Writing Literary Analysisimages.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/TN/HamiltonCounty... · Drafting The following chart shows how to organize a clear and effective literary analysis. Organizing

WritingWorkshop

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WritingOnline

Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

writing taskWrite a literary analysis in which you examine one or two elements of a literary text, such as plot, characters, or theme. Develop an original interpretation of the text, using evidence that is supported consistently.

Idea Starters• conflict in “The People Could Fly”• character development in The True Confessions of Charlotte

Doyle• mood in “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”

the essentialsHere are some common purposes, audiences, and formats for an analysis of literature.

1. development of ideas• presents an engaging

introduction that identifies the title and author of the text

• develops a controlling idea that offers an analysis of one or two literary elements

• supports main points of analysis with relevant concrete details and quotations from the text

• provides a concluding section that supports the analysis

2. organization of ideas• organizes ideas in a logical way• uses appropriate transitions

to create cohesion and clarify relationships among ideas

3. language facility and conventions

• maintains a formal style • includes precise language• uses comparative forms

correctly• employs correct grammar,

capitalization, and spelling

purposes audiences formats

• to analyze a literary work in more depth

• to help other readers understand and enjoy literature

• classmates and teacher

• Web users• readers

interested in literature

• book-group members

• essay for class• blog post• magazine article• speech • critique in a

book-review magazine

• discussion

Literary AnalysisIn the stories in Unit 4, reality does some shifting, sliding, and squirming. To get a grip on it, you needed to figure out key details as you read. You’ll do the same kind of work when you write a literary analysis. This type of essay requires you to analyze, or explain the meaning of, a literary text.

informative text

532 unit 4: mood, tone, and style

write with a purpose common core traits

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Planning/Prewriting

Getting Startedchoose a literary textThink of a literary text that profoundly affected you and that you would like to analyze in more depth. Review your Reader/Writer Notebook to recall your responses to texts you have read this year. Also consider the Idea Starters on page 532.

ask yourself:• Which story or selection did I enjoy most?• How is a specific literary element—such

as setting, plot, point of view, theme, or character—used in the text?

• What can I say about the text and its literary elements that would interest other readers?

think about audience and purpose Keep your audience and purpose in mind as you plan your analysis. Your audience includes your classmates and your teacher, who are knowledgeable and interested readers. Your primary purpose is to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the text. You also want to convince your audience to accept your interpretation, using evidence to support your ideas.

ask yourself:• Who is my audience? What do I want this

audience to know about the literary text?• What elements might my audience find

confusing or intriguing?• What details, examples, and reasons will help

convince my audience that my interpretation of the text is valid?

• What domain-specific, or specialized, vocabulary will my audience need to know to understand my analysis?

develop a controlling ideaCapture the main idea of your analysis in a controlling idea, or thesis statement. For example, if you plan to write about the changes a character undergoes throughout a story, then your controlling idea should briefly summarize those changes. In the rest of your analysis, you will explain those changes—and their causes—in further detail.

what does it look like?

Controlling Idea: In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Charlotte’s experiences with the captain and the sailors change her ideas about how to judge people and how she wants to live her life..

identify your key points Once you have developed a controlling idea, you need to determine the key points that will support it. It may help to skim or reread the literary text with your controlling idea in mind. Ask yourself: What facts, details, or examples in the work prove what I’ve stated in my controlling idea?


Key Point 1: Charlotte’s views have been influenced by her father.

Key Point 2: Charlotte’s view of the world affects her initial positive impression of Captain Jaggery.

Key Point 3: Charlotte’s views of the captain change dramatically when she sees how he treats the crew.

writing workshop 533

W 2a–f Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. W 5 Develop and strengthen writing by planning.

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Planning/Prewriting continued

Getting Startedcollect evidenceTo be effective, your analysis must include evidence—quotations, concrete details, and reasons that support your key points. The evidence you provide must be relevant—in other words, it should develop and strongly support your controlling idea. Here are some kinds of evidence you might include:


Direct quotations: sentences or phrases taken directly from the work, which you must place in quotation marks

Captain Jaggery calls the crew “dirty beasts who demand the touch of the whip.”

Concrete details: your own description of specific events, dialogue, and facts from the work that prove a point you want to make

Mr. Doyle gave Charlotte a journal and expected her to write (with correct spelling) about the events of the voyage.

