In starting this blog and trying to get the format hammered out, it completely slipped my mind that you might need to know what you need before starting your paper. This is probably the most important thing you can read, since format is nothing when you have nothing to work from.
First you will need a novel for your analysis paper. Most likely your teacher will have this picked out for you, sometimes you are not so lucky
You will need to have read the material. Sometimes again you are not so lucky and have problems with time management, been there done that. I found a lot of my information, even when I did read the novel, on a website called Spark Notes. (Again, this is posted on the left for your convenience.)
You will need a theme. If you are having trouble with picking a theme Spark Notes is a great resource for picking good one. (Only if your teacher isn’t familiar with this site; if they are do not give them a reason to mark you down, make Spark Notes’ ideas your ideas.)
Once you have a theme you have the basis for your thesis statement. Once you have this you can add in your literary devices. Again, Spark Notes is a great way to REFRESH your memory on what devices were in the material. Spark Notes is great at giving symbols, metaphors, motifs and themes.
And your quotes, you need your proof. Not all examples in your paper need be direct quotes, paraphrasing works just as well.
I will try to dig up one of my old essays as an example, wish me luck on that one!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Quote Paragraphs
It’s really not as hard as I’ve made it out to be.
Each paragraph that has a new example for the literary device you chose must be introduced. The direct quote or paraphrase can then be placed and then at least one sentence should be used to conclude. Because what is the point of analysis paper if you don’t prove you know what you are talking about?
Exactly.
Each paragraph that has a new example for the literary device you chose must be introduced. The direct quote or paraphrase can then be placed and then at least one sentence should be used to conclude. Because what is the point of analysis paper if you don’t prove you know what you are talking about?
Exactly.
Direct Quotes
Direct quotes…you need them. Now how to use them is the hard part. Hopefully you know how to place quotes inside of a sentence of your own words. But if you do not then maybe I can help.
Ex.
You say what you are trying to say and lead into the quote, “It’s as simple as that” (Me 31).
Most teachers want you to use the MLA format. Depending on what you are studying in college, professors might want you to use APA or even their own format. Son of a Citation Machine, one of the websites I have placed on the left hand side for your use, is a great tool for setting up quotes just exactly the way your teacher wants you to. It will even help you with you bibliography.
Ex.
You say what you are trying to say and lead into the quote, “It’s as simple as that” (Me 31).
Most teachers want you to use the MLA format. Depending on what you are studying in college, professors might want you to use APA or even their own format. Son of a Citation Machine, one of the websites I have placed on the left hand side for your use, is a great tool for setting up quotes just exactly the way your teacher wants you to. It will even help you with you bibliography.
Outline
I figured that the explanations of these posts are a little long. And I am hoping you come back to use this site, so I thought an outline of what I've said would be a good tool. So for those of you returning and not wanting to sift through my massive amounts of words, here is an outline:
Introduction:
1st sentence is general
Then get specific
Thesis (with literary devices last!)
Body:
Introduce theme again
Introduce literary device
Supporting quotes
Supporting Quotes:
Lead into quotes by explaining what the quote is saying.
Place quote
Conclude quote
End Body:
End each quote with a conclusion
End each literary device with a conclusion
Conclusion:
Restate thesis sentence
Begin to go general
Relation sentence (TILL)
Introduction:
1st sentence is general
Then get specific
Thesis (with literary devices last!)
Body:
Introduce theme again
Introduce literary device
Supporting quotes
Supporting Quotes:
Lead into quotes by explaining what the quote is saying.
Place quote
Conclude quote
End Body:
End each quote with a conclusion
End each literary device with a conclusion
Conclusion:
Restate thesis sentence
Begin to go general
Relation sentence (TILL)
Monday, November 12, 2007
The Conclusion
Ok, think of the structure of the introduction…and then flip it around. Start out with your literary device sentence (not word for word of course!). And then slowly make your way out of the specifics and back into general. (This would be like the first sentence of the paper.)
