Literary Analysis Essays
Analyzing Character
©2002 Cheryl Staley & Pat Marshall
Sponsored by the CCHS Foundation
Overview
• Introductory Paragraph
• Body Paragraphs
• Concluding Paragraph
Note: Sample paragraphs are from character
analysis essays on the short story “Thank You,
M’am” by Langston Hughes.
Introductory Paragraph
•
•
•
•
•
•
Attention-getting technique
Transition to author and work
Summarize story’s plot
Author and work identification
Transition to thesis
Thesis statement
“D” Level Paragraph
There was this lady. Her
name was Mrs. Jones. A boy
named Roger tried to steal her
purse. I’m writing this essay
about her. She was fearless,
trustful, and generous.
Analysis of “D” Paragraph
• Writer does not
– Use an attention-getting technique
– Mention title and author
– Use sentence transitions
• Writer refers to “this essay” but
should not make reference
• Writer does
– Use clear thesis statement
“C” Level Paragraph
Langston Hughes writes a story
about a fascinating character, Mrs. Luella
Bates Washington Jones. While she is
walking home one evening, a boy tries to
steal her purse. Many ladies would have
turned Roger over to the police, but Mrs.
Jones decides to teach Roger some
valuable life lessons in honesty. She is a
fearless, trustful, and generous person.
Analysis of “C” Paragraph
• Writer does not
– Use an attention-getting device
– Mention title
• Writer does
– Use an appropriate story background
– Provide transition to thesis
statement
– Use clear thesis statement
“A” Level Paragraph
When great teachers are mentioned, most
people think of biology instructors, football
coaches, Girl Scout leaders, and others in similar
positions. However, some of the greatest teachers
may be individuals not normally classified as
teachers. Roger, a character in the short story
“Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, encounters
such an unusual teacher on a city sidewalk. The
story tells not only of the encounter, but also the
kindness Roger experiences following the
encounter. Because she is a fearless, trustful, and
generous woman, Mrs. Jones teaches Roger a
lesson he will remember.
Organization of Essay
she is a fearless, trustful, and generous woman
Mrs. Jones shows no fear in her encounter with Roger
Not only does Mrs. Jones display courage,
but she also proves to be a trusting person.
Mrs. Jones’s generosity to Roger extends beyond
her sharing a meal with him.
she is a fearless, trustful, and generous woman
Analysis of “A” Paragraph
• Writer does
– Use an appropriate attention-getting
technique
– Make a good transition to author and work
identification
– Weave author and work identification into
paragraph
– Provide a thesis statement that does more
than merely list traits (establishes position
AND character traits)
Body Paragraphs
• Topic sentence
• Transitions into support
• Appropriate examples and
correctly-cited quotations
• Sufficient elaboration of examples
and quotations
• Effective clincher sentence
“D/F” Level Paragraphs
A lot of ladies would be sacred. If a kid
tried to steel. Mrs. Jones was not scared of
Roger. She even took him home with her.
She didn’t watch home the hole time.
Went on about her business. She made supper
for him. Even left her purse out in the open.
She gave Roger some money. He had tried
to steal her purse. He wanted money to buy some
blue suede shoes. I guess those where cool back
then. She told him not to steal no more.
Analysis of “D/F” Paragraphs
• Writer does not
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Use a topic sentences
Use quoted support
Use sufficient elaboration
Stay on topic (off-topic sentence)
Use detail from story
Use clincher sentences
Proofread to eliminate multiple mechanical
errors
“C” Level Paragraphs
Mrs. Jones fearlessly faced the would-be
thief. Roger ran up behind her and tried to steal
her purse by breaking the strap. Instead of running
away from him, she “simply turned around and kicked
him right square on his blue jeaned sitter.”
Furthermore, she “shook him until his teeth
rattled.” She did not act in fear at all. In fact, she
took him home with her. Not many people would
take home a strange boy who tried to rob them.
That is another reason she is brave.
Mrs. Jones is a trustful person. She does
two things which show this. She leaves her door
open and her purse out in plain view. She trusts
Roger not to run away and not to try to steal her
purse again.
Finally, Mrs. Jones is a generous person.
She feeds Roger supper. She talks to him about
why he tries to steal from her. When he reveals
that he wanted ten dollars to buy blue suede
shoes, she gives him the money. She lets him
leave after she tells him to “behave yourself,
son, from here on in.”
