To Kill a Mockingbird LAP review - Norwell Public Schools ... · – In To Kill a Mockingbird ... could end with another powerful quotation by Atticus. ... Mayella’scharacter serves

To Kill a MockingbirdLiterary Analysis Paragraph

Review

Review

– Plotsummaryversusliteraryanalysis

– Openingsentence

– Concludingsentence

– ModernLanguageAssociation(MLA)format

– Embeddingquotes

– Transitionalphrases

Plot summary versus literary analysis

– PLOTSUMMARY

– Recap,review,retellingastoryorscenewithoutoriginalthoughtsorinterpretations.

– Itisusuallyeasierthananalysisbecauseitrequireslessthought.

– Assumethatthereaderofyouressayknowsthestoryandneedsjusttheslightestreminder.

Plot summary versus literary analysis

– LITERARYANALYSIS

– Examination,evaluation,dissection,interpretation,originalopinion,readingbetweenthelines,and/orconnectingtootherknowledge

– Detailedexaminationofspecificelementswithinatext

– Startswithaquotation,question,orstatement(theme)andusesittoshowhis/herunderstatingandinterpretation

– Strivefor90%interpretationand10%summaryinyourliteraryanalysis

Opening sentence

– Immediatelyintroduceonemainidea/themeinfirstsentence

– Includetheauthor’snameandtitleoftheworkalongwithwhatyouaregoingtoprove(thematicstatement)

– Set-upexamples:– InToKillaMockingbird,HarperLeeportrays...

– InthenovelToKillaMockingbird, HarperLeeillustrateshow...

– ToKillaMockingbirdbyHarperLeeillustratesthe...

Opening sentence examples

– InthenovelToKillaMockingbird byHarperLee,oneofseveralimportantthemesistheimportanceofunderstandingtheperspectivesofothers.

– AthemeofthenovelToKillaMockingbirdbyHarperLeeisjudgingpeoplebeforeyouknowthemiscruel.

– InthenovelToKillaMockingbird byHarperLee,animportantthemethatwasrevealedthroughoutthestorywastoseeingthingsfromanotherperson’sperspectivebeforejudginghimorher.

– InToKillaMockingbird,HarperLeeusescharacters’actionstoshowthatcouragecanbeseeninunlikelypeople.

– Characters’actionsshowthatcouragecanbefoundinunlikelypeopleinHarperLee’sToKillaMockingbird.

Conclusion Guidelines

– NEVERwrite“Inconclusion...”or“allinall…”

– Donotrepeatorrestatetheopeningsentence

– Stresstheimportanceofthethesisstatement

– Givetheessayasenseofcompleteness

– Leaveafinalimpressiononthereader

– Yourconclusionshouldbethebestpartofyourpaper

Conclusion Suggestions

– Answerthequestion"SoWhat?"

– Showyourreaderswhythispaperwasimportant.

– Showthemthatyourpaperwasmeaningfulanduseful.

Conclusion Suggestions

– Redirectyourreaders

– Giveyourreadersomethingtothinkabout,perhapsawaytouseyourpaperinthe"real"world.

– Thinkglobally.

Conclusion Suggestions

– Createanewmeaning

– Youdon'thavetogivenewinformationtocreateanewmeaning.

– Bydemonstratinghowyourideasworktogether,youcancreateanewpicture.

– Oftenthesumofthepaperisworthmorethanitsparts.

Conclusion Suggestions

– Synthesize,don'tsummarize

– Don'tsimplyrepeatthingsthatwereinyourpaper.Theyhavereadit.

– Showthemhowthepointsyoumadeandthesupportandexamplesyouusedwerenotrandom,butfittogether.

Conclusion Strategies

– Echoingtheintroduction:Ifyoubeginbydescribingascenario,youcanendwiththesamescenarioasproofthatyouressaywashelpfulincreatinganewunderstanding.Or,ifyoubeginwithaquotationbyAtticus,forexample,youcouldendwithanotherpowerfulquotationbyAtticus.

– EXAMPLE: JeanLouis“Scout”Finchremindsherreadersthatourparent’scanbeourgreatestteacherswhenshereflects,“Atticuswasright.Onetimehesaidyouneverreallyknowamanuntilyoustandinhisshoesandwalkaroundinthem”(Lee374).

