Literary Analysis Essay
Mrs. van der Kwast
Methacton High School
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to
write about. (FOCUS)
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence. (FOCUS AND CONTENT)
3. Create a thesis statement. (FOCUS)
4. Develop an evidence chart or table. (CONTNET)
5. Write an outline. (ORGANIZATION)
6. Write the body paragraphs. (CONTENT)
7. Write the introduction (FOCUS/ORGANIZATION)
8.Write the conclusion. (FOCUS/ORGANIZATION)
Created by Barbara Tollison
Attack The Prompt
Choose any one of the short
stories that was assigned and
read in class this semester and
write an essay in which you
analyze literary devices and
the author’s purpose for using
them.
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Develop an evidence chart or table.
4. Create a thesis statement.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8. Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
There are three stories from
which to choose:
The Most Dangerous Game
by Richard Connell
The Sniper
by Liam O’Flaherty
The Scarlet Ibis
by James Hurst
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8. Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Writing a Good Thesis Statement
The thesis statement tells your reader what to
expect: it is a restricted, precisely worded
declarative sentence that states the purpose
of your essay -- the point you are trying to
make. Be sure to identify the title and give
credit to the author!
Without a carefully conceived thesis, an essay
has little chance of maintaining focus. The
following are thesis statements which would
work for a 500-750 word literary analysis
essay:
Created by Barbara Tollison
Good Thesis Statements:
Gwendolyn Brooks’s 1960 poem, “The Ballad of Rudolph
Reed,” demonstrates how the poet uses the conventional
poetic form of the ballad to treat the unconventional
poetic subject of racial intolerance.
The fate of the main characters in Antigone illustrates the
danger of excessive pride.
The imagery in Dylan Thomas’s poem “Fern Hill” reveals
the ambiguity of our relationship with nature.
PLEASE NOTE: THE BEST PLACE TO PUT YOUR THESIS STATEMENT IS
AT THE END OF YOUR INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Created by Barbara Tollison
3. Decide on the theme of the story based on how
the main character changed or learned in the
story. Write it down:
Rainsford learned that even the most seemingly
civilized person is capable of great savagery.
The theme of “The Most Dangerous Game” by
Richard Connell is that people can be
dangerous and brutal.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Which Literary Devices?
4. Choose the three forms of literary devices
that were used most effectively in the story
to show how the character felt about or
reacted to the conflict.
1.imagery
2. foreshadowing
3.irony
Created by Barbara Tollison
Turn it in to a sentence:
Richard Connell uses irony, imagery and
foreshadowing to convey his theme that
humans can be savage in his short story
“The Most Dangerous Game.”
“The Most Dangerous Game” is an
adventurous story in which Richard
Connell uses foreshadowing, imagery
and figurative language to create a
conflict that shows how capable of evil
people can be.
Created by Barbara Tollison
If you do TAG in B of the
Outline, leave it out of the
Thesis Statement.
• Richard Connell uses foreshadowing,
imagery and figurative language to create
a conflict that shows how capable of evil
people can be.
• Connell uses irony, imagery and
foreshadowing to convey his theme that
humans can be savage in his short story
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3.Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8.Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Organizational Chart
Title ____________________ Author______________________
Theme________________________________
__________________________ _______________________________ _________________________________________
Literary Device:
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:___________________________
________________________
_____________________________
_______________________
_____________________________
______________(p.___).
Tie the example to the theme:
____________________________
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:____________________________
________________________
______________________________
_______________________
______________________________
______________(p.___).
Tie the example to the theme:
_____________________________
Created by Barbara Tollison
____________________________
____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Organizational Chart
Literary Device:
Literary Device:
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:___________________
________________________ _________________________
_________________________
______________(___).
Tie the example to the theme:
________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:___________________
_______________________ _________________________
_________________________
______________(___).
Tie the example to the theme:
________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:___________________
________________________ _________________________
_________________________
______________(___).
Tie the example to the theme:
________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Example in quotes:
Identify and explain example and the
________________________ author’s purpose for using
it:___________________
________________________ _________________________
_________________________
______________(___).
Tie the example to the theme:
________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8. Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Outline
I. Introductory Paragraph
A. General Theme Statement
B. Summary of conflict and how character changes
with TAG
C. Thesis statement
II. Body Paragraph 1
III. Body Paragraph 2
IV. Body Paragraph 3
V. Conclusion
A. Thesis re-stated with TAG
B. Re-statement of theme.
C. Sentence about how theme relates to character’s
growth.
D. Sentence about how the three literary elements
helped develop this theme.
E. Final theme statement about how the theme is a
universal lesson.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Writing a good topic sentence
For your middle (body) paragraph, you want a
topic sentence that does the following:
1. Uses a transitional word or phrase that ties it in
to the rest of the essay.
2. Tells the reader which literary element will be
analyzed in this paragraph.
3. Explains the author’s purpose in connecting to
the theme.
1. yes, all this in just one sentence!!
Created by Barbara Tollison
Examples of Topic Sentences:
• To set the mood for his adventurous, dangerous
tale, Connell uses vivid imagery that reflects his
theme of human savagery.
• As a complement to the imagery in the story,
Connell also includes a great deal of figurative
language to create a mood of danger.
• The strongest stylistic device used in the story is
irony, as the theme of brutal predation is driven
home by the ironic twist in the story.
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8. Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Body Paragraphs
I usually write the body
paragraphs before I write the
introduction. That way, I know
what my evidence is before I
introduce my topic. Planning
and Writing the body
paragraph helps me write a
better introduction and
conclusion later.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Body Paragraph Format: 8 Sentences
TS – Topic Sentence: Introduces the literary device and the
author’s purpose for using it.
Concrete 1- Introduces and quotes something from the story,
with quotation marks and page number. (From Chart)
Commentary : Tells what the literary device means and its
effect on the reader.
Commentary : Tell how the example reflects the theme.
Concrete Detail 2 - Introduces and quotes something from the
story, with quotation marks and page number. (From Chart)
Commentary : Tells what the literary device means and its
effect on the reader.
Commentary: Tell how the example reflects the theme.
CS – Concluding Sentence: Brings paragraph to an end and
leads to next paragraph.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Repeat this step at least TWO TIMES for a total of at least THREE BODY PARAGRAPHS
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8. Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Writing the Introduction:
A. Write a broad statement/ generalization about the
theme.
B. Write a brief (no more than three sentences)
explanation of plot events that create the conflict that
changes the protagonist/teaches him/her about the
theme). As you do this, remember to include the TAG
(title, author and genre of the story, properly
capitalized.
C. Thesis statement: Write one or two sentences
telling how the author presents the theme
through the three literary devices that you
have outlined in your planner.
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed
to write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for
evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6.Write the body paragraphs.
7.Write the introduction
8.Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
Writing the Conlusion:
A. Restatement (same idea, use TAG this time) of the Thesis
Statement, using synonyms for your main theme words
B. Write a sentence about how this theme/message was
important to the main character of the story
C. Write a sentence or two about how the literary devices
that you cited were used to create a mood/tone in the
story that helped the reader get the message.
D. Write a sentence that tells how this lesson could
help everyone or society as a whole.
Created by Barbara Tollison
The Steps to a Good Essay:
1. Attack the Prompt to know what I am supposed to
write about.
2. Determine what material I will use for evidence.
3. Create a thesis statement.
4. Develop an evidence chart or table.
5. Write an outline.
6. Write the body paragraphs.
7. Write the introduction
8.Write the conclusion.
Created by Barbara Tollison
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