Guidelines for Writing Analytical Papers in Literature Classes

Highest marks will be given to those who carefully analyze an important part/s of a text, or establish important connections within a text. For example, connections can be between the role of a character and the story’s theme, or between a point of view and the main plot, etc. Papers relating an aspect of the story (character, narration, symbols, etc.) to the story’s overall theme will be highly considered. Lesser marks will go to students who describe or explain narrowly only one aspect of a work, failing to relate that to the story’s meaning. Lesser marks will also be given to students who use the story as a way to focus on their own life and experience. Remember: the focus is on the story!

***Keep in mind that to score high points, you will want to find quotes from the story you choose to back up your claims.

To review stories for topic selection: After reviewing the list of literary terms and tools on pages 105-6, WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT EACH STORY.

ex: For "The Tell-Tale Heart," what do you know about its narration, plot, xters, symbols, point of view?

CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE THAT ANALYZES POE'S "THE TELL-TALE HEART"

Possible Questions: You are free to select one of the ideas below, or think of your own.

1 Look at one or more important symbols in a story and explain the importance to the story’s meaning. Why is that object picked as a symbol? What makes it the perfect symbol?

2 Examine a character/s motivation for her/his actions. How do these actions impact others in the story? How does the way a character thinks affect the story?

3 Focus on the setting of a story, such as the old man’s house in Poe’s story.

4 Identify an instance/s of foreshadowing in a story, showing how it predicts the ending.

5 Discuss the role of minor characters in a story, for example the mothers in both "The Red Convertible" and "Good Country People."

Checklist for Literature Papers
from The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors by Leigh Ryan

1  Does the student writer use examples from the text to CONVINCINGLY support her interpretation or analysis?

2  Has the writer avoided merely giving a summary of the plot?

3  Are parts of the work clearly and accurately referred to? It helps to say, "In the scene where the brothers are about to leave for home, xxx," giving the reader a quotation's CONTEXT.

4  Has the writer used the LITERARY PRESENT throughout the paper? The convention is to write, "Poe's stories often feature disturbed characters convinced of their sanity and intelligence." *Remember: use the present tense consistently.

5 Are all titles correctly spelled and punctuated? Has the author's name been correctly spelled? *Remember: after the first mention of the author's name, refer to his or her last name only.

6 Is quoted material properly punctuated, indented (if longer than FOUR typed lines), and documented (page numbers will be fine)?