Please do a:
1. A formal approach–which examines one (or more) of the literary elements in a work and explains how it relates to the
whole, thus contributing to a text’s overall meaning or significance. Possible elements to consider include plot, character,
theme, setting, conflict, structure, point of view, genre, style, tone, imagery, symbolism, irony, narrator, foreshadowing,
paradox, allusion, metaphor, rhythm, rhyme, etc.
This approach requires careful reading of the primary text, (PROVIDED) as well as a debatable claim that will need to be
supported or “proved” with evidence (direct references, quotations) from the text. Remember, writing about literature is a
way to broaden your own understanding and to share your own reading experience. While the second option (a critical approach)
will obviously involve some background reading, you should not be going to outside sources with the idea of creating a “cut
and pasted” paper of others’ ideas. Your primary concern for either approach should be an examination of the work of
literature you selected.
Example of a poor thesis: “Trifles is a play about a woman who murders her husband.” (not debatable)
Example of a good thesis with a formal approach: “Mrs. Wright’s bird is the symbolic key to “unlock” the reason why she
killed her husband. (debatable! Requires textual support to “prove.”)
Example of a good thesis with a critical approach: “Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale share experiences from their own lives as
country wives that make clear why they are empathetic to Mrs. Wright’s situation and right to withhold their discovery from
their investigators.” (debatable! Requires feminist analysis of story to “prove.”)
Because you are essentially arguing that your perspective is a valid one, you have to support it effectively with evidence
from the primary source that you select (direct references to specific quotations, lines, passages, scenes, etc.). Remember
that an analysis is not driven by plot. It’s driven by the “idea” that you want to communicate about the story or poem. If
you consult secondary sources, be sure that quotations from them do not dominate your essay. You are not writing an
informational report but rather a literary analysis that requires a close reading of the text.
Essay should be in MLA Style and approximately 2-3 pages (not including the Works Cited page). In the upper left-hand corner
of the paper, place my name, the professor’s name, the course name, and the due date for the assignment on consecutive lines.
Double space your information from your name onward, and don’t forget a title. All papers should be in Times New Roman font
with 12-point type with one-inch margins all the way around your paper. All paragraph indentations should be indented five
spaces (use the tab key) from the left margin. All work is to be left justified. When quoting lines in literature, please
research the proper way to cite short stories, plays, or poems.
