by Miss Long (adapted from the Guide to Literary Analysis by The Poway Unified School District)

Five paragraph essay: The structure

Introductory paragraph Body paragraph 1 Body paragraph 2 Body paragraph 3 Concluding paragraph

The intro. paragraph should… begin creatively in order to catch

your reader’s interest.

provide essential background about the literary work.

prepare the reader for your thesis.

Ways to hook ‘em in! 1) A startling fact or bit of informationEx. Nineteen citizens were hanged, and another was pressed to death,

during the Salem witch scare of 1692.

2) A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)

Ex. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” {3.1.57}. This familiar statement expresses the young prince’s moral dilemma in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet.

3) A universal idea.Ex.The terrifying scenes a soldier experiences on the front probably

follow him throughout his life—if he manages to survive the war.AVOID SWEEPING GENERALIZATIONS (i.e. “Since the dawn of

time,” “From the beginning of history,” etc.)

4) An analogy or metaphorEx. Life is like a box of chocolates: a person never knows what he is

going to get. This element of uncertainty plays a major role in many Shakespearean dramas.

Start with one of these words if you’re stuck.

Imagine

Consider

Suppose

The THESIS

It’s the subject and overall opinion of your essay.

For a literary analysis your major thesis must (1) relate to the prompt. (2) suggest the organization of the paper.

The thesis is usually the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.

Go from BROAD to SPECIFIC Start your intro. paragraph with a broad

statement.

Connect it to the story.

Build on that connection by hinting at your thesis with a key word or idea.

Give your thesis at the end.

Sample intro. paragraph Start your intro. paragraph with a broad statement.

Consider what would happen if a person received a gift of a million dollars. How would that person change?

Connect it to the story. This is essentially what happens to the character of Pip in

Great Expectations. He does change – for the worse.

Build on that connection by hinting at your thesis with a key word or idea. He believes that the most important thing a person can

offer is money and ignores who the person is on the inside.

Give your thesis at the end. The minor character Joe serves an important role in the

novel by helping Pip learn that a person’s worth comes from their character rather than from wealth.

Body paragraphs: The “meat” of the essay

These paragraphs contain specific supporting examples . your analysis.

All body paragraphs MUST support the thesis. Their function is to support the main

argument of the essay.

Body paragraphs: The essentials

1. topic sentence that supports the thesis 2. lead-in to concrete detail 3. 1st specific, concrete detail or quotation 4. commentary/analysis of the concrete detail 5. transition and lead-in to next concrete detail /

quotation 6. 2nd concrete detail /quotation 7. commentary/analysis 8. transition and lead-in to next concrete detail /

quotation 9. 3rd concrete detail /quotation 10. commentary/analysis 11. concluding or clincher sentence

Topic sentences…

are the first sentences of a body paragraph

identify one aspect of the major thesis

state a primary reason why the major thesis is true

Getting to a topic sentence Go back to your thesis statement.

Think about this: how are you going to prove what you’ve stated in the thesis?

Pre-write three ways your thesis is true. From a character’s development? From conflict? From symbols? From setting?

Getting to a topic sentence Go back to your thesis statement.

The minor character Joe serves an important role in the novel by helping Pip to learn that a person’s worth comes from their character rather than from wealth.

Think about this: how are you going to prove what you’ve stated in the thesis?

In this case, how will you prove that Joe helps Pip learn that a person’s worth comes from their character?

Pre-write three ways your thesis is true (these will be your topic sentences).

1.) He shows Pip that it’s possible to be a good person even though he himself doesn’t have a lot of money.

2.) He is a good role model for Pip as he is content with his humble life.

3.) Through the way Joe treats others, he shows Pip that money is ultimately unimportant.

Quotation/detail integration: Remember the Oreo Concrete details are specific examples

from the work that provide evidence for your topic sentence.

Concrete details can be a combination of paraphrase and direct quotation from the work.

Quotation/detail integration: Remember the Oreo Start with a LEAD-IN (the cookie)

prepares the reader for the concrete detail introduces the speaker, setting, and/or

situation.

Topic sentence: He shows Pip that it’s possible to be a good person even though he himself doesn’t have a lot of money.

Ex: Joe does the best he can to provide for his family and make the most out of what he has.

Quotation/detail integration: Remember the Oreo

Then, the quotation (the cream filling). Remember: NEVER “throw in” a quotation. It should be connected to a sentence somehow.

Topic sentence: He shows Pip that it’s possible to be a good person even though he himself doesn’t have a lot of money.

Lead-in: Joe does the best he can to provide for his family and make the most out of what he has.

Quotation: While eating their dinner of bread and butter, for example, Pip and Joe made a game out of it by taking a bite and “by silently holding [the meal] up to each other’s admiration” (Dickens 9).

Finish with your COMMENTARY (the other cookie) Explain the concrete detail. Tell the reader how YOU believe the concrete detail proves

the topic sentence.

Topic sentence: He shows Pip that it’s possible to be a good person even though he himself doesn’t have a lot of money.

Lead-in: Joe does the best he can to provide for his family and make the most out of what he has.

Quotation: While eating their dinner of bread and butter, for example, Pip and Joe made a game out of it by taking a bite and “by silently holding [the meal] up to each other’s admiration” (Dickens 9).

COMMENTARY: Pip enjoys this game because he appreciates the effort Joe is making to make the humble meal fun.

Quotation/detail integration: Remember the Oreo

Transitions: Some ideas Addition

furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

Consequenceaccordingly, as a result, consequently, therefore, thus

Illustrationfor example, for instance, as an example, in this case

Emphasisabove all, chiefly, especially, particularly, singularly

Restatementin essence, in other words, namely

Timeat first, first of all, to begin with, in time, later on, meanwhile, next, then, soon, later, while, earlier, simultaneously, afterward

 

Body paragraphs: How to end one At the end, tie all of the concrete details

and commentary back to the thesis.

Ex: Thus, by being a good person, Joe provides Pip with a perfect example of how being a good person is more important than having lots of money.

Concluding paragraph

The last paragraph in your essay.

This paragraph should begin by echoing your major thesis without repeating the words verbatim.

Thesis: The minor character Joe serves an important role in the novel by helping Pip learn that a person’s worth comes from their character rather than from wealth.

Concluding sentence: Through the way he lives his life and treats others, Joe helps Pip to see that people’s true worth comes from who they are and not from their income.

Broaden from the thesis statement to answer the “so what?” question your reader may have after reading your essay.

The conclusion should do one or more of the following: 1.) Reflect on how the essay relates to the book as a

whole. 2.) Evaluate the author of the book’s goal or

message. 3.) Connect back to your creative opening. 4.) Give your opinion of the novel’s value or

significance.

Concluding paragraph

Concluding paragraph sample Through the way he lives his life and treats others,

Joe helps Pip to see that people’s true worth comes from who they are and not from their income.

When Pip first obtains his large sum of money, he loses sight of this fact and links the worth of a person to the worth of that person’s bank account.

With Joe’s help, Pip eventually sees the error of his ways and makes a change.

This is the true value of the novel Great Expectations.

Through Joe, Dickens shows his readers that it is what is on the inside that counts, a lesson that rings true even today.