English 10 Anthology of Insight Essay
Writing Workshop 1: Developing the main idea (thesis) of your essay.
BIG IDEA: Every essay must have a main idea that is sustained from beginning to end.
The word ESSAY comes the French verb essayer (to try). To write an essay means, quite simply, to try to explain
your understanding of and/or insight into a topic. The most important feature of an essay is the main idea. The
thesis statement is where you put forth that main idea. The remainder of the essay is spent providing and
discussing the best evidence to prove the validity of your analysis.
Essay question:
What is the central theme of the story and how does the author develop this idea?
Steps ….
#1 Closely read and analyze the story. Your annotations and your inventory are evidence of this first step in the
process. The truth is, though, to write the essay well, you will have to go back into the story again and again. Good
essay writers constantly move between the text and their drafts. In other words, have the story close by at all
times.
#2 Determine how the choices made by the writer influence your appreciation of the story’s theme. This step
involves analysis (a higher order thinking skill).
#3 Choose one of the following options for analysis. State the theme and then explain how one or two of the
following aspects of the writing shape your understanding of that theme.
-Explore how at least two aspects of setting play an important role in how you come to identify
and understand the theme of the story. (Setting= geographic location, era/ timeframe, social
and/or cultural context, atmosphere)
-Identify and analyze the narrative point of view of the story and how it contributes to your
understanding of theme.
- Analyze how the author’s characterization contributes to your understanding of the theme.
#4 Begin locating the evidence from the text that will support your analysis of the theme.
EXERCISE: Complete the table below in your own notes. Use as much space as needed.
Finding Support for Analysis of Theme
Title __________________________________________________by __________________________
Theme statement:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
I will focus my analysis on how _____________________________________________ contributes to my
understanding of the central theme. (Choices: Characterization, Setting, Narrative Point of View).
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Goal: Identify at least three passages that would be useful in explaining your analysis of
theme.
Evidence from the text
What this gets me thinking about …….
#4 Thesis: This a sentence or two that contains the main idea of the essay. In it, state the author’s name, the story
title, the theme and mention of how you will proceed with your analysis.
Sample thesis: In Debbie Springer’s “The Kayak”, the author uses the natural elements of a specific setting to
emphasize Theresa’s struggle to appreciate how as humans we must first heal ourselves before we can open
ourselves up to others.
Writing Workshop 2: Organization of Your Essay
BIG IDEA: All essays share a similar structure. They vary in topic and length but the backbone of good writing is
always the same. Transitional language is used throughout.
Introductory Paragraph
-
Lead (author’s name and title of story)
Synopsis ( one line overview)
Thesis (Author’s last name, theme statement and element(S) you will discuss named.
Mention of how you will argue the thesis – Order is important.
Body of the Essay
For this essay at least 2 paragraphs
Each Paragraph
-
Claim: Topic sentence which explains what you will analyze and discuss in the paragraph
Reason: Supporting details
Evidence: At least one quotation from the text
Discussion of evidence including how it demonstrates claim (***Target: About 50% of the paragraph; it
should be a lot more of your analysis than details from the story)
Concluding Paragraph
-
Remind your reader of the thesis
Hi-light the main points you made
Leave your reader with an original, insightful statement
Introduce no new ideas at this point.
Transitional Language builds bridges from idea to the next.
-“as well; for example; therefore” etc See my website for a more complete list.
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Writing Workshop 3: The Language of Literary Analysis
BIG IDEA: Every discipline has a language of its own. Writing about literature does as well!
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