Lord of the
Flies
Literary
Analysis
Essay
Definition
Analytic writing breaks a subject-in our
case a novel- into parts in order to
understand better how it works or what
it means.
A literary analysis essay is not a plot
summary
How to Write a Literary
Analysis Essay
 You begin to explain how the author
communicates your theme through
narrative techniques (our focus:
characterization, symbolism, and
allegory).
 Create a thesis statement.
 Explain and support the thesis.
Thesis
Write a "working thesis," making a claim
about the techniques you will analyze.
Remember, you are making a statement
about the author's use of these techniques in
relation to the theme
The purpose of your essay will be to support,
explore, demonstrate, and/or illustrate the
validity of the claim you have made about that
element.
Formulas for a Thesis
In (title of poem/novel/play), (author's name) uses
(your character), (your symbol), and (your allegory)
to (show/criticize/explain/etc.) (theme statement).
– In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the
character_________, the symbol of the ____, and
the _______ allegory to show that
_____________ (theme statement).
– Bottom line: 3 narrative techniques
supporting/backing up one theme
Topic Sentences
Compose topic sentences that support,
explore, demonstrate, explain, or illustrate
your thesis. Always begin with a topic
sentence (a claim); never begin a paragraph
in the body of your paper with a quotation or
summary sentence.
Look at your thesis. What 3 narrative
techniques did you mention? These become
your topic sentences.
Prewrite: Body 1
Through the characterization of _________,
Golding establishes/shows/displays his idea
that ____ (theme statement).
CD 1: physical description of character
CD 2:something the character says
CD: something the character does
Prewrite: Body 2
Another narrative technique Golding
uses/employs to enhance his theme is
the symbol of the _________.
A chronological tracing of the symbol
might make sense
• CD 1: quote/summary of the symbol
• CD2: another quote/summary of the symbol
• CD3: another quote/summary of the symbol
Prewrite: Body 3
Finally, Golding solidifies his theme of
good and evil with the _____________
allegory.
CD 1: one symbol/part of the allegory
CD 2: another symbol/part of the
allegory
CD 3: another symbol/part of the
allegory
Body Paragraph 1-3
Analysis of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd technique and its’
connection to your theme:
– Clearly identify the topic of the paragraph-not just the
technique but how it relates to the theme (your point).
– Give specific examples from the text which show how the
trait is used/developed/displayed.
– Show how these examples help to communicate the theme
(your point) of the novel.
– A good concluding sentence will help pull together your
ideas and make a transition to the next paragraph.
11 Sentence Paragraph
Outline
1. Topic Sentence
2. Concrete Details:Specific examples
from the novel (3)
3. Commentary explaining how those
examples help the reader understand
theme (2 sent of CM for each CD)
4. Concluding Sentence-mentions how
technique helps to understand theme
Warning
If all you do in one body paragraph is give a few
examples of the symbol from the text and simply
identify them, then you haven't analyzed anything.
The analysis part involves explaining how the
symbol contributes to the development of theme
(your point).
But to be sophisticated in your analysis, you must
have ideas that are "in-depth" - not just the superficial
facts of what you see on the page. You must interpret
what the author has given you to work with and show
that you understand the theme.
Rough Draft
Due next class
Typed, double spaced (or handwritten,
double spaced)
Thesis plus 3 body paragraphs = 100
Introduction
Start with a quote
Get the reader's attention. Set the tone
of the essay. State the controlling idea
(thesis) of the essay.
Orient Reader: In 1-3 sentences,
identify the title, author, and subject of
the novel.
Introduction Ideas
Look at the quotations we started
the novel with.
Go to bartleby.com for more
quotations.
Example Intro
Aristotle once wrote, “Man, when perfected, is the
best of animals, but, when separated from law and
justice, he is the worst.” Aristotle’s idea comes to life
in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Golding shares
Aristotle’s low opinion of mankind and Golding
realizes that the only thing keeping humanity civil, law
and justice, can easily be destroyed………… In Lord
of the Flies, Golding uses the symbols of the conch,
the fire, and the Lord of the Flies to enforce his belief
that a fine line exists between civilization and
savagery.
Conclusion
Why is this novel important to us?
The conclusion should tie together the main
ideas of the essay.
It should not simply summarize or repeat the
ideas, but should extend them by establishing
a relationship between the novel and why we
should understand it.
It’s helpful to think of this as the answer to the
“so what” question
Embedding Quotations
Use quotes (with page numbers) from the book. Blend them in
with your context, by having quotes and context share
sentences. For example:
Not embedded: Janie’s images for romantic happiness come
from nature. “Life should be more like a pear tree in bloom, she
thinks” (67). She thinks this when she is unhappy in her
relationships.
Embedded: Because Janie’s image for romantic happiness
comes from nature, she thinks, “life should be more like a pear
tree in bloom” (67) when she is unhappy in her relationship.
Using Quotations
Commentary: Make sure that before or after each quote,
you point out how it connects to the thesis. As with
blending in quotes, you can do this with variety and
finesse. (You don’t have to mention the word “thesis” or
say the term, “proves my point”.
For example:
– This also proves the thesis because a rich man is
happier with an expensive toy than he is when in love
» VS
– Once again, O’Neil portrays rich men as happier with
expensive toys than in love.