Writing literary analysis
Writing literary analysis involves crafting an argument that interprets a specific aspect of a work of literature rather than considering the entire piece. This form of writing can apply to various literary forms, including short stories, novels, poems, and even films. The writer's objective is to delve deeply into the text and discover a unique interpretation, supporting their claims with evidence drawn from the work itself and relevant secondary sources. Key elements often analyzed include plot, theme, setting, tone, and figurative language.
To begin, a writer selects a piece of literature that resonates with them, then thoroughly studies the text to identify a specific literary attribute to discuss. From there, they formulate an assertion that evolves into a thesis statement, which encapsulates the argument they intend to support. The structure of a literary analysis typically involves an introduction that outlines the work and thesis, a body that develops the argument with evidence, and a conclusion that reiterates the main points and encourages the reader to consider the argument. Proper citation of sources is crucial to avoid plagiarism and uphold academic integrity.
On this Page
Writing literary analysis
A literary analysis is a writer's argument for how an aspect of a work of literature should be interpreted. Such an analysis focuses on a specific attribute of a work rather than on the work as a whole. For example, a literary analysis may analyze the theme of a short story or a novel or the symbolism within it. When writing a literary analysis, writers must back up their assertions with the work itself and with secondary sources. Writers can analyze nearly any type of literature including short stories, novels, and poems. Some even analyze films.
Overview
Writers must look closely at a work and spend a significant amount of time studying it before writing a literary analysis. Their goal is to find an aspect of the text that can be interpreted in a new way and argue that this is the correct interpretation. A writer may, for example, argue that the raft in Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnis a symbol of an island, a place where Jim and Huck can be themselves without the influence of society. Literary attributes writers consider when writing a literary analysis include the plot, theme, setting, tone, and language. Writers quote and paraphrase the work of literature to illustrate the points they make. They also use secondary sources—the opinions of other writers—to do this.
The Process
The first step in writing a literary analysis is to choose a work of literature to analyze. Writers should select a work that interests them and they understand well. Once they do this, they need to spend time analyzing the work. They should analyze literary attributes of the work and make assertions about them. Writers typically analyze the plot, the theme, the conflict and resolution, the protagonist and the antagonist, the author's point of view, and figurative language.
Once they choose an attribute to write about, they need to make an assertion, or argument, about it. Their argument may be simple and informal at first. For example, they might state "'The Story of an Hour' is a short story about the oppressiveness of marriage." For a longer work, a writer might state "Personal resurrection is an important theme in the novel A Tale of Two Cities."
Writers will eventually turn this argument into a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a concise, specific sentence or two summarizing the argument the writer will prove in the essay. For example, a writer's thesis statement might be "In 'The Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard's physical heart troubles symbolize her emotional pain" or "In Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, the author emphasizes his belief in the possibility of resurrection for both the individual and all humankind."
Writers must then find evidence to support their argument in the work itself. They must study the text to find all relevant examples. When incorporating this evidence into their essay, they may quote it directly or paraphrase it.
Writers should also review secondary sources—what other writers have written about the work. Writers may use secondary sources to gain more insight into a work of literature and to back up their own argument. However, writers must take care to avoid overusing secondary sources—the literary analysis should mainly express their own ideas—and to ensure that these sources relate to their own thesis statement. They need to remember that secondary sources must be documented or it is considered plagiarism.
The Structure
A literary analysis has a specific structure that differs from some other types of essays. It begins with an introduction that states the work of literature the writer is interpreting and its author. It includes a thesis statement and possibly a few points about this argument. However, the writer should not go into great detail about the argument in the introduction.
Like most other types of writing, the body of the literary analysis follows the introduction. Writers develop and defend their argument in the body of the essay. In a literary analysis, the body can be divided into several sections, which may be as short as a paragraph or as long as several pages. Sometimes these essays follow the five paragraph format. Writers should explain how the topic of each section, as well as each paragraph, relates to their thesis statement.
When writing the body of a literary analysis, writers should avoid summarizing the plot of the original text. They can assume that the reader is already familiar with it. However, writers should point back to parts of the text and include quotations that support their assertions. They may also quote or paraphrase secondary sources to do this.
The conclusion of a literary analysis is a paragraph or two that restates the writer's original argument. A conclusion may also summarize the writer's most convincing points to make sure the reader remembers them. The conclusion of an argument is the writer's last chance to sway the reader.
Lastly, after the conclusion, writers need to include a works cited page or a bibliography. Writers must provide bibliographic citations about the original work and any relevant secondary sources. Exactly how these publications are cited depends on the documentation style of the essay.
Bibliography
"Basic Tips for Writing Literary Analysis." Sierracollege.edu. Sierra College. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. http://lrc.sierracollege.edu/writingcenter/basictipslit.pdf
"How to Write a Literary Analysis." Naac.edu. Northeast Alabama Community College. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. http://www.nacc.edu/englishdept/how-to-lit-analysis.htm
"Literary Analysis: Using Elements of Literature." Roanestate.edu. Roane State Community College. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/elementslit.html
"Tips for Writing Literary Analysis." Appalachian State University Writing Center. Appalachian State University. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. http://writingcenter.appstate.edu/sites/writingcenter.appstate.edu/files/Tips%20for%20Writing%20a%20Lit%20Analysis.pdf