Writing Formal Literary Paragraphs
What is a literary paragraph?


A paragraph that discusses a question about
literature in a formal and organized way
A literary paragraph develops an argument
about the literature being studied.
How are they written?

Using formal language

Using present tense

Using evidence (quotations) from the literature.
How are they organized

Literary paragraphs follow a predictable
pattern:
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
They have a thesis statement (or topic sentence) that
includes the title of the work and the author's name
They develop ideas using evidence from the story
and discussing that evidence explaining how it
develops the thesis.
Can you show me?

Sure.
Let's say you have to write a paragraph discussing
Boo Radley's character after chapter 1 in the
novel. You might come up with a “thesis
statement” like this:
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley's reputation comes
not from anything he has done, but rather from the lack of
information that the community has about him.
So then what?

Well, you try to make some POINTS to develop
that argument, such as,
Boo Radley is virtually unknown in the community.
Okay, that's easy.

But you can't stop there. Provide EVIDENCE
to show how you know it this. For example,
After getting into trouble with the police, Boo “was not seen again for
15 years” (p. 9).

Notice how there is a quotation from the novel
incorporated into the sentence.
Is that all?

Not quite. Now you have to EXPLAIN how
that quotation illustrates your point and ties into
your thesis. This is the most important part.
Mr Radley ensures that Boo remains hidden and as a result, he is
completely mysterious to people in Maycomb.
Am I done?

Not quite. You need more points to support
your main idea. Keep stacking them up like
this:
Point
 Evidence
 Explanation


Just remember to PEE!!
Can you show me?

Sure. Look at this example:
Thesis
Statement
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley's reputation comes
not from anything he has done, but rather from the lack of
information that the community has about him.
Point
Boo Radley is virtually unknown in the community.
Evidence
After getting into trouble with the police, Boo “was not seen again for
15 years” (p. 9).
Explanation
Mr Radley ensures that Boo remains hidden and as a result, he is
completely mysterious to people in Maycomb.
Point
Because of the mystery surrounding his character, the community
begins to blame Boo for unexplained events.
Evidence
Boo gets held responsible for things he's not involved in including “any
stealthy crime committed in Maycomb” (p.9).
Explanation
It seems that the town of Maycomb, when looking for someone to
Blame, look to Boo because they know so little about him.
Oops, it didn't fit on one slide...
Point
As time goes own and the mystery increases, the children in the town
start to create myths around Boo Radley.
Evidence
Jem claims to Dill that he “dine[s] on raw squirrels” (p.14).
Explanation
The children have heard the stories and so their imaginations run wild
and begin to turn Boo into a kind of mythical creature. Everything
about him is exaggerated.
Boo Radley may well be unusual, but most of the things that people in
the town of Maycomb say about are not based in fact, they are
simply stories that have developed because he is unknown.
So what's that last sentence?


That's your conclusion. Sum up your argument.
Let the reader know what you have “proven.”
This kind of writing always follows the same
pattern. When your done it will look...
...like this
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley's reputation comes not from
anything he has done, but rather from the lack of information that the
community has about him. Boo Radley is virtually unknown in the
community. After getting into trouble with the police, Boo “was not seen
again for 15 years” (p. 9). Mr Radley ensures that Boo remains hidden and as
a result, he is completely mysterious to people in Maycomb. Because of the
mystery surrounding his character, the community begins to blame Boo for
unexplained events. Boo gets held responsible for things he's not involved in
including “any stealthy crime committed in Maycomb” (p.9). It seems that the
town of Maycomb, when looking for someone to Blame, look to Boo because
they know so little about him. As time goes own and the mystery increases,
the children in the town start to create myths around Boo Radley. Jem claims
to Dill that he “dine[s] on raw squirrels” (p.14). The children have heard the
stories and so their imaginations run wild and begin to turn Boo into a kind of
mythical creature. Everything about him is exaggerated. Boo Radley may
well be unusual, but most of the things that people in the town of Maycomb
say about are not based in fact, they are simply stories that have developed
because he is unknown.