Writing Survival Guide:
The Literary Essay
English 1 Honors
Dr. Michael R. Suñga
What is a Blurb?
• The very first sentence of an expository
essay
• One sentence only!
• Includes the title, the genre, the author,
and a succinct plot summary of the work
• Do not focus on themes! Focus on plot!
• Be aware of proper formatting (especially
of the title) and punctuation (especially
commas)!
Model Blurbs
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a
tragedy about two lovers whose relationship is
forbidden due to their feuding families.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry is a science fiction novel
depicting a seemingly utopian society, which, in
actually, turns out to be a community that
destroys individuality and family.
• Night by Elie Wiesel is a first-hand account based
on the author’s horrific experiences as an
Orthodox Jew in the German concentration
camps.
What is a
Thesis Statement?
• One succinct sentence that usually follows the
blurb (thesis statement = second sentence in the
introductory paragraph).
• The central idea/overarching theme you are
trying to prove in your expository essay.
• The position you are defending in your expository
essay.
• The thesis statement focuses on an original idea
that YOU have developed from the reading
(Harper Lee)—something that can be
substantiated.
Model Thesis Statement #1
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet express a pure love
for each other that is spiritual in
nature.
Model Thesis Statement #2
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
The society described in The Giver is
one of conformity and lack of moral
values.
Model Thesis Statement #3
Night
by Elie Wiesel
Night is Elie Wiesel’s medium toward
healing and spiritual awakening in light of
his experiences in the Holocaust.
What is a
Topic Sentence?
• A clear, strong, convincing point of
textual evidence that supports the
thesis statement.
• Model Topic Sentence:
Romeo and Juliet instantly affirm
their love for one other through
their “pilgrim’s hands” sonnet.
Writing the
Introductory Paragraph
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FIVE SENTENCES ONLY!!!
Sentence #1: Blurb
Sentence #2: Thesis Statement
Sentence #3: Topic Sentence #1
Sentence #4: Topic Sentence #2
Sentence #5: Topic Sentence #3
DO NOT make the paragraph sound like a laundry list.
VARY YOUR SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION, especially the
sentence openers.
• Create SMOOOOOOOTH TRANSITIONS between
sentences. Please see the Purdue University Online Writing
Lab Transitional Devices handout.
Writing the
Body Paragraph
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Sentence #1: RE-STATE or RE-WORD the topic sentence from the introductory
paragraph.
CONTEXTUALIZE the topic sentence by providing a SUCCINCT summary of the
event during which the topic sentence takes place. Stay focused. Do not jump
around. Stick to one important scene. This portion should be at least 3-5 sentences
long.
IN PROPER MLA FORMAT, EMBED AN APPROPRIATE QUOTATION FROM THE
TEXT THAT SUPPORTS THE TOPIC SENTENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PARAGRAPH. The quotation should FLOW in an out of your own narrative. Use a
transitional device to indicate that a quote is coming up. BE SURE THE SPEAKER’S
NAME IS CLEAR! DO NOT USE LONG QUOTES! If you would like to use a long
passage, use ellipses […].
ANALYZE THE QUOTATION FOR HIGHER-LEVEL MEANING. DO NOT SIMPLY
SUMMARIZE THE QUOTATION. How does the quotation PROVE the topic
sentence? What THEMES arise out of your analysis? Provide a COMMENTARY of
the text. This portion should be at least 5 sentences long.
The analysis portion of the paragraph should contain the words: “Harper Lee,” “the
author,” “the reader,” etc.
Use appropriate literary devices in your analysis.
Embedded Quotations and
Parenthetical Citation in
MLA Format
• NARRATION
The narrator says, “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother
Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow” (3).
• DIALOG
Miss Maudie Atkinson says, “‘I think maybe he put his gun down
when he realized that God had given him an unfair
advantage over most living things’” (98).
• Remember the exclamation point and question mark rule!
Where is the period placed?! Also, notice the quotation
marks! What is the difference?!
• When transitioning into a quote, always use “says.”
The Concluding
Paragraph…
• is MORE than just a reiteration of the thesis statement.
• is MORE than just a reiteration of the subtopics in each
body paragraph.
• challenges the reader to continue thinking about your essay
topic.
• is a “call to action.”
• makes relevant and/or practical connections to
contemporary issues.
• answers the questions “So what?” “Why should the reader
care?” “How would the author respond to your
contemporary connections?”
• must be at least 8-12 sentences.
In the Concluding
Paragraph, AVOID…
• restating the thesis statement from the
introductory paragraph in the same exact
words.
• listing the main points of each of the body
paragraphs.
• introducing an ENTIRELY new topic.
• Source of ideas in this slide:
http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/KSD/KR/WRIT
E/FIVE/para_concluding.html
Creative Title Guidelines
• The essay title must be CENTERED.
• DO NOT underline or alter the font of the
essay title.
• ONLY ITALICIZE the title of the novel,
To Kill a Mockingbird, since it is a work
that can stand by itself.
• The essay title should reflect the themes
discussed in the composition.
Creative Title Models
• Romeo and Juliet’s Charitable Love
• The Giver and Distorted Reality:
Examining the Hidden Dystopia
• Night: Discovering the Spirit in the
Midst of Horror and Despair
Editor’s Checklist
EDITOR’S CHECKLIST: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Please be sure that you have covered the following areas in your writing:
a. General Formatting
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_____ Times New Roman, size 12
_____ Double Spaced (with no additional spaces, especially between heading and title, title and body
paragraph)
_____ One-Inch Margins (top, bottom, left, right)
_____ Proper Heading
_____ Paginations (0.5” from the top of the page, right hand corner)
_____ Creative Title (centered)
b. Grammar and Mechanics
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_____ Complete Sentences (NO fragments)
_____ Sentence Variations
_____ Third person point of view ONLY
_____ Present tense ONLY
_____ Subject-Verb Agreement
_____ NO contractions
_____ Commas and Semicolons used correctly
_____ NO spelling or capitalization errors