Reasons: statements that explain something in the text or reveal why you have reached a particular conclusion

Charlotte’s view of the captain begins to change when she sees how badly he treats the crew.

organize your ideasIn a literary analysis, you should organize your ideas in a logical and cohesive, or unified, way. For example, you can organize your key points in the order in which they occur in the story or in order of importance. Select the organizational strategy that works best for your analysis. Then create an informal outline.


1. Influence of Charlotte’s father

• wants her to be well educated and “proper”

• expects her to write about voyage in journal

2. Charlotte’s initial view of Jaggery

• seems like a proper Englishman

• shares her father’s views about girls’ behavior

Share your controlling idea with a peer who is familiar with the text you plan to analyze. Then ask: What evidence would convince my audience to accept my controlling idea? Search for more quotations, details, and reasons, as necessary.

In your Reader/Writer Notebook, develop your writing plan. Draft your controlling idea. Then list your key points, as shown on page 533. Reread the work, looking for a variety of relevant evidence to support your key points.

YOUR

TURN


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Writing Workshop

DraftingThe following chart shows how to organize a clear and effective literary analysis.

Organizing a Literary Analysisintroduction• To grab your readers’ attention, begin with a quotation or a surprising statement.• Remember to include the exact title of the literary work and the author’s name.• State your controlling idea clearly so that readers know what your essay will focus on.

body• Focus each body paragraph on a key point related to your controlling idea. Incorporate

transitions to show how ideas are related.• Use precise language to explain your key points and evidence. Avoid vague or empty words

like things or really.• Maintain a formal style. Avoid slang, and define domain-specific vocabulary as needed.

concluding section• Restate your controlling idea, but use different words than you did in the introduction.• Offer a fresh insight into the literary work that elaborates on your controlling idea and

makes your audience want to read the work for themselves.

grammar in context: using comparatives

When organizing evidence in order of importance, writers often use forms of comparison. The comparative form of an adjective or adverb compares two items. When using this form, add the ending -er or the word more to the adjective or adverb. The superlative form compares three or more items. In this case, add -est or the word most.

Comparative Form Superlative FormThe sailors have an even greater influence on Charlotte than Captain Jaggery has.

The harshest part of Charlotte’s voyage occurs when Captain Jaggery kills two sailors.

Charlotte survives, but more important is the bond she forms with the sailors.

Charlotte’s most impressive accomplishment is her changed attitude about people.

Develop a draft of your analysis by following the structure above. Use comparative and superlative modifiers to indicate which evidence is most important.

YOUR

TURN


W 4 Produce clear and coherent writing.W 9a (RL 1, RL 3) Cite textual evidence to support analysis; analyze how elements of a story interact. L 1 Demonstrate command of English grammar and usage.

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RevisingIn the revision stage, you look closely to determine whether you’ve expressed your ideas in the most effective way for your purpose and audience. The information in this chart can help you revise, rewrite, and improve your draft.

Exchange essays with a classmate. As you read your classmate’s analysis, focus on the evidence he or she offers and judge whether that evidence clearly supports the controlling idea. If not, give concrete suggestions for improvement or reworking.

YOUR

TURN

LITERARY ANALYSIS Ask Yourself Tips Revision Strategies

1. Does the introduction identify the author’s name and the title of the work the analysis focuses on?

Highlight the author and the title.

Add a sentence or a phrase naming the author and the title.

2. Does the introduction have a controlling idea that explains the analysis?

Underline the controlling idea.

Add a sentence that clearly states the controlling idea and sets up the writer’s analysis.

3. Do the key points presented in the body paragraphs support the controlling idea?

Bracket the key point discussed in each paragraph of the body.

If necessary, revise the body paragraphs to clearly explain the connection between each key point and the controlling idea.

4. Does the writer provide relevant evidence to support each key point?

Draw a box around each supporting quotation, detail, or reason.

If necessary, add quotations, concrete details, and reasons to support the key points.

5. Does the writer maintain a formal style?

Circle contractions and informal language.

Reword text to avoid contractions and replace informal language with precise, formal vocabulary.

6. Does the concluding section restate the controlling idea and offer a fresh insight into the literary text?

Highlight the sentence that restates the controlling idea, and draw a wavy line under sentences that say something insightful about the text.

