Read/Write                                                                                                         Literary Analysis

 

Directions: The following steps are meant to lead you to a final product that will satisfy my requirements for your literary analysis assignment. These are also the current requirements for UC and most other major university systems. Remember, this is not a book report. What I am looking for here is analysis and interpretation. Do not tell me what happened. In addition, this is to come from your work on read/write (annotation) and personal interpretation. This is not a research paper so no outside sources are allowed unless otherwise specified.

 

Step 1: Narrowing your topic. The first stage in writing a paper of this sort is to pick a focus. Since we are talking mainly about style it makes sense to hone in on literary devices and technique rather than personal feelings.

 

Therefore, pick a predominate element that you feel drives the book: theme, character, setting, tone, etc. While other elements will be drawn in as well to accentuate this focus, this is the point that you will continually return to. This is the crux of your essay.

 

Step 2: Narrowing and tying in your topic. Looping is a brainstorming technique that helps you identify key ideas. Looping enables you to find a center of interest and eventually a thesis. The steps are simple:

 

• Write down your area of interest
• Write nonstop for ten minutes
• After ten minutes, pause to rewrite what you have written. Decide what is most important a single insight, a pattern of ideas, an emerging theme, a visual detail, anything at all that stands out. To complete the first loop, express this center in a single sentence.
• Beginning with this ‑sentence, write nonstop for 10 minutes.
• Summarize in one sentence again to complete the second loop.
• Keep looping until one of your summary sentences produces a focus or thesis.

 

Step Three: Considering your audience and purpose. Your general purpose in writing your response to literature is to share your reactions with your audience; however, there needs to be a secondary purpose which is what you want your audience to "learn" from you and your analysis.

In a single sentence, state your purpose in discussing this specific element of this specific book.

 

Step Four,: Gathering your details. Once you have decided on a narrow topic and considered your audience, gather details that will support your response. Use hexagonal writing to explore various aspects of your response to literature. Doing so will help you fully understand your response and will give maturity and depth to your writing. The ‑following are the six levels of hexagonal writing:

 

• Plot ‑Summarize the story in a plot structure diagram (include sub‑plots).
• Personal Allusion ‑Note ideas or experiences specific selections suggest to you.
• Theme ‑State the message what it conveys & reason the author would choose this.

• Analysis ‑cite textual evidence to support your opinions (especially on characters).
• Literary Allusion ‑ Compare & contrast with other literary works of enduring quality.
• Evaluation ‑decide what worked (and didn't work) for you in the writing.