Writing Literary Analysis Paragraphs

The Most Dangerous Game

Mood Words

calm harmonious joyouspeaceful

light-hearted playful welcoming

anxious apprehensive drearygloomy

foreboding melancholic serious tense

suspenseful somber

Prompt: How does setting create mood? TS Topic Sentence CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CS Closing Sentence

What’s TLQ?

Transition (For example, Also, Later, After, In addition, etc.)

Lead-In (What is happening in the scene at the time of the quote –who, when, where)

Quote (the good beefy part of the quote – often called evidence)

No plopping in quotes!

Can you hear the quote?

For example, while at the pig’s door, the wolf makes an excuse and tries to justify eating the pigs when he claims that he can’t be to blame for a wolf's desire to eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs because it is their nature and that’s just the way they are (3).

For example, while at the pig’s door, the wolf makes an excuse and tries to justify eating the pigs when he claims that he can’t be to blame for a wolf's desire to “eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs” because it is their nature and “[t]hat’s just the way [they] are” (3).

No plopping in quotes!!

BAD: “It’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies, sheep, and pigs. That’s just the way we are” (3).

No Transition No Lead-in

Transitions

A good paragraph will also use transition words. These are words or phrases that help readers connect your ideas.

• Example transitions:

For example,

For instance,

Consequently,

Thus,

As a result,

Because of this,

In summary,

Hence,

Therefore,

Not too good!

For example, the wolf says, “It’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies, sheep, and pigs. That’s just the way we are” (3).

Transition is good but the lead-in is weak. (who, when, where, what, & why)

Better…

For example, while at the pig’s door, the wolf makes an excuse and tries to justify eating the pigs by saying, “It’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies, sheep, and pigs. That’s just the way we are” (3).

Good. Transition, complete lead-in, and quote with page number.

BETTER!!

For example, while at the pig’s door, the wolf makes an excuse and tries to justify eating the pigs when he claims “[i]t’s not [his] fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies, sheep, and pigs. That’s just the way [they] are” (3).

Wahoo!! Sounds like it is coming from your mouth not the character/author!

BEST!!!!!

For example, while at the pig’s door, the wolf makes an excuse and tries to justify eating the pigs when he claims that he cannot be to blame for a wolf's desire to “eat cute little animals like bunnies, sheep, and pigs” because it is merely their nature and “[t]hat’s just the way [they] are” (3).

GOLD!! (sounds like it’s coming from your mouth, there are two chunks of quotes with lead-in between the two chunks, and there are no ugly periods in the quote)

Step one: Plan

TS Topic Sentence CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CS Closing Sentence

Step two: Organize

Look at your quotes/ideas. Can you split your quotes into two sections?

TS Topic Sentence CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CD Concrete Detail (TLQ) A Analysis A Analysis CS Closing Sentence

Topic Sentence

In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage.

Concrete Detail

In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game,” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” (11) Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an exquisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12).

Concrete Detail ( TLQ )

In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General

Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” (11) Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an equisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12).

Analysis

In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” (11) Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an exquisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12). By the way Zaroff speaks and dresses, it is clear that he is both educated and used to a cultured way of life that includes all the luxuries of civilization. Also, Zaroff is anxious to share his nice clothes and his home with Rainsford to be sure that he is comfortable and well taken care of which demonstrates his desire to be courteous and considerate to his guests.

Concrete Detail ( TLQ ) In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General Zaroff is both

cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” (11) Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an exquisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12). By the way Zaroff speaks and dresses, it is clear that he is both educated and used to a cultured way of life that includes all the luxuries of civilization. Also, Zaroff is anxious to share his nice clothes and his home with Rainsford to be sure that he is comfortable and well taken care of which demonstrates his desire to be courteous and considerate to his guests. However, as Rainsford continues to learn more about General Zaroff while in his home, he can’t ignore the “red lips and pointed teeth” as Zaroff openly admits to Rainsford that he is a Cossak and “a bit of a savage” (13).

Analysis In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, General

Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an exquisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12). By the way Zaroff speaks and dresses, it is clear that he is used to a cultured way of life that includes all the luxuries of civilization. Also, Zaroff is anxious to share his nice clothes and his home with Rainsford to be sure that he is comfortable and well

taken care of. However, as Rainsford continues to learn more about General Zaroff while in his home, he can’t ignore the “red lips and pointed teeth” as Zaroff admits to Rainsford that he is a Cossak, and “a bit of a savage” (13). The description of red lips brings forth the image of blood and aggression and his pointed teeth makes Zaroff look like a predator on the hunt. In addition to looking savage, Zaroff openly admits he is from a race of people known for their fierceness in battle and cruel nature, which leaves Rainsford no doubt that Zaroff has a violent and vicious nature as well.

Closing Sentence (fresh words) In the short story, “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard

Connell, General Zaroff is both cultured and polite, but he is also a savage. For example, in the first moments that Rainsford meets Zaroff, he notices that Zaroff is an “erect slender man dressed in evening clothes” and in a “cultivated voice marked by a slight accent that gave it added precision and deliberateness,” (11) Zaroff offers Rainsford clothes, an exquisite meal, and a bed in his “palatial château” (12). By the way Zaroff speaks and dresses, it is clear that he is used to a cultured way of life that includes all the luxuries of civilization. Also, Zaroff is anxious to share his nice clothes and his home with Rainsford to be sure that he is comfortable and well taken care of. However, as Rainsford continues to learn more about General Zaroff while in his home, he can’t ignore the “red lips and pointed teeth” as Zaroff admits to Rainsford that he is a Cossak, and “a bit of a savage” (13). The description of red lips brings forth the image of blood and aggression and his pointed teeth makes Zaroff look like a predator on the hunt. In addition to looking savage, Zaroff is also a Cossak, which are Russian warriors that are known for their

fierceness and battle and cruel nature. Although Zaroff can be civilized, he also demonstrates aggression and brutality toward others.

Your turn! Prompt: In “The

Most Dangerous Game,” how does setting create mood?

Step one: plan out your concrete details first

Write your topic sentence with your umbrella ideas (night and sea/ sea and island/ night and island, etc.)

Write!

Don’t forget:

•Cite your page numbers. Example: However, as Rainsford continues to learn more about General Zaroff while in his home, he can’t ignore the “red lips and pointed teeth” as Zaroff admits to Rainsford that he is a Cossak (13).

•Use TLQ in your CD’s (but don’t force the transition if it is not natural).

•Keep your paragraph in present tense (Literature never dies).

•Choose your quotes carefully and provide two chunks of quote to give yourself something to talk about in your A!