Rough Draft a literary analysis
What are the main elements of a literary analysis?
How should the material gathered during prewriting be used in the drafting stage?
Objectives
Draft a literary analysis incorporating direct quotations
Improve stylistic and rhetorical techniques in writing
Implement feedback
Review apostrophes
A literary analysis is a critical examination and interpretation of a piece of literature, focusing on elements such as theme, character development, setting, and literary devices used by the author. The main elements of a literary analysis include a clear thesis statement that presents the main argument or interpretation of the text, supporting evidence from the text itself in the form of direct quotations, and a coherent analysis that explains how the evidence supports the thesis.
During the prewriting stage, material gathered such as notes on key themes, character analysis, and relevant quotations should be used to develop and support the thesis statement. This material should be organized in a logical manner to guide the drafting process. Direct quotations should be integrated into the analysis to provide specific evidence for the arguments being made, and should be properly cited according to the chosen citation style.
In the drafting stage, the thesis statement should be clearly stated in the introduction, and each body paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the text that supports the thesis. Direct quotations should be introduced and analyzed within the context of the argument being made, rather than simply dropped into the text without explanation. The conclusion should tie together the main points of the analysis and reiterate the thesis statement.
Stylistic and rhetorical techniques such as varied sentence structure, vivid language, and an engaging tone should be used to make the analysis more interesting and persuasive. Feedback from peers or instructors should be sought and implemented in order to improve the clarity and coherence of the analysis.
In terms of grammar, apostrophes should be used appropriately to indicate possession or contraction, and common errors such as using "it's" instead of "its" should be avoided. Careful proofreading and editing should be done to ensure that the analysis is free of spelling and punctuation errors.
Overall, a successful literary analysis should present a clear and well-supported argument about the text, using evidence from the text itself to back up the claims being made. By incorporating direct quotations effectively, improving stylistic and rhetorical techniques, and addressing feedback and grammar issues, a strong literary analysis can be crafted.