How to Write a Literary
Analysis Essay
When writing a literary analysis essay…
Think/Pair/Share
What do you need to remember
when creating a literary essay? In
other words, what is your objective
and how do you go about
constructing your response?
What’s your objective?
Your main objective is not to write a
simple book review. Rather, your goal is
to write an essay that discusses your
interpretation of the literature.
YIKES - NEVER TALK IN
THE PAST TENSE!
One tip you should keep in mind while
writing and never in the past tense. For
example, you might write “In George
Orwell’s Animal Farm, the animals take over
the farm and develop their own
independent society” rather than “ In
George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the animals
took over the farm and developed their own
independent society.”
Never, ever, ever… use “I” or
“you”
You should also avoid putting
yourself in the literary analysis. This
means you should write in the third
person and never use the words “I”
or “you”.
However…
There may be exceptions to this rule,
however, depending upon your
instructor. In fact, some will request a
more informal literary analysis that will
include the usage of these words.
When in doubt, however, it is safer to use
the third person.
Don’t tell ME!
Since literary analysis essays are not meant
to simply be a book review or summary of
the book, you should not retell the story in
your essay.
Rather, you need to form a thesis about the
piece of literature and then explain and
support the thesis you have developed.
Pull in the elements, but don’t
summarize.
Although you are not summarizing the plot
when you write a literary analysis, you will need
to pull elements from the plot when writing your
literary analysis. For example, when providing an
analysis, you will use information from the piece
of literature to help support your position. For
example, if writing a literary analysis of “The
Telltale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, you might
make the assertion that the narrator is insane.
Terms that you should try
to include and to use when
analyzing the piece include:
• Character • Theme • Setting •
Rhyme • Point of view •
Alliteration • Symbols • Imagery •
Figurative language • Protagonist
A More Professional and
Respectable Piece – YES!
For example, rather than saying “The story
shows that people are like animals by giving
the animals human characteristics,” you
should say “The piece contains vivid
symbols and images to reveal the animalistic
nature of humans.” Although both pieces
express the same idea, the second sentence
reveals a stronger understanding of
literature and literary terms.
Embedding Quotes
Think/Pair/Share
What does it mean to embed a quote?
To embed or integrate a quote means to blend
it into an original sentence. There are
different levels of blending quotes.
Basic Level
The writer introduces the quote with a
simplistic sentence starter, such as
The author explains that,
“__________________” (__).
We want you to try for the proficient or
advanced level, not basic. 
Proficient
The writer introduces the quote and
provides a context for it.
Example: In the second stanza, he appeals
diplomatically to the landlord’s self-interest:
“These steps is broken down. / When you come
up yourself / It’s a wonder you don’t fall down”
(6-8).
Advanced
The writer sandwiches the quote inside the
analysis.
Example: Although the reader might suspect
that the cockroaches did not actually come out
to see “what was up,” Steinbeck’s wording
nevertheless proves his point.
How are you doing so far?
Should we continue?
The Mechanics –
An example with a : (colon)
Introduce the quotation with a
complete sentence and a colon. This
is an easy rule to remember: if you use
a complete sentence to introduce a
quotation, you need a colon after the
sentence.
Albert Einstein reminds us all to never waste our
life being selfish: “Only life lived for others is
worth living.”
Use an introductory or explanatory
phrase, but not a complete sentence,
separated from the quotation with a
comma.
You should use a comma to separate your
own words from the quotation when your
introductory or explanatory phrase ends
with a verb such as “says,” “questions,”
“believes,” “ponders,”….
You also use a comma when you
introduce a quotation with an attribution
phrase such as According to Mr. Ditch, “…”
Make the quotation a part of or your own
sentence without any punctuation between your
own words and the words you are quoting.
Notice that the word “that” is used in this example:
Jerry Seinfeld once said that there are “Four Levels of
Comedy: make your friends laugh, make strangers laugh,
get paid to make strangers laugh, and make people talk
like you because it’s so much fun.”
When it is used as it is in the example, “that” replaces
the comma which would be necessary without “that” in
the sentence such as Jerry Seinfeld says, “Four Levels of
Comedy [exist]: make your friends….”
Use short quotations – only a few words – as part
of your own sentence.
When you integrate quotations in this way,
you do not use any special punctuation.
Instead, you should punctuate the sentences
just as you would if all the words were your
own.
Example: An Irish saying reminds us that friends
that “gossip with you” may also be friends that
gossip about you.
YOUR TURN
Author: Ray Charles – “I never wanted to be famous. I only
wanted to be great.”
Author: Dick Clark - “Music is the soundtrack of your life.”
Author: Homer Simpson – “Remember as far as anyone knows,
we’re a nice normal family.”
Author: Indira Gandhi – “Where there is love there is life.”
Author: Red Barber – “Baseball is dull only to dull minds.”
Author: Vince Lombardi – “If winning isn’t everything, why do
they keep score?”
If you want more structure, use this
formula:
Transition words + the situation/context + pronoun/noun
+ verb + quote
Example: Bradbury illustrates this idea when Montag finally
rids himself of Beatty, who realizes “he ignored his own
principles to feed his vision of himself” (81).
Transition words: Bradbury illustrates
The situation: when Montag finally rids himself of Beatty
Pronoun: who
Verb: realizes
Quote: “he ignored his own principles to feed his vision
of himself” (81).
Robot Writing – write your claim for the body and select meaningful
quotes. Next, incorporate those quotes into your sentences using the
techniques you learned.
Now You Try It!
After constructing your claim and developing your topic sentences,
find relevant quotes and add your commentary:
TS: While Beatty thinks books confuse people’s thoughts and
make them unhappy, Montag thinks books and the authors
behind them help people make informed decisions, which is
more important than happiness.
Example Embedded Evidence (Quotes):
For example, when Beatty tries to reason with Montag to conform to
society’s expectations, he lectures, “The important thing for you to
remember, Montag, is we're the Happiness Boys... you and I and the
others. We stand against the small tide of those who want to make
everyone unhappy with conflicting theory and thought” (52). Next,
follow up with 2 pieces of commentary.
Secondly, during Montag’s transformation, Beatty proposes “
_________________________________ ”(____). Next, follow up with
2 pieces of commentary. Lastly, close up the paragraph while
transitioning into the next body paragraph.
Review
What does it mean to embed a quote?
Explain the BASIC, PROFICIANT, and
ADVANCED method.
Create one of each from the list below with
relevant quotes that connect to your claim.
RATE yourself again: How well can you
embed quotes into your sentences?
MLA Format for Research
Writing
Yes, it’s boring, but you’ve GOT to know
it!!!!!!! View MLA PPT!