My senior English teacher in high school liked us to do this thing he called a TILL. (I do not remember what this stood for or if it was even an acronym for anything, but it’s still very important.) A TILL is the last sentence, and it relates the entire paper and theme to real life. This is the ONLY sentence that you can use the word “we” in. Other wise using the word “we” will get you a lower grade, trust me. And never... EVER…use “I” in an analysis paper. (This makes most “sane” English teachers cringe.) To continue with our example, a very plain relation to real life would be: We should remember when hard times hit us or our families the greatest strength can be gained by working together.
I'm going to try to make a visual for the structure of the paper I have now detailed out for you. We'll see how my computer skills compare to my writing skills.
My senior English teacher in high school liked us to do this thing he called a TILL. (I do not remember what this stood for or if it was even an acronym for anything, but it’s still very important.) A TILL is the last sentence, and it relates the entire paper and theme to real life. This is the ONLY sentence that you can use the word “we” in. Other wise using the word “we” will get you a lower grade, trust me. And never... EVER…use “I” in an analysis paper. (This makes most “sane” English teachers cringe.) To continue with our example, a very plain relation to real life would be: We should remember when hard times hit us or our families the greatest strength can be gained by working together.
I'm going to try to make a visual for the structure of the paper I have now detailed out for you. We'll see how my computer skills compare to my writing skills.
The Body
Remember how I said it drives me crazy when people place literary devices first? The same applies to the body paragraphs.
Each paragraph is structured the same, you start with a general sentence. In our example something to do with family drawing strength from each other during hard times; at the end of the sentence or better yet in the next sentence you can add your first literary device. (Ours is biblical illusions). So, in the first sentence repeat that John Steinbeck emphasizes that families can draw strength from each other during hard times through biblical illusions. (NOT: Through biblical illusions, John Steinbeck emphasizes families can…)
Then you give your examples using paraphrasing and direct quotes. (I will go into how to set these up in another post.) Each literary device should have at least three examples for a five page paper. If you cannot think of three examples for a literary device then that device isn't stong enough and therefore your paper will not be strong enough, or worse, long enough.
Each example can be placed in a new paragraph or each literary device can be in all one paragraph, depending on how your teacher wants it. In college most professors want them in a new paragraph (which is great for space). Your last sentences (or paragraph) for each literary device needs to be summed up. This isn’t hard at all, lots of repetition. In our example you will do the same for symbols and chapter structure. And that’s that on to the conclusion.
Each paragraph is structured the same, you start with a general sentence. In our example something to do with family drawing strength from each other during hard times; at the end of the sentence or better yet in the next sentence you can add your first literary device. (Ours is biblical illusions). So, in the first sentence repeat that John Steinbeck emphasizes that families can draw strength from each other during hard times through biblical illusions. (NOT: Through biblical illusions, John Steinbeck emphasizes families can…)
Then you give your examples using paraphrasing and direct quotes. (I will go into how to set these up in another post.) Each literary device should have at least three examples for a five page paper. If you cannot think of three examples for a literary device then that device isn't stong enough and therefore your paper will not be strong enough, or worse, long enough.
Each example can be placed in a new paragraph or each literary device can be in all one paragraph, depending on how your teacher wants it. In college most professors want them in a new paragraph (which is great for space). Your last sentences (or paragraph) for each literary device needs to be summed up. This isn’t hard at all, lots of repetition. In our example you will do the same for symbols and chapter structure. And that’s that on to the conclusion.
Friday, November 9, 2007
The Introduction
The first tip I can give you is you have to know how to write. Sorry, if you’re not going to read the novel and your paper is due the next day, you have to have something going for you. I don’t mean to say you have to be the next Mark Twain or John Steinbeck; you just have to have a few basic structure and analysis techniques down. I can help you here. Let’s start with the introduction; it contains your thesis and the structure and basis of the rest of your paper.
Please tell me you’ve paid enough attention in class to know what this is…If not I’m not going to be the one to explain. Click here to learn more, http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html. Remember that writing a thesis, a well written thesis, takes having read the material. So it is always better to do that but I understand the lack of time management. The previous link will help you understand what a thesis is and what needs to go into it, however I will add some things I think should also be in your thesis.
