Writing Literary Analysis Papers
Putting the Puzzle Together
When teachers ask you to write a literary
analysis paper, they want you to learn something
new about a text and communicate what you’ve
learned to a reader. In short, they want you to
explore and explain your ideas about what a
particular text – or just a passage (depending on
the assignment) – means. Your mission in such
a paper is to go beyond what you’ve heard in
class, to argue for an interpretation of the text in
question, and to support your ideas with a close
reading of the text.
So let’s get started!
There’s a process to getting
started. First you . . .
Choose a work that interests
you…
1. As you read, keep notes of your reactions,
impressions, and questions – these may be
notes on recurring ideas, imagery or
symbols, or questions about why a
character behaves in a certain way. The
idea is to jot down whatever strikes you as
interesting or possibly important. These
notes may help you to formulate a thesis
for your paper.
2. Ask yourself, “What issues does the text raise?
Jot down ALL possibilities. Your answers to
this question will be topic statements, rather
than thesis statements. For instance, you
might decide that a novel is about honor, or
alienation, or marriage. To create a thesis
statement out of one of these topics, you must
ask yourself, “What does this text SAY about
honor (or alienation, or marriage)?” and
“How does it say it?” The answers to these
questions may provide you with a tentative
thesis to guide your writing.
Organize Your Ideas and Start
Writing!
1. Once you’ve settled on a tentative thesis, list all
the supporting ideas that you might use to prove
your interpretation, and all the pieces of text
(details, partial quotations, short passages) from
the text that you might want to discuss. Then try
to categorize the pieces of text under the heading
of various ideas. These ideas with their
supporting textual material may become the
individual points that your paper develops in
support of its thesis.
2. Then, state the central idea of your paper
in a thesis that appears in your introduction.
Your introduction could also include important
historical background, relevant facts from the
author’s biography, or thoughts on why you
chose this topic or why it’s important. Your
introduction should also include a very short (3
to 4 sentences at the most!) summary of the
work.
3. Each body paragraph / section
should develop some aspect of
your argument, and each
paragraph / section should include
evidence from the text (details,
partial quotation, short passages).
This evidence should always be
followed by analysis of what it
means – that is, tell the reader
how this evidence helps illustrate
your point about the text. This is
where your sources come into
play!
4. Be careful that you don’t over quote, and
make sure that you introduce your quotes
with enough context so that your reader
doesn’t get lost: try to indicate who is
speaking or some other context for the
material. For instance: When Ursula
argues with Anton over the issue of
national allegiances, she remarks,
“Are you anybody, really? You seem
like nothing to me” (Perkins 261).
5. Remember that your aim is not
to re-tell the story, but to say what
it means . You are arguing for a
“way of seeing” based on your own
understanding and careful reading
of the text.
After the first draft is
written . . .
You’re not done! In fact, your
work is just beginning. Most
writers like to lay aside their drafts
so that they can return for a fresh
reading. The idea is to try to see
your text as a reader, not as its
writer. When you read as the
writer of a text, often you don’t
see the words as they are on the
page. Instead, you “read” the
ideas that are in your head!
You’ll need to look for ideas that
may be out of place, ideas that
may need more evidence, or
evidence that may need more
analysis. All of these “big picture”
issues should be addressed in a
revision.
Consider seeking out readers.
All writers can use the help of
readers to tell them what’s
getting through and what’s not.
Your parents, friends, or
classmates are good choices.
What do you do if you are asked to
read a friend’s paper?
Your goal here is to respond as a reader,
not as a teacher. What this means is,
you’re not marking up each other’s
papers with red ink; you’re not correcting
grammar, spelling, or punctuation. In
fact, you’re not “correcting” anything.
You’re responding to the writer’s ideas in
a manner that will let him or her know
what’s getting through, what could be
clearer, what might need more
elaboration, and what’s working well.
It’s often helpful to offer your
responses in writing, being as
specific as possible: pointing
out passages, sentences,
examples that may need
additional attention to “be all
they can be.”
Keep these points in mind . . .
• Readers should remember that your job isn’t to
“fix” what’s “wrong” with the paper, it’s simply
to offer your responses as a reader.
• Writers should try to understand what readers are
trying to tell you, but not be tyrannized by what
they say. It’s your job to decide what to do with
the responses.
• In addition, writers should always feel free to ask
for the kind of feedback they’d like to have.
Here are a few questions you might
answer in your written responses to
one another:
• What is the writer’s
controlling purpose in this
paper?
• Where could the writer go
further? What is almost
said here? Where do you
want to know more?
• Where could the writing
use more or less support in
terms of resources (textual
examples, secondary
sources), and why do you
feel as you do?
• What does this paper do
especially well?
• What did you learn from
this paper?
• Ask two questions about
the writer’s point.
• Look for places the writing
doesn’t “flow” into the
quotes.
After you’ve made revisions based on your
own and your reader’s responses, it’s time
to edit your paper for “correctness.”
That is, make sure
Your sentences make sense
Your sentences are punctuated properly
That your subjects and verbs agree
After the editing is complete, it will
be time to proofread your essay.
Now you’re looking for spelling
mistakes, left out words, or other
errors. Don’t rely on your computer
to perform this task for you! There
is no substitute for your eyes on the
page!
Topics or Thesis Statements?
Remember, topics are not yet thesis statements or
controlling points for your paper. Your thesis
statement will indicate what the text says ABOUT
honor, tradition, the South, patriotism, class, fairy
tales, etc. Look at these examples for ideas of how to
formulate your topics.
The influence of honor and tradition in “How to Tell a
True War Story”
Views of the South in “A Rose for Emily”
Attitudes toward Patriotism in “Soldier’s Home”
Attitudes toward Marriage in “A Sorrowful Woman”
The Meaning of Home in “Eveline”
Attitudes toward Perfection in “The Birthmark”