Critical Analysis – an essay that analyzes a piece of literature using existing criticism to back up an original thesis. As pertains to
English class, this means that you will read a novel, formulate an original (meaning your own) thesis statement about the novel, and use published literary criticism to support your thesis.
Other definitions to help you:
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Criticism – writing that analyzes a literary work in order to evaluate how it does or does not succeed in communicating its meaning or achieving its purpose
 Analysis – a way of thinking that involves taking apart, examining, and explaining a subject or an idea
1.
Read and understand the novel
2.
Decide on the particular element (literary device – theme, character, etc.) that you wish to explore
3.
Identify concrete details from the novel that support your topic
4.
Formulate a thesis statement
5.
Find existing literary criticism dealing with your topic
6.
Write the rest of the of the essay, proving what you allege in your thesis statement by citing :
1.
concrete details from the novel
2.
existing literary criticism
AND adding your own commentary that:
1.
analyzes the examples from the novel
2.
explains your opinion/interpretation of the existing criticism
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This will be the most difficult part of writing your essay. You should spend plenty of time formulating your thesis statement because it will be the foundation of your entire essay, determining the direction of both research and content. You are NOT merely explaining the novel. You are saying something BRILLIANT and ORIGINAL about the novel.
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Not sure where to start? Brainstorm! Answer these questions:
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What do you think of The Great Gatsby? Did you like it? Why/why not? What specifically did you like/dislike about it?
Which aspects of the book stood out to you? What are some lessons we can learn from the book? Why are these lessons important? How does Fitzgerald get them across? How does the book relate to you personally? How is this book still applicable today, even though it was written almost 90 years ago? Which literary devices did you notice?
1.
be provable with evidence from both the novel and outside criticism
2.
analyze the use of at least one particular literary device . EX: theme, characterization, satire, symbolism, etc. Your analysis can focus on the literary device itself (how/why it’s used, the effect of its usage, etc.) OR it can focus on an issue from the novel that deals with a literary device or that is developed through use of literary device.
Lit. Device Example Thesis: Fitzgerald’s use of color imagery and symbolism help to establish prominent themes.
Blue allows the reader to add an element of "other worldliness" to the story. It shows the dreams and thoughts of characters in the novel. Dr. T. J. Eckleburg has enormous "floating" blue eyes, which are said to be God's eyes. They are believed to view the world as God himself would. At one point Myrtle is clothed in a blue dress, which represents her dreams of escaping her mundane life and running away with Tom. Most importantly, Gatsby's gardens are described as being shades of blue and are initially shown as a place where people could escape from the world and be out of touch with reality.

Yellow illustrates the greed and wealth of the characters. Yellow is one of the main symbolic colors in The Great Gatsby . It represents the wealth and extravagance of the rich. It also demonstrates how careless the wealthy can be, though they are considered "high class" with all their money. Gatsby's car is yellow. Yellow is also a shade used to connect a person's snobbery with her money--Daisy is referred to as "the golden girl," Jordan's hair has an "Autumn leaf yellow" tint, Gatsby wears a gold tie, and the twins at one of Gatsby's parties are dressed in yellow.
Green represents the struggle that Gatsby has between his wealth and his dreams. Green is a mixture of the colors blue and yellow; it represents Gatsby's dreams and his wealth hopelessly tangled together. There is a green light at the end of Daisy's dock, which suggests
Gatsby has kept his dream of the Daisy he knew and loved before he made his fortune, and the fact that their relationship will always be affected by money. Green is also traditionally represents spring or a new beginning. Gatsby sees the green light as hope for a relationship with Daisy.
3.
Lead to analysis , NOT description or plot summary . a.
For example, a good thesis statement that leads to analysis might be: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the moral decay of society is reflective of each of the three principal characters.
In this essay, the writer will explain what she means by “moral decay of society,” explain why the moral decay of society is an appropriate theme for the novel, discuss each principal character’s (Gatsby, Daisy, Tom) actions/motivation, and explain how those actions/motivations reflect her definition of “moral decay of society.” b.
A thesis that only leads to description might be: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchannan is a violent and cruel person.
This statement leads only to a description of Tom’s character. The writer would need to analyze what function Tom’s cruelty serves in the context of the whole novel or the effect Tom’s character has on the plot, theme, other characters, etc. c.
Finally, a thesis that leads only to plot summary : In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the titular tragic hero attempts to win the love of Daisy Buchannan. This starts off well with the interpretation of Gatsby’s character as a tragic hero, but the essay would lead only to a re-telling of Gatsby’s actions, which is insufficient. The writer would need to comment upon Gatsby’s actions or interpret them in a unique way in order to analyze the significance, author’s purpose, etc.
REMEMBER : you want a thesis statement that leads to analysis , not description or plot summary.
4.
Include the title of the novel, the author’s name, and the opinion that you will prove in the paper by citing concrete details from the novel and published literary criticism.
1.
5 Paragraphs: 1 intro containing thesis statement, 3 body paragraphs each containing a thesis-supporting topic sentence, and 1 conclusion
2.
Referenced material from at least three outside sources documented properly
3.
6 Direct quotations from both novel and 3 outside sources cited properly
4.
Final iteration will be typed and grammatically superior
1.
Give a brief (2-3 sentences) explanation of the plot.
2.
If applicable, give background on the novel, author, or historical context. Is there any information from the author’s life that pertains to the novel? What was the author’s purpose in writing the novel? What was America like when the novel was written?
3.
Provide a transition sentence that connects the plot/background with the thesis.
4.
State the thesis as the last sentence of the introduction. Needs to have the author, work, and the opinion you will prove.
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4-5 sentences total. • Background on the novel, author, or time period. Interesting facts about the 1920s.
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Last sentence is Thesis Statement. • Explain your theme or position and why it’s applicable or relates to the book.
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2-3 sentence plot synopsis • What is your opinion of the book?

