Today’s Goals:
1. Discuss character analysis
2. Begin our next summative assessment—a
character analysis essay.
Yay,
essays!
Biggest differences between a literary
analysis and a regular research paper:
 The introduction is arranged a bit differently and
has its own content requirements.
 You may end up using only one source, the story
itself, but you still need to have a works cited with
the story listed.
 This paper will be less persuasive and more
informative, although we still refer to your
supporting paragraphs as ‘arguments’ and your
thesis as a ‘claim.’
 The analysis is different: and we will mostly focus
on that part today.
Discuss: Character Analysis
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character. (Should be ‘brother’)
2. Make a fact-based opinion statement about
your character.
3. Support with textual evidence.
Discuss: Little Red Riding Hood
Steps to character analysis:
1. Choose a character.

2.
Little Red Riding Hood
Make a statement about your character.

Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental
neglect.
What
makes a
good
statement?
Good
statement
= a factbased
opinion
Thesis Statement
 A thesis statement




is a complete sentence (subject + verb).
informs your reader what your literary analysis is going to be
about. (Include the author’s name and title as well)
is the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.
is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer) are going to
support or prove.
How does your character develop from the beginning to the end of the story?
How does your character interact with other characters?
How does your character advance the plot or develop theme?
Thesis Statement Examples

Example thesis statements
1. In his story “Little Red Riding Hood,” Charles
Perrault creates a title character who is
reckless.
2. In his story, “The Scarlet Ibis” set in coastal
Carolina around the time of the first World
War, James Hurst tells the story of a brother
who discovers that no human emotion is
entirely pure.

Where does a thesis statement belong in
your literary analysis?
Your thesis is an opinion about the personality
or purpose of the character within the story.
Thesis
Character Analysis Overview:
Graphic Organizer
•Each shape represents one paragraph
•
are the introduction and conclusion
•
are the body paragraphs (3 minimum)
Body
paragraphs
Conclusion
Introduction
Introduction
 An introduction paragraph for a literary
analysis should include
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hook—catch your reader’s attention (more than
one sentence)
Restate the bigger idea you are analyzing (Mixed
Emotions)
Begins broad
Author , “Story Title” and setting
Character and his/her Action
Thesis statement (last sentence)
(H. RATS CAT)
Ends with (narrow)
thesis statement
Thesis Statement
 A thesis statement




is a complete sentence (subject + verb).
informs your reader what your literary analysis
is going to be about. Best tip: Include the
author, title, and setting in the thesis
statement.
is the last sentence of the introduction
paragraph.
is an analysis or opinion that you (the writer)
are going to support or prove.
How does your character develop from the beginning to the end of the story?
How does your character interact with other characters?
How does your character advance the plot or develop theme?
What’s next?
 Once you have a thesis statement, the remainder of
your character analysis is going to be focused on
supporting your thesis statement.
Each body paragraph
should support your thesis
statement.
 You will support your thesis statement using
information from the story—“Just Lather, That’s All.”
Topic Sentences
 Each of your body paragraphs (minimum of
three) must support your thesis statement.
 Each of your body paragraphs must begin
with a topic sentence.
 A topic sentence supports the thesis and
includes the main point of the paragraph.
2nd point to
support your
thesis
1st point to
support your
thesis
3rd point to
support your
thesis
Thesis and Topic Sentences: Examples
Thesis Statement
Little Red Riding Hood is reckless.
Topic Sentences
1.
2.
3.
She ignores warnings about Stranger
Danger.
She approaches a wild animal as if he were
a potential friend.
Once she recognizes that her “grandmother”
is a wolf, she sticks around to ask
questions—just to make sure.
Thesis and Topic Sentences: Examples
Thesis Statement
Little Red Riding Hood is the third of three
generations of fools.
Topic Sentences
1. Little Red Riding Hood makes several foolish
decisions on her way to Grandma’s.
2. Little’s mother is no more wise in the way she
counsels her daughter.
3. It’s easy to see that this generational trait
probably began with Grandma.
Body Paragraphs
Using Textual Evidence to Prove It
Supporting Evidence:
 In order to support your thesis statement and
topic sentences, you will use textual evidence
or “quotes” from your text.
1.
A “quote” can be any written words from the text.
2.
A “quote” does not have to be a character
speaking (dialogue).
3.
A “quote” should support your topic sentence.
“Quotes”
 When directly “quoting” the text, you must
 Use “quotation marks” to signify words that are not
your own.
 Include the page number (in parentheses) of where
you found the quote:
 The page number is part of the sentence; therefore,
the period is after the parentheses.
 Example: Her mother admits that the woods are a
Note it!
dangerous place, yet still sends Little Red Riding
Hood off with a cautionary “Don’t talk to strangers”
(1).
 BUT, if you summarize, don’t use quotation marks,
just include the page number
Note it!

