The Literary Analysis Introductory Paragraph
You will first want to start off with a frame, some single word, image or allusion that you can
use to open up your paper (personal experience is too informal for this literary analysis, as
you can’t use the pronoun “I” in this paper). Once your frame is opened, you need
to have a sentence or two that makes a smooth transition from your hook, so
that the frame doesn’t feel disconnected from the rest of your paragraph.
This should be where you start to ease in, or zoom in, getting yourself
to the point where you actually mention the authors and titles
of the works you are analyzing. After you mention them,
this is a good spot for a SHORT, CONCISE summary
of the first work (3-4 sentences MAX), giving only
necessary background, and assuming your readers
are fairly familiar with the text. Then, do the
same for the second. Finally, link the stories
by concluding your intro paragraph with
your thesis, the sentence(s) that both
announce your topic and your
argument, signaling to the
reader just what you
will be analyzing.
Ready, set, go!
“Chapter” Examples (Mini-Thesis + Quotations + Justifications)
If, for example, I was writing a paper on George Orwell's 1984 and the use of food imagery to convey the destruction of totalitarianism, I would set up something similar to this (but with many, many more details):
Chapter 3: The Chocolate Motif
Mini-Thesis: Chocolate, a symbol of desire and lust, is restricted by the totalitarian government of Oceania. Orwell thus builds an intricate chocolate motif to illustrate not only the more general idea of howdaily food intake is subject to complete control, but to reemphasize the implicit idea that sexual relations are at the severest mercy of the government officials. Because of the universal cultural appeal of chocolate, this particular motif strikes a powerful cord in readers who detect the sensuality—and barring of that sensuality—latent in the string of images, realizing the horrifying depth to which the destructiveness of totalitarianism can truly reach.
p. 94 / "There was a chocolate ration....” / Shows how the government was limiting both supplies and sex, to the detriment of the population.p. 98 / “Julia pulled a piece from her pocket…” / Julia rebels with food, suggesting her penchant for sexual rebellion, too.
p. 200 / “Winston remembered stealing chocolate…” / Winston’s emotional link to chocolate signifies his connection to a time when sex had emotional meaning and suggests an attempt to re-infuse that meaning into his own sexual relations (or lack thereof).
*I should see (1) a “chapter name” giving me an idea of what you're talking about in that section of your paper, (2) the quotes you want to use there and why, and then a succinct thesis showing me what you're trying to prove in that section with those quotes.