The AP Literary
Analysis
What Exactly Is A
Literary Analysis?
 Makes
an argument
 Is not a summary
 Deals with interpretation
 Supported by evidence
Don’t Forget the
Writing Process!
 Prewriting
 Rough
Draft
 Revising/Editing
 Publishing
MLA Format
 Information
on the MLA format taken from the
OWL at Purdue:
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/74
7/01/
MLA Format
 Type
your paper
 Use 8.5 x 11-inch paper
 Double space the paper
 Use a legible font

For this class, please use Times New Roman
 Use
12 pt. font size
MLA Format
 Leave
only one space after periods or other punctuation
marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).
 Use
1 inch margins on all sides
 Indent
the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the
left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key
as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.
MLA Format
 Use
italics throughout your essay for the titles
of longer works and, only when absolutely
necessary, providing emphasis.
MLA Format—The First Page
 Do
not make a title page for your paper
unless specifically requested.
 In
the upper left-hand corner of the first page,
list your name, your instructor's name, the
course, and the date. Again, be sure to use
double-spaced text.
MLA Format—The First Page
 Double
space again and center the title. Do
not underline, italicize, or place your title in
quotation marks; write the title in Title Case
(standard capitalization), not in all capital
letters.
 Use quotation marks and/or italics when
referring to other works in your title, just as
you would in your text
MLA Format—The First Page
 Double
space between the title and the first
line of the text.
 Create
a header in the upper right-hand
corner that includes your last name, followed
by a space with a page number; number all
pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1,
2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and
flush with the right margin.
Sample First Page
In-Text Citations
•
Cite the Author’s last name and
the page number(s)

“The funny thing is, though, I was sort of thinking
of something else while I shot the bull” (Salinger
13).
In-Text Citations
 When
citing verse, be sure to include act (in
upper-case Roman numerals), scene (in
lower-case Roman numerals), and line
numbers.
 Separate act, scene and line numbers with
periods.

Othello suggests that “It is the cause, it is the
cause, my soul. / Let me not name it to you, you
chaste stars! / It is the cause”(V.ii.1-3).
Short Quotations
 To
indicate short quotations (fewer than four
typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in
your text, enclose the quotation within double
quotation marks.
 Punctuation
marks such as periods, commas,
and semicolons should appear after the
parenthetical citation
Short Quotations
 Question
marks and exclamation points
should appear within the quotation marks if
they are a part of the quoted passage but
after the parenthetical citation if they are a
part of your text.
Short Quotations
 Mark
breaks in short quotations of verse with
a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse: (a
space should precede and follow the slash)

Shakespeare romantically says, “Shall I
compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art
more lovely and more temperate”(1-2).
 ***Do
not forget to provide the line numbers
Long Quotations
 For
quotations that are four or more lines of
verse or prose: place quotations in a freestanding block of text and omit quotation
marks.
 Start the quotation on a new line, with the
entire quote indented one inch from the left
margin; maintain double-spacing.
Long Quotations
 Only
indent the first line of the quotation by a
half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs.
 Your parenthetical citation should come after
the closing punctuation mark. When quoting
verse, maintain original line breaks. (You
should maintain double-spacing throughout
your essay.)
Long Quotations
Long Quotations
 When
citing long sections of poetry, keep
formatting as close to the original as possible
Long Quotations
 Single-Speaker



Passages (Drama)
Cite the quoted text exactly like prose fiction
If it is written in verse form, include line
divisions
Block the text if it is four lines or longer
Long Quotations
 Multiple




Speaker Passages (Drama)
Block Text
Identify the speaker (all capital letters, followed
by a period)
Type the lines of dialogue
If the lines are written in verse form, type them
exactly as they appear in the text
Long Quotations
 Example
of a multiple-speaker quotation
The Thesis Statement
 Found
in the introduction
 Clearly states the argument you are trying to
validate
 Your entire paper should focus on defending
and proving the thesis
What Makes A
Thesis Effective?
 Clear
 Specific
 Debatable

(not a statement of fact)
Holden’s cynicism illuminates the theme of
corruption and the protection of childhood
innocence.
 Notice
how this is a statement of fact and not a
debatable argument.
What Makes A
Thesis Effective?
 Original
 Stated
as a complete sentence (in some
cases, especially with longer papers, multiple
sentences will be necessary)
 Appropriate to the assignment
Helpful Hints
 Assume
your readers have read the literature
 Do not summarize the plot
Helpful Hints
 It
is proper to use the present tense when
writing about literature
 Incorrect:

Holden believed childhood innocence was
corrupted by the vulgarity of the adult world.
 Correct:

Holden believes the vulgarity of the adult world
corrupts the innocence of childhood.
Helpful Hints
 Titles
of poems, stories and essays should be
put in quotation marks
 Titles of books, plays and periodicals should
be underlined or italicized
Helpful Hints
 The
first time you mention an author, use his or her full
name
 For all later references, the last name is sufficient
 Do not reference the author by first name only

J.D Salinger is the author of The Catcher in the Rye. J.D.
is an excellent writer.
 Avoid
this
Helpful Hints
 Avoid
the use of great praise when discussing
the author or the text.

The Catcher in the Rye is a brilliant piece of
literature.
Helpful Hints
 Avoid
writing in the first person
 The use of the first person shifts the reader’s
focus towards you and away from your
argument
Helpful Hints
 Avoid
writing in the passive voice
 Passive constructions hide the question of
who is doing the action

INCORRECT
 Holden

is described as a tragic hero by Salinger.
CORRECT
 Salinger
describes Iago as a tragic hero.
Helpful Hints
 Distinguish
between the author’s voice and
the character’s voice

INCORRECT
says, “’I oughta go down and at least
say hello to her,’” (32).
 Salinger

CORRECT
says, “’I oughta go down and at least say
hello to her,’” (32).
 Holden

Helpful Hints
 Give
your paper a title
 A title gives your reader a clue as to what the
paper will be about
 Avoid restating the name of the assignment
(i.e. Literary Analysis)
 Avoid restating the name of the particular
piece of literature (i.e. The Catcher in the
Rye)
Helpful Hints
 Your
voice should be your most articulate
conversational tone
 Conversational tone is not equivalent to a
casual tone
 Avoid using an inflated vocabulary—this
makes you sound pompous and often creates
an unnecessary complexity to your writing
Helpful Hints
 Avoid
the use of contractions in formal writing
 Do not use slang
Helpful Hints
 Focus
on organization
 Focus on development
 Focus on clarity
 Focus on providing evidence to validate your argument
 Focus on fine-tuning your argument

A paper that discusses one issue will always be superior to
a paper that superficially examines many
Helpful Hints
 BE
ORIGINAL

The last thing an instructor wants is a written
description of a class discussion.

Avoid writing the “safe” paper. At the same
time, do not write on a topic that is so “off-thewall” that it can not be supported with
evidence.