Skip to Main Content

Lesson 2

We will analyze a model literary analysis for its content and structure.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I apply correct and effective syntax, usage, mechanics, and spelling to communicate ideas and achieve intended purposes?

  • Can I analyze the sequencing of sentences and paragraphs and the use of reasoning and evidence to establish a coherent, logical, and well-developed essay?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2010

Materials

There are no materials for this Lesson.

Activity 1: Write – Discuss

We will determine the characteristics of an effective literary analysis essay.

Step 1

In your Learning Log, write down the important aspects of a literary analysis essay:

Step 2

Discuss the details of a literary analysis essay as a class. If your classmates provide any new details, write them down in your Learning Log.

  • The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to carefully examine a work of literature.

  • In the essay, you can analyze the use and function of a specific narrative, rhetorical, or stylistic device to support your thesis.

  • Examples from the text should be included to illustrate the writer’s points, and these should include parenthetical citations.

  • Each example taken from a source should be followed by multiple sentences of analysis.

  • The essay should maintain a formal, professional tone.

  • The essay should use a standard citation style, such as MLA, and include a works cited page.

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

We will examine a model essay to develop our understanding of a literary analysis essay.

Step 1

Read through a model essay and annotate specific aspects of the essay that support your understanding of literary analysis based on the previous activity’s discussion.

Step 2

Discuss the following questions as a class:

  1. How is the text and the author’s thesis introduced in the model essay? What specific aspects of the text is the author going to analyze throughout the essay?

  2. How does the author develop claims that support their thesis?

  3. What supporting evidence from the text do they use to support their claims?

  4. How does the author draw connections between ideas to organize and structure their overall analysis?

  5. How does the author conclude the essay? What key components do they include in their conclusion?

Step 3

Review your analysis of the literary essay and discuss the following synthesis questions with a partner:

  • How did the author use the relationships between literary elements like characterization, plot, setting, point of view, and theme to develop their analysis?

  • How did the author evaluate the historical, social, or economic influences of the setting on the literary elements of plot, characterization, and theme?

  • How did the model essay take into consideration the author of the text’s purpose when crafting the analysis?

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

We will now reread the model essay to focus on specific crafting and content choices.

Step 1

Reread the model essay.

Step 2

Separate the model into sections. Discuss the following questions with a partner:

  1. Where did you separate the essay? Why did you put the breaks where you did?

  2. What do you notice about the paragraph structure of the essay?

  3. How are the introductory and concluding paragraphs structured?

  4. What is unique about the body paragraph structure?

  5. How is textual evidence used in the essay?

Step 3

Individually, respond to the following question:

  1. What do I need to do in my literary analysis essay?