Literary Analysis – A Separate Peace
Assignment: Write a 2-3 page paper analyzing some aspect of A Separate Peace
incorporating quotations from the primary source and one secondary source. You may
choose to analyze characters, theme, setting, structure, symbolism, etc.
Your paper must be typed in New Times Roman font, 12 point size, 1” margins, doublespaced.
Your paper must include 3 citations from the primary source and 2 citations from your
secondary source and must follow MLA style.
These secondary sources must come from academic articles and/or databases. No
"Sparknotes," "Classicnotes," “Shmoop” etc. will be accepted.
This paper will be a substantial part of your Writing/Projects grade:
Daily Work Grades (These grades will be
included in your final
total grade.)
25 points for thesis statement
25 points for Initial Outline
25 points for Note Cards
25 points for Intense Outline
Writing Grade -
100 points for Final Draft
200 points total in the Writing/Projects category
Heading includes: Name
Ms. Walters
Honors World Literature
Date (19 October 2015)
Possible Research Topics
You may choose to write about one or a combination of more than one of these topics below,
or you may choose your own topic.
Symbolism - Write an essay analyzing a motif or symbol that Knowles uses in his novel
A Separate Peace. Identify a motif or symbol and analyze its meaning(s) in the story as
well as the author's purpose for including them in his novel. Motifs and symbols you
could investigate include, but are not limited to, the following:
 transformation (motif)
 competition (motif)
 Summer/Winter sessions at Devon (symbol)
 Finny’s fall (symbol)
 WWII (symbol)
 an individual character as a symbol
Characters- Write an essay analyzing one of the main characters of the novel A
Separate Peace.
Themes- Write an essay analyzing a theme found in the novel A Separate Peace.


the nature of friendship
the relationship between war and peace
Note Cards
These are the notes you will be taking from your sources. Each card contains one idea
(either a quote, a paraphrasing, or a summary), author or title of the source, the topic the source
is discussing, and the page number where the idea originated. See the example below for a quote
from the novel:
Codependency/Loss of Separate Identities
“Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me,” and I lost part of
myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose
from the first: to become a part of Phineas.
(Knowles 77)
Initial Outline
This outline lays out the main ideas of your paper. This includes only your thesis and your
main ideas. This is a very broad look at your paper.
I. Thesis Statement
II. Topic Sentence
A. General Supporting Idea
B. Quote
C. ANALYSIS
III. Topic Sentence
A. General Supporting Idea
B. Quote
C. ANALYSIS
IV. Topic Sentence
A. General Supporting Idea
B. Quote
C. ANALYSIS
VI…VII…VIII...to the Concluding Paragraph
Intense Outline
The following includes the necessary information for your final outline. Your outline can have
more components than this one, but it should not have less. Each entry in your outline must be a
complete sentence.
I. Introduction in paragraph form. It should include the following elements:
*Attention Getter (Quote: either secondary or primary, Startling Statistic, Anecdote,...etc.)
*Transition to Central idea
*Central Idea (Previews the general topic of the paper)
*Thesis Statement (Introduces the specific ideas to be discussed in the paper)
II. Topic Sentence
A. Transition to first point – set up context for quote’s relevance
B. Primary or Secondary Source (quote, paraphrase with proper citation)
1. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
2. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
C. Any additional elaboration needed to explain support and connect it to the main idea being
discussed
III. Topic Sentence
A. Transition to next point – set up context for quote’s relevance
B. Primary or Secondary Source (quote, paraphrase with proper citation)
1. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
2. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
C. Any additional elaboration needed to explain support and connect it to the main idea being
discussed
IV. Topic Sentence
A. Transition to first point – set up context for quote’s relevance
B. Primary or Secondary Source (quote, paraphrase with proper citation)
1. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
2. explain detail (Elaboration Sentence)
C. Any additional elaboration needed to explain support and connect it to the main idea being
discussed
V...VI...VII...VIII...
IX. Conclusion in paragraph form. It should include the following elements:
*Restate Thesis (Don't just rewrite it!)
*Central Idea
*Sum up argument (More than a few sentences)
*Clincher (An idea that concludes your point and/or leaves the reader wanting to learn more
about the next logical subject.
