Short Story Literary Analysis Essay
For this writing assignment, you will write a literary analysis essay over one of the two short
stories we read in class (“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner or “The Veldt” by Ray
Bradbury). Your first step is to craft a thematic statement.
Reading and Writing Workshop Dates:
RW #1- Sept. 16/17- Read “A Rose for Emily” during class.
RW #2- Sept. 18/21- Discussion & completion of notes/handout for “A Rose for Emily”
RW #3- Sept. 22/23- Read “The Veldt” during class.
RW #4- Sept. 24/25- Discussion & completion of notes/handout for “The Veldt”
Essay due: Sept. 30/Oct. 1
This paper should:
 be organized. Your essay needs a clear introduction, as many body paragraphs as
you feel necessary (at least 2), and a conclusion.
 be in MLA format, which includes a works cited page.
 include carefully chosen and internally cited textual evidence.
 use words and phrases to transition between points and paragraphs.
 establish and maintain a formal style appropriate to the topic and audience.
 be sophisticated and insightful!
Steps to Writing a Thematic Statement:
Remember: a theme is not a subject, and it’s expressed in one word. It is not the plot of a
story, and it is not a moral. It is a general idea about the world that the story explores. 1.
Never use the word “theme” in your thematic statement.
1. Choose a topic like freedom, isolation, pride, love… that the work explores.
2. Complete this statement: The short story “_________________________” by
title
_________________ is about ___________________.
author
abstract concept/topic
3. Now, you need to state what the literary work asserts about this abstract topic. If the
story is about pride, what opinion does it express about the effect of pride on
humanity?
4. Finish statement: __________________’s _________________
author’s first and last name
genre of work
“________________________________” is about _______________________ and
title of work (correctly punctuated)
abstract concept/topic
reveals that ____________________.
assertion about the world
5. Finished statement: The last phrase (the assertion about the world) is your thematic
statement and will be at the end of your thesis statement.
 Example: Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” is about
pride and reveals that pride frequently leads to a man’s downfall.
Below are some notes and templates for the different parts of this type of essay. You do not
have to formulate your essay exactly like the sample below. Please use your own voice and
style when deciding how to craft your own unique thoughts.
Introduction
Broad Opening Sentence(s) (1-2 sentences)
The first sentence needs to be something general about the topic the theme addresses.

Example:
Pride is known as man’s greatest sin since it was pride that led to Adam and Eve’s
fall in the Garden of Eden.
Transition Sentence(s) (1-2 sentences)
The next sentences should provide a transition between the broad first sentence to the
focused thesis sentence that follows. I like to put my TAG (title, author, genre) in the
transition sentence.

Example:
It is also the sin of Montresor and Fortunato in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The
Cask of Amontillado.” Montresor has been insulted by Fortunato, and his pride leads
him to seek revenge. He cleverly plays upon Fortunato’s pride and leads him to his
death with the promise of testing a nonexistent cask of Amontillado.
Sentence 3:
Thesis Statement (1 sentence)
The third and last sentence in your introduction should be your thesis statement. You will
need to include the literary technique(s) and it will follow the phrase “argue that…” In the
example below, the literary technique is characterization. The theme is that pride frequently
leads to a man’s downfall.

Example:
Through these characters and their actions, Poe argues that pride frequently leads to
a man’s downfall.
Body Paragraphs
Topic Sentence (1 sentence)
The topic sentence needs to begin your argument on how this specific literary technique is
important in developing the theme you listed in your thesis statement. Do not list the title of
the short story again or put any textual evidence in the topic sentence.

Example:
The power of pride is clearly seen in the character of Montresor.
Textual Evidence + Commentary (approximately 7-10 sentences)
This portion of your essay is the core of your argument and where you prove your thesis.
You need specially chosen quotes (3-4) and insightful commentary. Your quotes must be
smoothly embedded into your own words.

Example:
His pride in his family name is so great that “when [Fortunator] ventured upon insult,
[Montresor] vowed revenge” (309). He cannot let himself be put down because he
would appear to be weak and inferior, so he plans his revenge carefully. His desire to
punish Fortunato is closely related to his family motto, “Nemo me impune lacessit,”
which means “No one can attack me with impunity” (312). Obviously, his ancestors
feel that they are above reproach, and their pride makes them feel any attack should
be met with an even greater force. This is why Montresor cannot turn the other cheek;
he feels it is his duty to crush any “serpent” (312) who would dare to attack his
honorable name. This belief and sense of pride lead him to his moral downfall as he
plans and executes the murder of Fortunator.
Additional Body Paragraphs
Body paragraphs #2-3 need to follow the same format. Make sure to have transition
words/phrases to move from one body paragraph to another.
Conclusion
Conclusions should:
o revisit the thesis statement without repeating it.
o highlight key ideas in support of your thesis.
o explain the theme’s universal significance.
o end with a final though or memorable idea (which typically links the conclusion and
introduction by going back to an idea or technique used in the introduction).

Example:
Poe’s claim that pride leads to the downfall of man can be clearly seen through the
actions of Montresor and Fortunato. Both men are flawed by their intense pride and
so are led to ruin by it. In fact, Montresor’s pride is still so great that after fifty years he
is bragging about his perfect crime. He cannot see how pride led him to an evil and
immoral act. Through both Montresor and Fortunato, Poe is suggesting that man can
easily be led astray by pride, and that can lead to spiritual and physical ruin. Pride is
a weakness that man has had to contend with since the time of the Garden of Eden,
and will continue to be one of the world’s deadliest of sins.