A well-written, sufficient analysis body paragraph must include the following:
1.
Topic Sentence which relates directly to your thesis sentence.
First sentence CANNOT be a quote.
2.
At least 2 (probably 3) pieces of evidence/examples/quotes from the text or outside sources, also known as Concrete
Details .
3.
When quotes are used, they must be incorporated and documented correctly.
4.
Each piece of evidence must be explained with at least 2 sentences of Commentary .
5.
A concluding and/or transitional sentence. Last sentence CANNOT be a quote.
Bare Minimum Body Paragraph Sentence Outline
1.
Topic Sentence
2.
Concrete Detail #1
3.
Commentary
4.
Commentary
5.
Concrete Detail #2
6.
Commentary
7.
Commentary
8.
Concluding/Transitional Sentence
Format “Quote quote” (Surname pg#). Notice the period OUTSIDE the parenthesis, NOT inside the quotation marks.
Example sentence/Straight Quote – “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made” (Fitzgerald 179).
Example sentence/Embedded Quote – Nick characterizes Tom and Daisy as “careless people” who “smashed up things” and
“retreated back into their money” rather than facing the consequences of their selfish actions (Fitzgerald 179).
How to use Ellipsis - replace the part you don't want with ... You do NOT need it before or after the quote.
Quote - "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
Example sentence - Nick finds himself “within and without…enchanted and repelled” by Tom Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson’s apartment party (Fitzgerald 35).
How to use Brackets - if you want to alter the words, verb tense, etc. of a quote, put brackets around your alterations.
Quote – “The green light at the end of Daisy's dock and the spell it casts over Gatsby as he tries to force the world into his version of the American Dream endures as an iconic symbol of both optimism and failure.”
Example sentence - “The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock…casts [a spell] over Gatsby” (Green 39).
1.
Use the present tense when referring to a literary work. ( Gatsby throws lavish parties .) Keep tense consistent.
2.
Mention incidents in the plot as concrete details only to prove your thesis statement. This essay is NOT merely plot summary.
3.
Make each paragraph prove your thesis.
4.
Quote incidents and passages from the novel and use proper MLA documentation.
5.
Properly document your critical sources both internally (Parenthetical Documentation) and in a bibliography (Works Cited
Page) in correct MLA format.
6.
Write in the third person only. Avoiding I , our , we , us , and you
7.
Adopt an authoritative tone , avoiding words such as should , maybe , seems , could , possibly , etc.

On-Line Periodical Database
Author's last name, First name. "Title of Article." Original Source of Article. Day Month Year: Pages. Product Name, Day Month
Year (date accessed).
EACH ELEMENT EXPLAINED
1. Author's last name, First name. Who wrote the article? Use this last name for your Parenthetical Documentation.
2. "Title of Article." What is the full name of the article? Make sure there is a period at the end, INSIDE the quotes.
3. Original Source of Article. This is the BOOK that originally published your article. You can find this on the Ebsco page that describes your article. Book Titles need to be underlined.
4. Day Month Year: When was the BOOK (original source of article) published? Some might have a season, so you would cite that instead of a month. EX: Fall 2005
5. Page(s). Only list the page numbers. EX: 121-128 NOT: #121.128 or p. 121-128
6. Product Name, This is either Ebsco or Literary Reference Center
7. Day Month Year (date accessed). The day you found the article. EX : 28 Mar. 2014
EXAMPLES
Dickstein, Morris. "Fitzgerald: The Authority of Failure." Critical Insights: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Oct. 2012: 288-305. Literary
Reference Center, 28 Mar. 2014.
Sklenar, R. "Anti-Petronian Elements in The Great Gatsby." F. Scott Fitzgerald Review. Sept. 2008: 121-128, vol. 6. Ebsco, 28 Mar.
2014.
FORMAT
1) all entries are in Alphabetical Order by Author's last name
2) First line is against the margin; all other lines are indented. (A works cited entry is the exact opposite of a paragraph.)
3) NOT double spaced, but skip a line between entries
4) Entries are NOT numbered
WORKS CITED FOR THE NOVEL
You can copy this entry exactly. You will need this on your works cited, as the novel is one of your sources.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 1925.
OTHER SOURCES
Some of you will have sources from the internet rather than Ebsco or Literary Reference Center. Cite those sources as websites. The
MLA format for citing websites is on the teacher website.
1.
Outside sources/Research/3 Articles – daily grade 4/1
2.
Outline with Thesis statement, 3 Topic sentences & 6 quotes – daily grade 4/3
3.
TYPED, printed Rough Draft #1 – quiz grade 4/9
4.
Revising/Editing – daily grade 4/10
5.
Printed Rough Draft #2 – daily grade 4/11
6.
Peer Editing: sheet and 8 Google Docs comments – daily grade 4/14
7.
Final Typed Essay – 2 test grades 4/15
8.
Final Works Cited Page – quiz grade 4/15
9.
Turnitin.com submission – daily grade 4/15
10.
Turning in everything in correct order – daily grade 4/15
3/28 – In library for sources
3/31 – Vocab. 10-12 Test
4/1 – Write Thesis Statement
4/2 – Write Topic Sentences
4/3 – Select Quotes
4/4 – In Lab R-106
4/7 – In classroom, work on MLA
4/8-11 – In Library, typing essay
4/14-15 – In Lab R-106