
The Literary Essay is an insightful, critical
interpretation of a literary work.

It is not a summary of plot, character or other
elements of fiction in any given literary work.

…you provide your own formal interpretation
and/or opinion of the topic

…you use the literary work to prove or
substantiate your understanding of the topic

…try to prove the plot – we know how the
series of events unfolded because we read
the book

…need to prove that the characters, setting,
or themes existed in the literary work

…provide an interpretation of the plot,
setting, character, conflict, and themes as
they relate to the topic you are discussing

…develop elements that will prove your
argument

…allows you, the writer, to provide your own
understanding of the literary work in a
properly structured format.
In order to be complete, your essay
must include the following :

…clearly introduces the topic, the literary
work, and the author.

Example:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee presents
prejudice and discrimination of people.

The introduction allows you to give the
reader the clear and specific direction of
your essay.

…states the main purpose of the essay

…is often stated in the LAST sentence of
your introduction

…answers the question:
What will you prove/show through this
essay about the literary work under
discussion?

…is divided into paragraphs

…is composed of paragraphs which
begin with a topic sentence that
clearly introduces the topic in the
paragraph and end with linking
sentences that introduce the next
paragraph



…serves to PROVE your thesis
NOTE:
In order to prove your thesis, you must develop and
expand on the topic using examples and citations
(quotes) from the literary work to substantiate your
statements
Once a quote is cited, you must provide an
interpretation, not a summary, about how this
quote is relevant to the development of the topic
and thesis


…is where you develop your ideas about the topic
…is where you provide your own ideas by
answering the following questions:
1. What is the topic? How is the topic relevant?
2. How does the topic relate to the literary work?
3. How does topic affect the development of the literary
work as a whole?
4.
5.
6.
What is my understanding of the topic and the
literary work?
How does the setting affect the development of
the topic?
How do the characters assist in the development
of the topic?
You DO NOT, however, write your essay in
a “question & answer” format. It must flow
like the literary work itself.
Use the questions only as a GUIDE.
They will help you to interpret
instead of summarizing!
The first sentence of the conclusion is a
restatement of your THESIS.
Do not introduce any new information in the
conclusion.
Restate your most important points as a means
of bringing your argument to a close.
The conclusion is your last chance to prove
your opinion to the reader!
Introduction : Paragraph One
1st sentence:
General overview of the
topic
2nd & 3rd sentences: Introduction of the author
and the literary work
Additional sentences: Description and/or
development of the
literary work as it pertains
the topic. It’s where you
introduce your argument.
Final sentence:
Restatement of the thesis .
Paragraph 2 –
Development of first argument
Topic Sentence: Introduces only the argument
in this paragraph.
Development consists of
ideas which support the topic
sentence and thesis


Choose 1 – 2 quotes from the literary work which will
develop/support this topic and establish a connection to
topic/thesis
A linking sentence will reinforce what was stated in this
paragraph and connect it to the following argument.
Paragraph 3 – Development of second argument
Paragraph 4 – Development of third argument

Restates the thesis

Summarizes the main points of your
argument from each paragraph

Makes final concluding point
HOW IT LOOKS
INTRODUCTION
ARGUMENT 1
BODY
ARGUMENT 2
ARGUMENT 3
CONCLUSION
Quotes of four lines or less can be included in the
body of your essay using quotation marks
Example:
“He stood there until nightfall, and I
waited for him. When we went in the
house I saw he had been crying; his
Author’s last
face was dirty.” (Lee 63)
name and page

reference
For citations that are MORE than 4 lines long,
centre and single space the quote as shown
below:
Indent 10 spaces
For reasons unfathomable
to the most experienced
prophets in Maycomb County,
autumn turned to winter that year.
We had two weeks of the coldest
weather since 1885 (Lee 63)
Alfredo, B. Critical Interpretations of To Kill A
Mockingbird. New York: Routledge, 1999.
Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner
Books, 1960.
Use MLA format.
Include the literary work in the works consulted list .




Do not make a title page for your paper unless
specifically requested.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list
your name, your instructor's name, the course, and
the date. Be sure to use double-spaced text.
Double space again and center the title. Don't
underline your title or put it in quotation marks.
Double space between the title and the first line of
the text.
Here is a sample first page of an essay in MLA style:
Ensure you have completed the following before
you submit your essay for assessment to your
teacher:
1.
Double spaced your essay
2.
Microsoft Sans Serif , Verdana or Calibri, font size 12
3.
MLA format throughout
Labeled each page, including page 1, with your last
name and page number
4.
5.
Included a Works Consulted page
6.
Cited the literary work in the works cited page and
referenced it properly throughout
7.
Have introduction, body paragraphs, and
conclusion
8.
Clearly stated thesis
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Edited for spelling and language errors (be
careful of “typos”)
Stapled the essay in the correct order
Spelled the teacher’s name correctly
Indented each new paragraph 5 spaces to
show its beginning
Underlined all book titles throughout the
essay