LA - Module Overview
Literary Analysis
Introduction 
Recall that there are various types of writing, and all types of writing serve a particular purpose. Argumentative, or persuasive writing, serves to convince readers of a certain point of view or perspective, and informative, or expository writing, serves to inform or explain a concept or idea to readers. In this module, you will learn how to craft a Literary Analysis. The Literary Analysis is a certain type of writing that encourages you to dig deeper into a text and break down the text in some way. You might write a Literary Analysis over characters, themes, or literary devices. In this module, you will learn how to brainstorm topics for a Literary Analysis in order to feel fully prepared to provide an organized, written essay about a topic from your chosen novel. You will review how to use evidence from reliable primary and secondary sources to support the analysis of your topic. Finally, you will learn new concepts of grammar and mechanics such as using active voice and proper subject and verb agreement.
Essential Questions
- Can I present information and evidence cited correctly with a clear purpose and show organization, development, and style for a certain purpose and audience both formal and informal?
- Can I research and find reliable sources that will be useful to integrate into my essay and support my claims about a text?
- Can I find and use information from both literary and informational sources to support my claims about a text?
Key Terms
Literary Analysis Essay: An essay that attempts to evaluate and understand the work of an author, either a single work or an entire body of work.
Literary Criticism: Is a description, analysis, evaluation, or interpretation of a particular literary work or an author's writings as a whole.
Argumentative (Persuasive) Essay: The goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer's point of view or recommendation.
Informative Essay: The goal of the informative essay is to educate the reader about a certain topic or define a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples.
Rhetoric: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other writing techniques.
Introduction Paragraph: The first paragraph in an essay that grabs the reader that should connect the writer's topic and ideas to a historical or current to provide general perspective and context.
Thesis Statement: A short statement, usually one sentence appearing at the end of the introduction, that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported, and explained in the text by means of examples and evidence.
Topic Sentence: One sentence revealing the specific topic of your paragraph— this is a broad sentence that allows for entry into subdivision of argument.
Development Sentence: Occurs after the Topic Sentence and provides a perspective on the topic that will allow for an understanding of the importance of the evidence that will follow—your opinion, thought, or idea regarding the topic.
Evidence: All words, ideas, facts or data used from another source (other than the brain) that backs up or supports the statements and opinions stated by the writer—must be cited properly.
Analysis Sentence: Explains why the evidence is important and how it connects to thesis. Do not simply restate or summarize the evidence.
Conclusion Sentence: Last sentence in the body paragraphs that carefully links the ideas that have been proven and provide the reader with some sort of critical evaluation of the overall importance of the argument.
Transition Sentence: Help the reader see the connection between the pieces of evidence included in the paragraph. This usually can be captured as a comparison or a contrast (similarly...on the other hand...this is further supported by).
Conclusion Paragraph: Final paragraph in the essay. Do not summarize the ideas in the essay or the introduction. Provide a call to action. Give your readers something extra to think about—discuss why your points are important or what else needs to be researched.
Source Citation: The complete publication information for a source that a writer uses for evidence in an essay.
Parenthetical Documentation (In-Text Citation): The short version of the Source Citation (often the author's last name and page number) that appears in parenthesis at the end of the evidence and refers readers to the complete Source Citation in the Works Cited.
Works Cited: A list of sources that you have incorporated within your paper by using the ideas, information, and quotes of others.