Literary Analysis Essays

Your Splendid Introduction

• ____Key Parts

• An _______to capture the reader’s attention

• Your _____ (the point you will prove in your essay)

• Outline the main points of your essay (what you will talk about in your body paragraphs)

Title and Author

• You must include the title and author in your introduction

The Odyssey by Homer

• Epic heroes must represent the values and beliefs of a culture. In The Odyssey by Homer Odysseus proves himself worthy of the title epic hero. He does this by being both brave and clever.

Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentences- the first sentence in

your body paragraph. It MUST have

• _____________•Commentary is

_________________________________•

Commentary- YOUR opinion

Topic Sentences- the good, the bad and the ugly

• Good Example- Harry Potter is by far the best is by far the best quidditchquidditch player at Hogwarts

• Bad example- Harry Potter plays quidditch.

• Ugly example- I love Harry Potter (this has nothing to do with your thesis)

• Your example:_____________________________________________________

The Odyssey

• Topic Sentences- If my essay is about Odysseus being brave and clever one body paragraph is on him being brave.

Odysseus shows he is an epic hero by being brave in many dangerous situations throughout The Odyssey.

Your example:_____________________________________

Concrete Details

Concrete Details- your EVIDENCE. CDs are quotes or facts from the story that you will use to prove your topic sentence.

Your example of a concrete details of Odysseus being Brave:

Concrete Details

• Harry Potter often captures the golden snitch winning the game for Gryffindor.

* One exampleOne example of Odysseus’s bravery is when he goes to find his men who have been turned into pigs by Circe

Transitions

• Transitions are words that go in

Of your concrete details

One example, Another example, One example, Another example, For instance, In additionFor instance, In addition,

Your example of a concrete details with a transition: _________________________________________________________

FRONT

Commentary- your opinion and analysis

• Commentary is your opinion and analysis of your concrete detail.

The job of commentary is to ________ how your Concrete details prove your _______________

The job of commentary is to show how your CD proves your topic

sentence CD- One example of

Odysseus being brave is when he goes to rescue his men, who have been turned into pigs, from the Goddess Circe

COMM- __________ that Odysseus could have just left them behind, but he cares for his men so he willing to risk his life to save them.

Magical List of Commentary Starters

Obviously, This means, This example shows, It is clear that, It seems like, Most would agree that,It is as if,

Organizing your Essay

• Introduction

• Body Paragraph

• Conclusion

Hook, Thesis, Outline your main points

TS (topic sentence)CD (concrete detail – don’t forget your transition*)CM-commentary (analyze not summarize)CDCMCDCMCS- concluding sentence

Restate your thesis, summarize your main ideas,closing statement/idea

The End!Time to write your fabulous essay!

You are a hero! You are brilliant! You can and willWrite a fabulous essay!