BCCC Tutoring CenterConventions for Writing a Literary Analysis Paper This handout can be used in conjunction with the Center’s more comprehensive resource, “How to Write a Literary Analysis Paper.” Your Writing Style and VoiceUse formal, academic diction (word choice) in a literary analysis. Therefore, write in the third person. First person (I, me, our, we, etc.) and second person (you) are too informal for academic writing, and most literature professors prefer students to write in third person. OrganizationAs with other types of academic writing, a literary analysis should adhere to the introduction, body paragraph, conclusion model. Your argument and your voice must carry the weight in a literary analysis paper. Therefore, avoid plot summary, and construct a specific thesis statement that conveys a claim that you will prove in your body paragraphs. Each paragraph must include topic sentences, and these topic sentences, as well as the content of each paragraph, must supportthe thesis statement. Even if you incorporate research in your paper, be sure that it supports yourown argument and does not overtake your voice. Differentiation Between Speaker and Author Often in literature, the speaker is not the author. One aspect of literary analysis entails exploring the relationship between author and speaker. Carefully analyze point of view and tone. Considerthe author’s intended meaning; however, do not mistake the opinions of the narrator for those of the writer. 1. You must give a clear, full reference to the work and author you are writing aboutsomewhere in your introductory paragraph. 2. Use the correct format for referring to the work you are discussing. The titles of shortstories, poems, and essays should be placed in quotation marks; the titles of novels, plays,films, and TV shows should be either underlined or italicized:"My Last Duchess" (poem)Antigone (play)"The Secret Lion" (short story)Forest Gump (movie)Pride and Prejudice (novel) The Simpsons (TV show)The Literary Present Do not write about a literary text in the past tense. Instead, use the “literary present.” Literary words are considered to exist in the present tense. In academic writing, it is expected that you will write a literary analysis in the present tense. 1BCCC Tutoring CenterThesis StatementsThe thesis statement establishes the overall point of your essay, and it fulfills two main objectives. First, the thesis must state your topic. Second, the thesis must convey what you will prove about your topic (your opinion about that topic). The thesis statement is most often embedded in the introductory paragraph, usually at the end of that paragraph. Occasionally, as inthe below example, a thesis statement might consist of more than one sentence. According to the Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers, the basic requirements for a thesis statement include the following: - the essay’s subject—the topic that you discuss- the essay’s purpose—either informative or persuasive- your focus—the assertion that presents your point of view- specific language—not vague words- brief overview of the topic’s subdivisions(Troyka and Hesse 45)Try this strategy to develop and narrow a thesis statement. To write an effective thesis statement, start with a general idea and then sharpen your focus. Step 1: Choose a topic, e.g., the poem “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes Step 2: Focus the topic, e.g., biographical influences in “Theme for English B,” especially the poet’s race, and how literary critics assess such influences on this poem Step 3: Narrow the topic further by posing it as a question. E.g., How do critics classify Hughes’s poems, especially those that are related to race? How did Hughes’s experience as an African American man affect his poetry? What elements in the poem reflect Hughes’s experience as an African American man? Step 4: Answer the question. The answer is your thesis statement. E.g., Critics classify Langston Hughes’s work into poems of social and “racial protest” and poems of racial affirmation” (DiYanni 522-523). “Theme for English B,” however, does not nestle neatly within either category, as it exudes a more complicated tone of bothpride and frustration.**Notice that this thesis statement proposes an argument and specifies particular literary elements that will be analyzed to help substantiate or prove the argument. Your thesis statement should be clear and direct and should entice your audience to read further. Each subsequent paragraph in the body of your paper should support your thesis statement and prove your claim. Properly Write and Cite Direct QuotationsUse quotations sparingly. Remember to use quotations with discretion. Do not saturate your paper with overuse of quotations. Rather, use only relevant quotations to support your ideas. Limit quoting to key statements and ideas. 2BCCC Tutoring CenterIntegrate quotations smoothly. When you use quotations, work them into your writing as smoothly as possible. To do so, pay attention to style and punctuation. Use “signal phrases” to introduce a quotation. Never end a paragraph with a quotation. Your own interpretation or analysis should always follow a quotation. See the below formula and examples. “Sandwiching” Quotations: Example 1In her essay “The Ghosts of Ellis Island,” Mary Gordon observes, “The minute I set foot upon the island I could feel all that it stood for: insecurity, obedience, anxiety, dehumanization, the terrified and careful deference of the displaced” (392). Gordon blends her personal point of viewwith a historical perspective to characterize the immigrant experience of profound dispossession.Work Cited Gordon, Mary. “The Ghosts of Ellis Island.” The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. 3rd ed. Ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. New York and Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.1. Introduce the quote to provide context for the reader. - Include the title and author if you are using the source for the first time. - Use a “signal phrase” to introduce the quote (author’s name + verb).2. Direct Quote- Use a direct quote when an author writes in specialized or particularly powerful language and when such textual evidence enhances your paper’s argument. - Be precise. Do not use a quote from an outside source (secondary source) if it is not well written or if you can