Tuesday, Oct. 2nd
• Notes: Writing your Literary Analysis
• Independent Reading Time
• Return prefix quizzes
• Homework:
– Rough Drafts: Thursday
– Test  Monday
– Independent Reading Day: Friday
Number of people at floatbuilding yesterday:
0
Writing Your Literary Analysis
Your essay must:
1. Cover the topic you are writing about
2. Have a central idea (stated in your thesis)
that governs its development
3. Be organized so that every part contributes
something t othe reader’s understanding of
the central idea
Introduction
• Purpose: Arouse interest in your reader
Introduction
1. Hook ?
2. Introduce Topic
Introduce Topic
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What is your story?
Who is the author?
Any definitions?
Plot summary necessary to understand thesis
Writing your Introduction
1. Hook
2. Introduce Topic
3. Thesis
• The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios’s short story
“The Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy’s
view of growing up: everything changes. As the
narrator tells us, when the magician pulls a tablecloth
out from under the pile of dishes, children are amazed
at the “stay-the-same part,” while adults focus only on
the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the benefit of
experience and know the trick will work as long as the
technique is correct. When people “grow up”, they
gain this experience and knowledge, but they lose their
innocence and sense of wonders. In other words, the
price we pay for growing up is a permanent sense of
loss. This tradeoff is central to “ The Secret Lion.” The
key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme:
change is inevitable and always accompanied by a
sense of loss.
Body Paragraphs
• Each body paragraph begins with topic
sentence:
– Refers to your thesis
– Ties details of paragraph together
Conclusion
1. Reword thesis
2. The “So What”
Remember:
• Give a full reference to the work and author in
your introduction paragraph
• Make certain short story titles are in “quotes”
• Use present tense when discussing literature
Transitions: how are these two ideas
related?
• #1: Zits are a symbol of shame
Not only are zits a symbol of shame in Flight, but
ultimately, they are a symbol of change.
TOPIC SENTENCE FOR BODY PARAGRAPH 2
• #2: Zits arealso a symbol of change
• Faith represents good in the world
• The elder traveler represents the evil in the
world.