Conclusion Strategies

– Beprofound:Leavethereaderthinkingaboutthenovel’sorcharacter’sconnectiontolifetoday.

– EXAMPLE:Mayella’s characterservesasaremindertothishardtruth:ourparentsraiseus,ourparentsshapeus—withoutthemwearenobody;withthemweareeitherblessedordoomed.

Conclusion Strategies

– Remindthereaderofthetheme’ssignificance:Showhowimportantyourthemeistothenovelwithoutusingyourparagraphexamples.

– EXAMPLE:EventhoughAtticusknewhewasnotgoingtowinthecase,hestilldefendedTomRobinson,whichshowedhowheresistedthestatusquoandtookastand.IfhedidnotmakeanimpressiononeverypersoninMaycombthroughhisactions,hecertainlytaughthischildrenwhatitmeanstoloveandrespectpeopleofallraces.

Book titles in MLA format

– Use italics ORunderline forbooktitles

– NEVER usequotationmarksorbold forbooktitles

– Capitalizethefirstletterofthemajorwords

– Minorwords,suchasarticles,prepositions,andcoordinatingconjunctions,arenotcapitalizedunlesstheyarethefirstwordofatitle

– Theauthor’snameisnotformatted

– ToKillaMockingbirdbyHarperLee

– TheOutsidersbyS.E.Hinton

– TheDiaryofaYoungGirl:TheDefinitiveEdition byAnneFrank

MLA page heading– Onthefirstpage,intheupper

left-handcorner,place:

– yourname,

– yourinstructor’sname,

– thecourse-- Grade8EnglishLanguageArts--

– andthedateonseparatedouble-spacedlines

– WritethedateintheDayMonthYearformat,asin14May2010.

MLA page numbers– Numberallpagesintheupper

rightcornerofthepageprecededbyyourlastname.

– Typeyournameandaspaceinfrontofthenumber.

MLA paper title and font– Centerthetitle =Literary

AnalysisParagraph

– Donotunderlineorboldthetitle.

– Itshouldbedoublespacedfromthetextofthepaper.

– Noextraspacesareneeded.

– UseTimesNewRoman12-pointfont.

MLA margins, spacing, and indenting– Use1-inchmargins.

– Donotaligntherightmargin.

– Double-spacetheentiredocument.

– Thereshouldbenoextraspacesbetweenlines.

– Indentthefirstlineofeachparagraph 1/2"bypressingtheTabkeyonce.

How to set up MLA document

– Settopmarginofpageto.5”(1/2inch)

– Setleft,right,andbottommarginsto1”

– Selectdoublespacingforentiredocument

– WhenenteringHeading,selectaligntexttotherightunderAlignment

– AfterenteringHeading,selectaligntexttotheleftunderAlignmentforYourName,etc.

– Centerthetitleoftheassignmentthenreturntoleftalignment

– Indentthefirstlineoftheparagraphonetabspace

MLA set-up Pages

MLA set-up Docs

MLA quotations

– Placethetextthatyoucopyfromthebookin“quotationmarks”

– Writethe(pagenumber)inparenthesiswiththeperiodafter.

– ExamplewithContextQuoteAnalysis :

– AtticusexplainshisbeliefsaboutcouragewhenhetalkstoScoutandJemaboutMrs.Dubose’sdeath.Hetellshischildren,“’Iwantedyoutoseewhatrealcourageis…it’swhenyouknowyou’relickedbeforeyoubeginbutyoubeginanywayandseeitthroughnomatterwhat’”(Lee112).HeselflesslydefendsTomeventhoughheknowsthewholetownwillhatehimandhisfamily.HeknowsthathewouldnotwinTom’scase,buthehasthemoralintegritytodowhatisright.

Embedding quotations

– Introduce/contextualizequote:whatishappeninginthestory/setthestageforyourquote

– Embedaquotefromthebook:accuratelyworded,tietotheme,andnotoverlylong

– Analyzethequote/applytoyourtheme-- shouldbemeaningful,makesense;NO“thisquoteshows,”“thisquotestates,”or“asstatedinthenovel”

– Contextandanalysismustusedetails/specifics fromthestory,andnotsimplyrepeatthequoteorretelltheplot