Preface xi
Acknowledgments xii

Chapter 1 Audience and the Literary Analysis Essay 1
The Importance of Audience 1
The Audience for the Literary Analysis Essay 2
Exercise Set 1.1 Understanding Audience 6

Chapter 2 Analytical Paragraphs 9
Initial Analysis 9
Analytical Paragraphs and Their Three Components 10
Claims 10
Exercise Set 2.1 Identifying Claims 12
Evidence 13
Exercise Set 2.2 Presenting Evidence 14
Analysis 15
Common Problems in Analytical Paragraphs 17
Awkward Repetition 17
Confusion About What Makes Meaning 18
Working with Analytical Paragraphs 19
A Sample Analytical Paragraph 19
Exercise Set 2.3 Understanding Analytical Paragraphs 20
Exercise Set 2.4 Creating Analytical Paragraphs 21
Integrating Quotations from Literary Texts 23
Guidelines for Integrating Quotations 23
Exercise Set 2.5 Integrating Quotations 27

Chapter 3 Theme 29
Defining Theme 30
Debating Theme 32
Debating with the Text: Agreeing and Disagreeing with Themes 32
Debating About Texts: Agreeing and Disagreeing About Themes 33
Identifying Themes 34
Identifying Themes in Drama and Prose Fiction 34
The Grasshopper and the Ants 35
Identifying Themes in Poetry 36
Identifying Complex Themes 42
Effective Statements of Theme 43
A Checklist for Effective Statements of Theme 43
Exercise Set 3.1 Identifying Statements of Theme 46

Chapter 4 Argument Structure 49
The Difference Between a Logical Sequence and a List 49
Sample Outlines 51
Exercise Set 4.1 Understanding Argument Structure 53
Organizational Paragraphs and Titles 54
Introductory Paragraphs 54
Working with Introductory Paragraphs 56
Exercise Set 4.2 Understanding Introductory Paragraphs 57
Transitional Paragraphs 58
Working with Transitional Paragraphs 58
Exercise Set 4.3 Understanding Transitional Paragraphs 59
Concluding Paragraphs 59
Working with Concluding Paragraphs 60
Exercise Set 4.4 Understanding Concluding Paragraphs 61
Titles 61
Exercise Set 4.5 Understanding Titles 62

Chapter 5 Types of Literary Analysis Essays 65
Close Readings 65
Passage Analysis Essays 68
Introductions to Passage Analysis Essays 68
The Structure of Passage Analysis Essays 69
Working with Passage Analysis Essays 70
Exercise Set 5.1 Understanding Passage Analysis Essay Structure 70
Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 71
The Purpose of Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 71
Introductions to Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 72
The Structure of Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 72
Working with Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 73
Exercise Set 5.2 Understanding Comparative Literary Analysis Essays 74
Literary Analysis Research Essays 74
Literary Analysis Research Essays Using Critical Sources 74
Introductions to Literary Analysis Research Essays Using Critical Sources 79
Working with Critical Sources 79
Exercise Set 5.3 Understanding the Use of Critical Sources 80
Literary Analysis Research Essays Using Historical Sources 82
Working with Historical Sources 83
Exercise Set 5.4 Understanding the Use of Historical Sources 84
In-Class Essays 85

Appendix 1 MLA Format 87
The Appearance of the Essay 87
Documentation: Works Cited List 88
Works Cited Entries: Print Sources 89
Works Cited Entries: Online Sources 92
Works Cited Entries: Other Nonprint Sources 93
Documentation: In-Text Citations 94
Sample Parenthetical Citations 94
Formatting Quotations 96
Short Quotations 96
Long Quotations 97
Changing Quotations 97

Appendix 2 Sample Essays 101
A Literary Analysis Essay on a Short Story 102
A Literary Analysis Essay on a Poem 105
A Literary Analysis Essay on a Play 107
A Literary Analysis Essay on a Novel 111
A Literary Analysis Essay on a Film 115
A Passage Analysis Essay 119
A Comparative Literary Analysis Essay 122
A Literary Analysis Research Essay using Critical Sources 126
A Literary Analysis Research Essay using Historical Sources 133

Appendix 3 "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 137

Appendix 4 Selected Exercise Answers 153

Appendix 5 Glossary of Literary Terms 161

Appendix 6 Academic Integrity 179
Paraphrase 180

Plagiarism: A Paraphrase that Includes an Unacknowledged Quotation 180
Plagiarism: Paraphrase Without Citation 180
Summary 181
Plagiarism: Summary with Unacknowledged Quotation 181
Quotation 181
Plagiarism: Incomplete Use of Quotation Marks 182

Appendix 7 Structure and Mechanics: Marking Abbreviations for Instructors and Peer Evaluators 185
Titles 185
Introductory Paragraphs 185
Thesis Statements 185
Analytical Paragraphs 186
Integrating Quotations 186

Index 189
Structure and Mechanics Checklist 195