Checklist for Literary Analysis
Introduction
____ Lead your reader into the topic.
______ Begin with an interesting attention getter
______ Establish the work (A Separate Peace – use the complete title) and the author (John
Knowles)
______ State your central idea - The central idea is the main idea of the paper, the “glue” of
the paper.
Example: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a drama of moral conflict
in which Huck struggles between his heart and his conscience.
____ State your Thesis at the end of your introductory paragraph- The thesis is the specific
plan, the “parts” you’ll prove.
Example: Several important scenes illustrate Huck’s conflict between his sound heart and
his deformed conscience: when Huck hides Jim’s identity to the slave traders, his
apology after the fog scene, and his decision to rip up the letter to Miss Watson.
Body
____ Develop the idea outlined in your thesis.
____ Support your analysis with quotations and examples from the primary source.
____ Discuss/Elaborate on your quotations and examples.
____ Support your analysis with quotations and examples from the secondary sources.
____ Discuss/Elaborate on your quotations and examples.
Conclusion
____ Restate your thesis in the first sentence of your concluding paragraph.
____ Summarize your ideas.
Remember to…
____ Provide solid transitions (within and between paragraphs).
____ Write in present tense (the book and characters continue to live).
____ Use third person throughout (no “you”, no “I”).
Example: “Jim is a better father than Pap ever was.”
____ Do NOT write: “In my opinion…”
“I think…”
“As you can see…”
____ Include at least five embedded citations in your paper:
Minimum of three from the primary source (A Separate Peace)
Minimum of two from your secondary source
Embedded Citations
Guidelines for using Modern Language Association (MLA) parenthetical citation style within
your text:
1. Openly credit the author’s name in your sentence and cite the page number within
parentheses following the quotations or paraphrase.
Example:
According to Gladys Carmen Bellamy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “falls
naturally into three thematic units” (16).
2. If you do not use the author’s name in your sentence, cite the author’s last name and
page number within parentheses at the end of the cited material.
Example:
“Basically honest, Huck nevertheless tells lies throughout the novel, lies which are
excusable only because they are absurdly transparent” (Miller 93).
3. Attribute quotes to speakers, but remember to cite within parentheses the author of the
source, not the speaker of the quote.
Example:
Jim shows his anger at Huck’s cruel joke when he says, “En all you wuz thinking ‘bout
wuz how you could make a fool uv old Jim wid a lie” (Twain 48).
4. Avoid quotes longer than four typed lines long. If you must use one, set it off from the
rest of the essay and do NOT use quotation marks.
Example:
Huck was especially frightened when he overheard one of the murderers say,
It’s a lie Jim Turner. You’ve acted this way before. You always want more’n
your share of the truck, and you’ve always got it, too, because you’ve swore ‘t if
you didn’t you’d tell. But this time you’ve said it jest one time too many. You’re
the meanest, treacherousest hound in the country (Twain 51).
5. Do not use “p.” or “pp.” for page numbers.
6. Use a “Works Cited” list at the end of your paper.
This should include the following:
 Only the sources you cite in your paper
 Sources in alphabetical order by author’s last name
 Double spaced lines
 Hanging indentations
Calendar
Date
10/2
10/2
Date
10/5
Class Activities
Work due
Media Center – search for
secondary resources
Vocabulary Quiz #7
Class Activities
10/6
10/7
Work on Initial Outlines
10/8
Media Center – USA
TestPrep
10/12
Work Due
Secondary source
Grammar Monday!
ASP Research- Media
Center
10/9
Media Center – USA
TestPrep
Vocabulary Quiz #8
MLA Format
MLA Format
10/13
10/14
Media Center: Work on
Literary Analysis
10/15
Media Center: Work on
Literary Analysis
Homework
Thesis statement due
tomorrow
Thesis statement
Initial Outline due
Monday, 10/12
Initial Outline due Monday
Initial Outline due
Note cards due tomorrow
Note cards due at the
beginning of class
Intense Outline due
Thursday, 10/15
Intense Outline due
tomorrow
Intense Outline due at the Final Draft due Monday,
beginning of class
10/19
Study for Vocab Quiz #9
Vocabulary Quiz #9
10/16
10/19
Homework
Find and print (if web
resource) secondary source
by Monday
Literary Analysis Final
Draft due