If necessary, reword the controlling idea and revise or rewrite the concluding section to clarify why the text is significant.


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Writing Workshop

analyze a student draftRead this student’s draft and the comments about it as a model for revising your own literary analysis.

A Girl’s Adventureby Sophia Eckerle, Paradise Canyon Elementary School

“Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty.” This is the opening sentence of The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle, a novel by Avi. The novel takes place in 1832. It tells the story of Charlotte, who has finished her schooling in England and must sail home to America. She sails on the Seahawk, a rundown ship under the command of Captain Jaggery, a strange character. Charlotte’s experiences with the captain and the sailors change her ideas about how to judge people and how she wants to live her life. As a wealthy and protective father, Mr. Doyle wants to shape Charlotte’s future. He sends Charlotte to the expensive Barrington School for Better Girls in England. He has very high expectations for her and wants her to become an educated proper young lady. Before her journey, Mr. Doyle gave Charlotte a journal and expected her to write (with correct spelling) about the events of the voyage. At the start of the journey, Captain Jaggery is a proper Englishman—one a thirteen-year-old girl could look up to. Like Charlotte’s father, the captain believes that a young girl should wear fancy dresses and devote herself to studying instead of parading around with the crew wearing men’s clothes.

Support Your Controlling Idea Sophia supports her characterization of Jaggery with details, but she does not explain how this relates t0 her controlling idea. To fix the problem, she added details that describe the influences on Charlotte’s view of the world.

sophia’s revision to paragraph 3

At the start of the journey, Captain Jaggery is a proper Englishman—one a thirteen-year-old girl could look up to. Like Charlotte’s father, the captain believes that a young girl should wear fancy dresses and devote herself to studying instead of parading around with the crew wearing men’s clothes.

1

2

3 She does not explain how the main idea of this paragraph supports her controlling idea.

Sophia states her controlling idea about the main character at the end of her first paragraph.

In her introduction, Sophia mentions the title of the work and the author’s name.

Charlotte’s views have been largely influenced by her father. Because of this, she sees

Charlotte is fooled into thinking the captain is trustworthy because of his meticulous clothes and manners.

as


W 2b Develop the topic with relevant details. W 5 Strengthen writing by revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. W 9a (RL 1, RL 3) Cite textual evidence to support analysis; analyze how elements of a story interact.

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analyze a student draft continued

Charlotte’s view of the captain begins to change when she sees how badly he treats the crew. He calls the crew “dirty beasts who demand the touch of the whip.” Charlotte sees that this is not true. When the men mutiny against him, the deterioration of Captain Jaggery’s mind continues. He kills two of the sailors for an attempted uprising. Charlotte decides that the captain is mad. Changing her fancy clothes for the clothes of a common sailor, she joins the crew. She has learned that the sailors who treat her kindly are the ones to trust, not the cruel captain. His high rank and his nice clothes are not important. Jaggery retaliates by giving her the hardest work on the ship, destroying the barrier between the aristocrats and the working class that Charlotte joined. In this way, he contributes to Charlotte’s changing attitudes.

Charlotte’s father and Captain Jaggery influenced Charlotte’s life and led to her adventures aboard the Seahawk. By the end of her ordeal, Charlotte was happy to run to the arms of her protective father.

Strengthen Your Concluding Section In a literary analysis, a concluding section must restate the controlling idea in a different way and also should provide fresh insights into the work. In other words, the conclusion needs to leave readers with something to think about or a reason to be interested in the work. Sophia’s original concluding section did little more than describe the end of the novel. Her revisions, shown in blue, strengthen her concluding section by clarifying her analysis.

sophia’s revision to paragraph 6

Charlotte’s father and Captain Jaggery influenced the course of Charlotte’s life, but

perhaps the men on the ship influenced her more. Though at first happy to return to her

father, Charlotte’s experiences with the sailors forever changed the way she thought

about the world. Read this exciting novel to appreciate all that Charlotte learns

through her adventure and the surprising decision she makes about her future.

Use feedback from your peers and teacher, as well as the two “Learn How” lessons, to revise your essay. Evaluate how well you have achieved your purpose and provided an analysis that will intrigue your audience. If needed, try a new approach.

4

5

6

YOUR

TURN

Sophia includes a quotation from the novel to illustrate a character’s nature.

She explains how the details of the story support her controlling idea.

