multiple meanings and emotions, and the poet uses various literary devices to communicate them. Two of the most dominant themes of this poem are the desire for escape from the hardships of this world and the quest for immortality. These are circumstances of the poet's life that influenced the composition of the poem. Those personal experiences and Yeats's skillful use of words come together to emphasize the need, or at least desire, that many people have for escape and immortality.
Here, the thesis tells readers that this paper will be about Yeats’s use of his personal experiences and his words to demonstrate how much we all long for escape from the world of the here and now.
Again the thesis serves as a steering wheel, pointing the entire paper this time. Then, in the paragraphs that follow, the writer will provide the evidence to prove her thesis. Each of her body paragraphs will need a topic sentence of its own, one that points back to the thesis and helps to prove it.
To see what I mean, scroll down to see a simple model or shell of a paper.
Title
Introduction – It can be one paragraph or more than one paragraph but it should begin by getting the reader’s attention, then orient the reader to the topic, and provide a thesis. Here’s a possible thesis with which you might conclude an introduction on a paper about Charlotte’s Web.
Thesis: In Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White illustrates the power of spoken and written language and the benefits of being well versed in both.
Body – The body of the paper will be multiple paragraphs long. Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence and prove that topic sentence fully with evidence taken directly from the text. Possible topic sentences for the above paper about Charlotte’s Web might include:
Topic Sentence 1: The power of the spoken word is demonstrated early in the book by Fern. (Then, this paragraph might describe how Fern talks her father into letting her save Wilbur’s life – how language can save a life!)
Topic Sentence 2: The power of the written word is evidenced by the effect that the words in Charlotte’s web have on the human characters in the novel. (These words, again, save Wilbur’s life.)
Topic Sentence 3: The power of the written word is also evidence by the effect that the words in Charlotte’s web have on Wilbur. (These words cause Wilbur to think of himself differently and more positively.)
Conclusion – In the conclusion, it’s often wise to repeat your thesis and try to exit gracefully without introducing any new ideas.
Avoid summarizing.
Don’t retell the story or poem. If you find yourself listing things in the same order that they were listed in the original book, story, or poem, then you can be fairly certain that you’re summarizing. Rather than summarizing, you need to make a clear point about what you’ve read and then prove that point by supplying evidence from the text.
Don’t do this: Fern sees that her dad has an ax, and she asks him what he’s doing. He says he’s going to kill a runt pig. Fern objects. She grabs the ax and asks him if would kill her if she had been born a runt. Mr. Avery is moved by her words and decides not to kill Wilbur. Fern gets to keep the pig (White 2).
Do do this: The power of the spoken word is demonstrated early in the book by Fern. She uses language to change her father’s course of action. When Mr. Avery decides to kill a runt pig she asks him if he would have also killed her had she been a runt (White 2). With her words, Fern builds a powerful connection – that the little pig is somehow like her, a small thing in need of protection. Once that connection has been built, Mr. Avery is no longer able to hurt the pig because it would be tantamount to hurting his own daughter. Fern’s choice of words saves the day.
Notice how this second passages does very little retelling of the story – instead it begins with a topic sentence (something to prove), provides evidence, and analyzes that evidence to illustrate how it proves the topic sentence.
Use plenty of detailed evidence from the text to prove your points.
When writing about literature, you will do a LOT of quoting – often very short quotes (called snatch quotes), like this:
The importance of friendship, which Charlotte calls a “tremendous thing” (White 33), is emphasized throughout the book, and the forging of friendships is shown to take place in language.
Sometimes you will use slightly longer quotes, like this:
Charlotte directly identifies the power that the written word has over people when she says, “People believe almost anything they see in print” (White 43).
And once in a while, you may need a very long quote (of 4 or more lines), like this (taken from the Purdue OWL website / http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/04/:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw’s door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
Note that when using a long quote, you do not use quotation marks. Instead, you indent 10 spaces on the left. You double space straight through.
Always introduce a quote and contextualize it.
Never string two or more quotes together. You should comment on quotes and explain how they illustrate your point.
When using evidence from a text, don’t forget to document.
You need to give the page numbers from which your evidence comes – even if the evidence is paraphrased, not quoted. Study the examples above for information about how to document correctly. In a nutshell, you should use the author’s last name and the page number. For short quotes, the end punctuation will come AFTER the final parenthesis, not before.
Incorrect: Charlotte directly identifies the power that the written word has over people when she says, “People believe almost anything they see in print.” (White 43)
Correct: Charlotte directly identifies the power that the written word has over people when she says, “People believe almost anything they see in print” (White 43).
For long quotes, of 4 or more lines, the end punctuation will come BEFORE the parenthesis, like this:
… confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
If the text you’re using is one that’s assigned for class, using the author’s last name and page number is sufficient. If it’s very clear who the author is and you’re dealing with only one text, you needn’t use the author’s last name. The page number will suffice.
If you’re using an outside text or source (one not assigned as reading for this class), you will need to document fully and correctly using MLA style. That means you’ll need both parenthetical citations (author’s name and page number in parenthesis) and a works cited page. See the Purdue OWL website for guidelines:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
Please be very careful to avoid plagiarism. Do not, under any circumstances, use passages or clusters of words that are not your own UNLESS you give proper credit to the original author.
When writing about literature, use the present tense.
A literary analysis is typically written in the present tense. Not “Fern carried the pig to the barn,” but “Fern carries the pig to the barn.”
Avoid the first and second person.
In most cases, literary analyses should not include the use of “you” (second person) and “I” (first person) – unless your instructor specifies otherwise.
Incorrect: I will argue that White’s book is about the power of language.
Correct: White’s book is about the power of language.
Incorrect: It’s important that you understand the significance of Fern’s choice.
Correct: The significance of Fern’s choice must be explained.
Don’t say you’re going to do it; just do it!
Do your best to conceal the mechanics of writing.
Incorrect: I will show that Fern loses her imagination as she grows.
Correct: Fern loses her imagination as she grows.
Incorrect: This paper will reveal that adults and children see the world differently.
Correct: Adults and children see the world differently.