Start your introduction with a broad statement. For example if your paper is on John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath you might want to say something like: The 1930s were a terrible time for farmers due to lengthy draughts. Like I said broad, and it doesn’t even mention The Grapes of Wrath. Continuing with The Grapes of Wrath in the next couple of sentences (more if your paper is longer than five pages) narrow down your point to The Grapes of Wrath. For example: In The Grapes of Wrath the Joad family struggles through the hardships of a farming family in the 1930s.
This would be the sentence that goes right before your thesis sentence. A thesis sentence that would go along with this example would be (keep in mind I haven’t read The Grapes of Wrath in four years and have not done any research on it for this blog, it’s merely an example.) Strength in hard times can be drawn from ones family, this is illustrated by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath through biblical illusions, symbols, and chapter structure.
Thesis Structure:
Theme + literary devices (In that order!)
Please put your literary devices last, there is nothing more annoying then structure getting messed up in a thesis. (Ok, maybe there are more annoying things like global warming and broadcast journalists, but as an English major this really bothers me)
Well that’s it on the Introduction! Congrats, this is the hardest part since this is the map of your paper. If your paper has to be anywhere from 5-10 pages long (which is nothing in college) then you want your introduction to be at least a page. Next I will teach you about the body…I hate science, so no, not the human body.
Please tell me you’ve paid enough attention in class to know what this is…If not I’m not going to be the one to explain. Click here to learn more, http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.html. Remember that writing a thesis, a well written thesis, takes having read the material. So it is always better to do that but I understand the lack of time management. The previous link will help you understand what a thesis is and what needs to go into it, however I will add some things I think should also be in your thesis.
Start your introduction with a broad statement. For example if your paper is on John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath you might want to say something like: The 1930s were a terrible time for farmers due to lengthy draughts. Like I said broad, and it doesn’t even mention The Grapes of Wrath. Continuing with The Grapes of Wrath in the next couple of sentences (more if your paper is longer than five pages) narrow down your point to The Grapes of Wrath. For example: In The Grapes of Wrath the Joad family struggles through the hardships of a farming family in the 1930s.
This would be the sentence that goes right before your thesis sentence. A thesis sentence that would go along with this example would be (keep in mind I haven’t read The Grapes of Wrath in four years and have not done any research on it for this blog, it’s merely an example.) Strength in hard times can be drawn from ones family, this is illustrated by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath through biblical illusions, symbols, and chapter structure.
Thesis Structure:
Theme + literary devices (In that order!)
Please put your literary devices last, there is nothing more annoying then structure getting messed up in a thesis. (Ok, maybe there are more annoying things like global warming and broadcast journalists, but as an English major this really bothers me)
Well that’s it on the Introduction! Congrats, this is the hardest part since this is the map of your paper. If your paper has to be anywhere from 5-10 pages long (which is nothing in college) then you want your introduction to be at least a page. Next I will teach you about the body…I hate science, so no, not the human body.
Need to dazzel your English teacher?
I can remember being in high school because let’s face it, it wasn’t that long ago. Are late nights, pulled out hair, and stress headaches from the latest English paper you have to turn in getting to you? They certainly got to me but lucky for me I have a knack for pulling quotes, themes and symbols into a paper that can dazzle teachers. To be honest, I read very few of the novels assigned to me in high school and I now help my younger brother write papers on novels I’ve never even heard of. Now if you are thinking that because I didn’t read the novels that I could be of no help to you then you are wrong. I still recieved A's in my English classes, was editor of the yearbook, had a column in the local paper and I'm now currently trying to hammer out a novel. If I were to tell you all you have to know is how to BS then I would be a bad influence. So, all you have to know is how to BS. But I’ll give you a heads up, the habits you acquire from reading on a deadline in high school will help you in college, no, it will save your butt in college. I will share a few strategies of my own with you and then begin to go specifically into certain novels. Leave comments and tell me which novels you would like me to go into. Realize I am a student taking 16 credit hours and working 25 hours a week, I might not be able to get to your suggestion by the time you have to turn in the paper if it’s due, say, the next day.
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