Sophia’s concluding section does not return to her controlling idea or leave readers with any new insights.


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Writing Workshop

Editing and PublishingYou’ve refined the development, style, and organization of your analysis. Now, in the proofreading stage, you must catch and correct errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation. These kinds of mistakes can distract your audience and make them less likely to accept your ideas.

grammar in context: capitalizing correctlyIn your literary analysis, you will mention the title of the text you are focusing on and the author’s name. As you edit your draft, be sure you are following the rules of capitalization. For example, when you mention an author, capitalize the first name, the last name, and any initials.

Rudyard Kipling Avi Booker T. Washington O. Henry

[Like all personal names, authors’ names are capitalized.]

In the title of a text, always capitalize the first and last word and all of the important words in between. Do not capitalize articles (such as a and the), coordinating conjunctions (such as and, or, and but), or prepositions of fewer than five letters (such as for, to, and of), unless they begin or end the title.

“A Day’s Wait” Out of the Dust

“It Was a Long Time Before” “One Perfect Rose”

[In these titles, each word is capitalized except for the preposition of and the articles a and the.]

As Sophia edited her essay, she realized she had incorrectly capitalized the preposition of in the title of a novel.

This is the opening sentence of The True Confessions Of Charlotte Doyle, a novel by Avi.

publish your writingShare your literary analysis with an audience.• Submit your analysis to a magazine for young people.• Publish your essay as a blog posting or on a book-review Web site.• Adapt your essay into a critique that you deliver to your audience.

Correct any errors in your analysis. Make sure you have correctly capitalized any titles and authors’ names. Check for spelling and punctuation mistakes. Then publish your final essay for others to enjoy.

YOUR

TURN

a

of the


W 5 Strengthen writing by revising and editing. L 2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

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Scoring RubricUse the rubric below to evaluate your literary analysis from the Writing Workshop or your response to the on-demand writing task on the next page.

LITERARY ANALYSIS score common core traits

6 • Development Has an engaging introduction; includes an insightful controlling idea; supports points with relevant evidence; ends powerfully

• Organization Arranges ideas in an effective, logical order; uses appropriate transitions to create cohesion and link ideas

• Language Consistently maintains a formal style; uses precise language; shows a strong command of conventions

5 • Development Has an effective introduction; provides an original controlling idea; supports points with evidence; has a strong concluding section

• Organization Arranges ideas logically; uses transitions to link ideas• Language Maintains a formal style; uses precise language; has a few errors in

conventions

4 • Development Has an introduction that could be more engaging; includes a controlling idea that states an analysis; could use some more evidence; has an adequate concluding section

• Organization Arranges ideas logically; uses some ineffective transitions• Language Mostly maintains a formal style; needs more precise language at times;

has a few distracting errors in conventions

3 • Development Has an adequate introduction; has a controlling idea that makes an obvious statement; lacks enough support; has an ordinary concluding section

• Organization Has some flaws in organization; needs more transitions • Language Frequently lapses into an informal style; uses some vague words; has

some major errors in conventions

2 • Development Has a weak introduction and controlling idea; lacks specific, relevant evidence; has a weak concluding section

• Organization Has organizational flaws; lacks transitions throughout• Language Uses an informal style and vague words; has many distracting errors in

conventions

1 • Development Has no controlling idea; lacks support; ends abruptly• Organization Has no organization or transitions• Language Uses an inappropriate style and vague words; has major problems with

grammar, mechanics, and spelling


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Writing Workshop

Read the task carefully. Then read it again, underlining words that tell the topic, the type of writing, the audience, and the purpose.

writing taskRecall a story with a character that you admired or liked. Write a literary analysis in which you describe and analyze the character for your classmates. Include a clear controlling idea that tells why you like or admire the character, and support your controlling idea with relevant evidence from the story.

1. analyze the task 5 min

2. plan your response 10 min

Think of a character you know well enough to write about. Write a one-sentence controlling idea that clearly explains why you admire the character. Then list several reasons you will use to support your controlling idea. Gather evidence to support each reason, including descriptions of the character’s speech, actions, and thoughts, as well as quotations that reveal the character’s admirable traits.

