Literary Analysis Essay

Death plays an important role in both The Book Thief and John Donne’s poem “Holy Sonnet 10”(“Death Be Not Proud”). Write an essay contrasting death’s role in the two works by considering literary aspects such as the narrator/speaker’s point of view, theme, tone, symbolism, etc.

Basic Format is as follows:

Introduction

An introduction that introduces both works and has a clear thesis statement (refer to handout) – this is a contrast essay, so makesure your thesis statement reflects that.

Body

The body paragraphs will contrast the two works.To do this, choose a literary aspect(s), possible options are listed above. **Note: story or plot is not a comparison option!

Each body paragraph must have a clear topic sentence that clearly states the point that is going to be analyzed in the paragraph.Do not use an announcement, such as "This paragraph will analyze the literary motifs in the two works.”

To support each point, youmust use quotes from the text. You should an example from each work to prove for each point. Do not leave a quote to explain itself; make your point, use a quote that illustrates that point, andwrite in your own words on how that quote proves your point.

Conclusion

You will restate your thesis, differently, and finalize your thoughts on the prompt.

Requirements:

  • You need a correct MLA heading
  • You must have 2 textual evidences from each piece of work; these quotations must be correctly documented according to MLA guideline
  • You must have a MLA Work Cited Page, you will have 2 entries.

You will be required to have a MLA Handbook, later in the year for the research paper. Feel free to acquire one now or use the Purdue online writing lab to answer MLA formatting questions.

  • Length- 2, no more than 3 pages
  • The paper must be typed in 12 point font and double-spaced.
  • You must bring a hard copy of your paper as well as submitting to turnitin.com
  • The paper must have a title…do not underline it or put it in quotes.
  • Deductions will be made for the following errors:
  • Contractions (except in direct quotations from the story)
  • 1st and 2nd person pronouns (I, you, me)
  • Slang and non-specific words (thing, guy, a lot, kid, etc.)
  • Grammar, spelling, and usage errors to include typing errors
  • Tense shifts…write in all present

****You will be required to turn in your paper electronically to turnitin.com; Turnitin is the global leader in evaluating and improving student writing. The company’s cloud-based service checks for originality also known as (plagiarism). One of the most widely distributed educational applications in the world, and is used by more than 10,000 institutions in 126 countries to manage the submission, tracking and evaluation of student papers online.Please find the instructions attached.

What is an Analysis?

An analysis of a literary work may discuss:

How the various components of an individual work relate to each other

How two separate literary works deal with similar concepts or forms

How is a literary analysis an argument?

When writing a literary analysis, you will focus on specific attribute(s) of the text(s).

When discussing these attributes, you will want to make sure that you are making a specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes.

You will defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the text. (Much like a lawyer!)

THESIS STATEMENTS IN LITERARY ANALYSIS PAPERS

*The thesis statement is one of the (if not the) most important parts of your paper—think of it as the foundation of a house—if your foundation is weak and poorly constructed, what do you think happens to the house?

*The thesis statement is the announcement of your analytical argument that you intend to make and prove in the duration of your paper. It is a road map for the paper—it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

*It should be placed somewhere in the Introduction of your paper—Many like to put it as the last sentence(s) of their Intro which is fine.

*Your thesis statement should include two parts: WHAT and WHY.

*WHAT: What claim are you making about the text?

*WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim important? Your thesis should answer the “so what?” question.

*A thesis statement is usually, but can be more than, one sentence long.

Examples of Literary Thesis Statements:

* “Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.”

*What’s wrong with this thesis statement?

*An opinion about the book, not an argument.

* “In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.”

*Better? How so? What is still missing?

*Doesn’t answer the “so what?” question—what is the point of the contrast? What does the contrast signify?

* “Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American ideals, one must leave ‘civilized’ society and go back to nature.”

*Even better? It presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of it content and answers the “so what” question.