Example: Instead of fleeing at the first sight of the wolf
in her grandmother’s house, Little Red Riding Hood
asks a series of questions to clarify that the wolf is
indeed not her grandmother (3).
Plopping Quotes

No plopping!

A “quote” should not just be plopped into a paragraph.

A “quote” should be combined with two pieces of
background information to form a complete sentence:
 Who
 When

Quote + who + when = complete quote sentence
Note it!
Plopping Quotes

A quote should fit naturally into your writing
and support the topic sentence.


Topic Sentence #1: Little RRH ignores warnings
about stranger danger.
Quote to support: "Don't dawdle along the way
and please don't talk to strangers!” (1).
 Remember: No Plopping!
Example of “plopping”
 Little RRH ignores warnings about Stranger
Danger. "Don't dawdle along the way and
please don't talk to strangers!” (1). But sure
enough, she takes her time and talks to the
first wolf she sees.
 The use of this quote is an example of
plopping and what not to do. Why?
Example: Non-plopped Evidence
Little Red Riding Hood is a victim of parental
neglect. Her mother admits that the woods are a
dangerous place, yet still sends Little Red Riding
Hood off with a cautionary “Don’t talk to strangers”
(1). Her mother has also been negligent in teaching
Little Red Riding Hood how dangerous wild animals
can be. When she encounters the wolf in the woods
for the first time, Little Red Riding Hood is polite,
thinking that no harm will befall her, and answers
his questions instead of having the proper fear of
the carnivorous, forest-dwelling animal (2). Little
Red Riding Hood’s parents have also done her a
disservice in not curbing her intense curiosity.
Instead of fleeing at the first sight of the wolf in her
grandmother’s house, Little Red Riding Hood asks
a series of questions to clarify that the wolf is
indeed not her grandmother (3), putting herself in a
very precarious situation.
Conclusion
 A conclusion should include
 Thesis statement—restated*
 A connection to the hook—restated*
*Restated means to state again using different
words
 A conclusion should not include
 Any new information
 Any repeated, word-for-word, sentences
Organization—Just Do It
BTW: How will we organize this essay?
I.
Introduction
A. Hook
B. Author and Title
C. Brief Summary
D. Thesis
II. Body
A. Topic Sentence
1. Textual Support
2. Commentary
B. Topic Sentence
1. Textual Support
2. Commentary
C. Topic Sentence
1. Textual Support
2. Commentary
III. Conclusion
A. Restatement of thesis
B. Tie back to the hook
TS
Thesis
TS
TS
Hook
Author/Title
Summ.
Thesis
Topic Sentence
Commentary
Support
Conclusion
Topic Sentence
Commentary
Support
Restate Thesis
Connect to Hook
Introduction
Topic Sentence
Commentary
Support
Body Paragraphs
Title
 When you give your essay a title, remember



There is no punctuation/font funkiness
It should be interesting and convey meaning
“Character Analysis” and “The Scarlet Ibis” are
bad titles
To change margins:
 Go to “File” then “Page Setup” and change all margins (top, bottom, right, and left)
to 1” then click okay.
To change spacing:
 Go to “Format” then “Paragraph” and change “Line spacing” to “Double.”
To insert right-side header:
 Go to “View” then “Header and Footer” and click the “Align Right” button.
 Type your last name and press the space bar ONCE.
 Press “Insert Page Number” to automatically number the pages.
 Press “Close.”
To insert left-side heading:
 Begin typing: your name (enter), your teacher’s name (enter), the class and period
(enter), and the date (enter).
 You should only have to press enter once to get it to double-space.
After you type the date, press enter once then press the “Center” button to center the
title:
 Type your title and press enter once. Press the “Align Left” button.
 You may now begin typing your essay.
 Be sure to use the “Tab” key to indent each new paragraph.