A literary study is not simply a book summary or an account of the events. A good literary analysis begins with a clearly defined thesis. Instead of merely recounting the events of a short story, novel or poem, you'll need to examine the author's choices and explain why they were made.
How to Write an Analysis Essay
It is not easy to write a literary analysis. It's easy for you to start giving your opinion and not a critical review of the literary work. Many students will simply summarize the piece and not give their interpretation. We'll cover eight important steps to writing a good literary analysis.
1. Please read the entire text
You should read carefully the piece of writing, whether it's a poem, short story or novel. You will want to read a short work (like a poet) multiple times so that you fully understand its purpose and meaning. If you're reading a longer work, you can highlight any passages that catch your attention. You will be able to identify a clear essay direction later by highlighting the passages that stand out.
This step is crucial and omitting it can lead to disastrous results. You should give yourself enough time to read, reread and analyze the text.
2. Brainstorm a topic
You should then brainstorm possible topics. Students often find this part the most challenging, since it requires critical thinking and creativity. You may have been given some questions by your teacher to answer. You can use these questions to find a literary topic.
- What are the connections between this literary work and contemporary society?
- What struck you as confusing or interesting? What struck you as interesting or confusing?
- What were their motivations? What was their motivation? Characters can they be compared, contrasted or compared? Did the characters have any symbolism?
- Imagine the location. What if you were to set the piece in a different place or time? What conclusions could you draw from the work's setting?
- What images did you find particularly striking?
- Themes? What themes appeared repeatedly, and did these themes give you any insight into the overall message?
- What is the message you believe this author was trying convey? What was their success or failure?
3. Collecting and interpreting evidence
Consider the evidence that can be used to support your ideas as you brainstorm. To be creative, you need to select an idea that's not completely obvious. But be careful about picking something obscure. It may make it hard to prove your point.
Begin collecting evidence that supports your thesis. Early highlighting, close reading and attentive listening will help. The thesis is the next step if there are enough facts to support your arguments. Contradictory evidence is not to be ignored. You may find that you can interpret what initially appears to be contradictory points in a positive way.
4. Thesis statement
Your thesis statement is the main argument of your paper. It is perhaps the most crucial part of a paper. It's probably more important to successfully defend your thesis than selecting a unique subject.
Write a thesis that's debatable. It should not be an assertion of fact. This is an example a weak thesis:
The Great Gatsby describes the 1920s as well as the American Dream.
This is an unsound thesis, as it is too obvious to be debated. Remember that a literary study is not the same thing as a report. Here's a good example of an improved thesis:
The Great Gatsby redefines what the American Dream means. Although F. Scott Fitzgerald initially leads the reader to believe the American Dream has died, a closer look reveals that it is still alive in unexpected ways.
This thesis is supported by evidence.
This thesis is more interesting because it is not only debatable but also specific, surprising, and unexpected.
5. Argumentation: how to organize and develop your argument
You have collected evidence and developed a thesis. It's now time to organize everything into a coherent paper. Create a rough outline and decide which evidence goes with your main argument. At this point, you may need to add more evidence.
It may be necessary to alter or refine your original thesis after you have read through the text. Your thesis can be changed to suit the evidence. Be sure to include the necessary elements in your new thesis.
6. You can write a rough version
It's finally time to put all of your hard work into practice. Your literary analysis should begin with a rough-draft. Remember, your rough draft doesn't need to be flawless. You shouldn't worry about whether you have the correct grammar or if your sentences sound interesting. Writing is a process that requires a lot of work.
Concentrate on presenting all your points and making a convincing argument. Find textual points that will provide you with more detail. Organize it in a manner that you find logical. Perfection comes later.
7. Review and refine your arguments
Refine and review your writing after you have written it. Are there any passages that you have written that are repetitive? There may be a better way to express your argument. You may find that your evidence doesn't quite fit in the paper you had planned.
You should be very ruthless when editing your rough version. At this stage, you need to pay closer attention both to the grammar and sentence structure as well as the argument that you are making. Check your thesis often to make sure your essay doesn't deviate from it. Do you feel that each paragraph brings you closer to the thesis you set out?
8. Finalize your decision after getting a second opinion
Have someone else review your paper. Fresh eyes will catch mistakes, whether they are small in nature or large in scope. Your reviewer should know that you will accept constructive criticism and are open to honest feedback.
If you're looking for more practical help with your literary essay, take a course from Knovva Academy on 'How To Conduct Literary Analysis Like A Scholar. It can be very helpful to work with your professor or peers when you are trying to construct a strong thesis, support it with textual evidence and express your argument in a professional manner.