Reasons Evidence

4. improve your response 5–10 min

Revising Check your draft against the writing task. Did you offer a clear analysis? Did you support your controlling idea with concrete details and relevant evidence?Proofreading Proofread your essay to correct errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Make your edits neatly, and erase any stray marks.Checking Your Final Copy Before you turn in your analysis, read it one more time to catch any errors you may have missed.

3. respond to the task 20 min

Using the notes you just recorded, draft your analysis.• In the introduction, present the author’s name and the title of the work, and provide

a clear controlling idea. • Present each main point or reason in a separate paragraph, and provide relevant

evidence. Include as many concrete details about your character as you can.• In the concluding section, restate your controlling idea and offer a final insight.

PurposeAudience

Topic Type of writing

Preparing for Timed Writing


W 10 Write routinely over shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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Speaking &Listening

Workshop

Presenting a CritiqueHow many times have you told your friends exactly what you think of movies, TV shows, or best-selling novels? When you present a critique of a literary text, you share your opinions in a more formal setting.

Complete the workshop activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

Adapt Your Literary AnalysisIn a critique, you have to go a step beyond the analysis you provided in your essay. To be successful, you have to evaluate, or judge, how well the author used the literary elements you discussed. Keep in mind these points as you plan and develop your critique:

• Audience and Purpose Your audience is your peers. Because you will be delivering your critique to the class, you should use the conventions of language appropriate for a formal presentation. Use correct formal English, avoid slang, and choose words that will be familiar to your audience. Your purpose is to keep your audience engaged as they listen.

• Introduction Include a quotation or a question that will grab your audience’s attention. Revise your controlling idea to offer a claim, or opinion statement.

• Evidence Consider which descriptions, facts, details, and examples from the text are most pertinent, or relevant, to your claim. Write key points and evidence on note cards to help you present your findings in a focused, coherent way.

• Transitions Help your audience follow along by using plenty of transitional words and phrases. Phrases such as one example of, a second example of, and further evidence of will help your listeners keep track of your ideas.

• Conclusion Restate your claim in a memorable fashion. You might end by recommending the literary text to your listeners.

taskAdapt your literary analysis into an oral literary critique. Practice your critique, and then present it to your class.

a strong oral critique . . . • stays focused on a controlling idea that offers an

opinion• presents findings and evidence in a logical order• uses formal English to deliver the message• uses effective verbal techniques, such as speaking

rate, volume, and enunciation• enhances the message with nonverbal techniques,

such as eye contact and gestures

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML7-542

Speaking & Listening Online


speak with a purpose common core traits

SL 4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner; use eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. SL 6 Adapt speech, demonstrating command of formal English when appropriate.

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Deliver Your Speechuse verbal techniques

How you use your voice can be as important as what you say. Practice delivery techniques before you address your audience. Consider the tips in this chart.

use nonverbal techniquesUse these nonverbal techniques to engage your audience:

• Stand up straight to show confidence.• Make eye contact. During your speech, try to look at each person at least once.• Use natural gestures to emphasize your points. For example, if you are

describing a deep emotion felt by a story character, you might briefly touch your hand to your heart.

• Use appropriate facial expressions to reinforce your opinions.

As a Speaker Deliver your critique to a peer, using the tips on this page. Use feedback from your peer to revise your critique.

As a Listener Evaluate your peer’s delivery. Listen to ensure you understand the claim and the details that support it. Note your peer’s verbal and nonverbal techniques, and provide constructive, specific feedback.

YOUR

TURN

Using Your Voice to Create Effectstechnique what it means tips

Enunciation how clearly you pronounce words

• Practice your speech, noting words that you stumble over.• Use a dictionary to check pronunciations, or find replacement

words in a thesaurus.

Volume how loudly you speak • To stress certain points, speak more loudly or softly.• Ask a partner whether your volume is varied enough and

whether you can be heard clearly at all times.

Inflection the tone of your voice, used to indicate feelings or opinions

• Emphasize important ideas by raising or lowering the pitch of your voice.

• Ask a partner whether you sound convincing and reasonable.

Speaking Rate how quickly you speak; also called tempo

• Speak slowly enough for your audience to keep up, but not so slowly that it sounds unnatural.

• Use pauses to emphasize major points.• Stop and take a breath when necessary.

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Writing Literary Analysisimages.pcmac.org/SiSFiles/Schools/TN/HamiltonCounty... · Drafting The following chart shows how to organize a clear and effective literary analysis. Organizing

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