“C” Paragraphs Analysis
• Writer does
– Use clear topic sentences
– Attempt to transition into support
• Writer does not
– Use effective clincher sentences
• 1st body paragraph
– Adequate support without citations
• 2nd body paragraph
– Insufficient examples and elaboration
• 3rd body paragraph
– Sufficient examples
– Insufficient elaboration
“A” Level Paragraphs
Roger is a would-be thief. About eleven
o’clock one night, he runs up behind Mrs. Jones and
tries to snatch her purse. When he falls down on
the sidewalk, Mrs. Jones “simply turned around and
kicked him right square in his blue jeaned sitter”
(78). While some women would have avoided
confrontation with a stranger under similar
circumstances, Mrs. Jones does not. She shook
Roger “until his teeth rattled” and then demanded
“Pick up my pocketbook boy, and give it here” (78).
Mrs. Jones shows no fear in her encounter with
Roger.
Not only does Mrs. Jones display courage, but she
also proves to be a trusting person. She decides that
Roger needs to wash and to eat and that she will take him
to her home in order to do so. “I got a great mind to wash
your face for you,” (78) she tells Roger. “You ought to be
my son. I would teach you right from wrong. Least I can
do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry” (78)?
In just a few words, she assumes the role of a teacher and
a mother substitute. She not only takes Roger home but
she also continues to display a trusting nature once they
arrive. When she gets up to prepare supper, Mrs. Jones
“did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now,
nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on
the daybed” (79). Roger begins to respond to Mrs. Jones
in a positive way. Hughes tells the readers that Roger “did
not want to be mistrusted now” (79). Her trust in Roger is
beginning to create a relationship between them.
Mrs. Jones’s generosity to Roger extends beyond
her sharing a meal with him. Roger tells her that he
tried to steal her purse in order to get money for a pair
of blue suede shoes. Mrs. Jones then does a remarkable
thing. She takes money from her purse and says, “Now
here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue
suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of
latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because
shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet”
(78). She bids him goodnight, and Roger wants to
express his gratitude but cannot find words more
eloquent than a simple “thank you.” However, Hughes
leaves the readers with the definite impression that
Roger has been profoundly touched by the generosity of
Mrs. Jones.
“A” Paragraphs Analysis
• Writer does not
– Proofread to eliminate minor mechanical
errors (tense shift)
• Writer does
– Use clear topic sentences with variety of
placements
– Use strong transitions into support
– Incorporate sufficient quotations with
correct citations
– Provide abundant text-based elaboration
– Use strong clincher sentences
Concluding Paragraph
• Summarize in different words the
content of the essay
• Link conclusion to introduction and
its attention- getting technique
• Demonstrate final insight based
on original thought
“F” Concluding Paragraph
Roger learned his lesson. Don’t steal from
ladies like Mrs. Jones.
“F” Paragraph Analysis
• Writer does not
– Include a summary
– Provide a link to introduction
• NOTE: Introduction has no attentiongetting technique for linkage.
• Writer does
– Attempt a final insight
“C” Concluding Paragraph
Mrs. Jones chooses to teach Roger an
important lesson. Roger responds to her kindness
by saying “Thank you, m’am” when he leaves. It is a
thank you for supper, for shoes, and for being a
good teacher.
“C” Paragraph Analysis
• Writer does not
– Summarize content of essay
• NOTE summarizes story
– Link to introduction and its attentiongetting technique
• NOTE repeats introduction
– Provide a final insight
“A” Concluding Paragraph
Some teachers are brilliant instructors due
to their superior education. Others make excellent
teachers because they are adept as communicators.
Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones emerges not
from a university but rather from a hotel beauty
shop to become Roger’s teacher. Her courage,
trust, and generosity communicate more to Roger
than mere words ever could.
“A” Paragraph Analysis
• Writer does
– Review character traits
– Link to introduction about teachers
– Create a final insight that implies life
lesson
Tips & Hints for success
• First reference to author is by FULL
name; subsequent references are by
LAST name only.
• Choose apt quotations and weave them
into the paragraph. Final punctuation is
AFTER the citation.
• Use an original title for your essay.
• BE CONSISTENT.
– Write about literature in present tense.
– Use one point of view (likely third person).