English 152 Literature
Writing Guidelines
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These guidelines for writing papers about literature are organized
into four sections: general guidelines, fiction guidelines, poetry
guidelines, and drama guidelines. To view each section, click on the
links at the left of your screen. You may also click on the links to
read the primary sources (the literature featured in the examples.)
Writing
a Literary Essay
A
literary essay is an essay in which you will interpret and analyze
a literary
text: a fictional work, such as a short story or novel; a poem;
or a dramatic work, informally called a play. To write a competent
literary essay, you will need to read and study the literary work
(known as a primary
text) carefully. Then, considering your class assignment carefully, you
should choose a topic and focus for your essay. An early step
in drafting your essay will be to create a suitable thesis statement.
Thesis Statement (Fiction,
Poetry, and Drama)
A thesis is a precisely worded statement that summarizes the main idea
to be presented in an essay. In order to direct and control the development
of the essay, a thesis should specify the limited aspects of the topic
that will be included in the discussion. The thesis statement of a
literary essay is the sentence that outlines the analysis the essay
will present. A good literary thesis is specific, concise, and purposeful.
Study the models below for illustrations of weak and improved thesis
statements. For additional models from each genre, visit the fiction, poetry,
and drama sections
of this web site.
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First Draft (Fiction): “The Story of an Hour
tells about a woman’s reaction to her husband’s
death.
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Revised Thesis: Louise Mallard’s reaction
to the news of her husband’s death reflects her changing
attitude about her role as a proper wife.
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Explanation: The first draft thesis shown
above is only a plot summary. The improved version makes
a thematic assertion that the writer can explain and support
in the essay.
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First Draft (Poetry): In this essay, I will analyze
the poem “Richard Cory” for its interesting images
and characterization.
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Revised Thesis: Robinson’s “Richard
Cory” presents a series of memorable images that contrast
the affluence of Cory with the poverty of his envious audience.
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Explanation: The draft thesis shown above
begins with an unnecessary “I will analyze” statement
and concludes with a vague statement of the essay’s
goals. The improved thesis offers a more direct and concise
opening, followed by specific goals for the essay’s
development.
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First Draft (Drama): In Henrik Ibsen’s “A
Doll's House,” Norma leaves her husband and children to
find herself.
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Revised Thesis: Although Nora Helmer, the
heroine of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House, suffers
severe emotional turmoil and financial deprivation by leaving
Torvald and her children, she must separate herself from
them in order to become a mature, independent woman.
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Explanation: The first draft thesis is
stated too broadly. The revised thesis presents a precisely
worded statement about the effects of Nora’s leaving
Torvald and the children, and it clearly identifies her goals
for the future. The improved version provides direction and
control for the development of the essay.
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Quoting From Primary Sources (Literary Texts:
Fiction, Poetry, and Drama)
In
a direct quotation, a passage from a text is inserted verbatim (i.e., word
for word)
in an essay. Be sure to enclose direct quotations
within double quotation marks.
The only changes that are permitted in direct quotations are the following:
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Adding
a brief explanatory word or phrase enclosed in brackets. (See
#2 below.)
- Omitting
a portion of text, indicated with an ellipsis (i.e., three dots). (See
#4 below.)
- Changing
a lower case letter to a capital or a capital to a lower case letter. (See
#4 below.)
1. Whenever possible, introduce the quotation with
a coherent
introductory phrase.
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Example:
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Chopin’s opening sentence
announces that “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble” (265).
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Explanation: This introductory phrase includes
the author’s name and identifies the section of the story
from which the quotation is taken. In general, an introductory
phrase (also known as a lead-in phrase) serves to connect a quoted
passage to the ongoing literary analysis in your essay. Note that
when the author’s name is included in the introductory phrase,
it does not need to be repeated in the parenthetical citation;
only the specific page number is shown.
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2. Enclose the quotation in quotation marks. A brief explanatory
word or phrase may be enclosed in brackets.
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Example:
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“Now her [Mrs. Mallard’s]
bosom rose and fell tumultuously” (Chopin 265).
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Explanation: The addition of Mrs. Mallard’s
name explains the pronoun “her.” Note that the period
at the end of the sentence follows the parenthetical citation,
which includes both the author’s last name and the specific
page reference for the quoted passage.
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3. Follow the quotation with a
parenthetical citation identifying the author (if his or her name is not
included in the introductory phrase) and the exact page location of the
quotation.
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Example:
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The author describes the scene
Mrs. Mallard views from her bedroom window: “She could see
in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were
all aquiver with the new spring life” (Chopin 265).
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Explanation:Note that the period at the end
of the sentence follows the parenthetical citation.
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4. If you omit a portion of the original text, use an
ellipsis (i.e., three dots) to indicate the omission.
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Example:
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When Mrs. Mallard begins to change
her attitude, she realizes that “there would be no one to
live for during those coming years…” (Chopin 266).
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Explanation:Be sure that the words you have
retained from the author’s original sentence read coherently
and create a complete and grammatical sentence. Note that if the
text omission occurs at the end of a sentence, as shown here, the
period is placed in its standard position—after the parenthetical
citation.
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5. If an error exists
in the quoted text, you must still quote accurately, but you should indicate
the error with the Latin word “sic” in
brackets immediately after the error.
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Example:
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“Now her bosom rose and
fell tumulltuously [sic]” (Chopin 266).
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Explanation:The bracketed “sic” (a
word that means “thus”) indicates that “tumultuously” is
misspelled.
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6. Short quotations can be incorporated
into the text of your essay. However, long quotations (i.e., quotations
that are more than three or four lines long) should be presented in the
indented form.
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Example:
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Chopin
vividly describes Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to the news of her husband’s
death:
She did not hear the story as many women have heard the
same, with a paralyzed inability
to accept its significance. She
wept at once, with sudden wild abandonment, in her sister’s
arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to
her room alone. She would
have no one follow her. (265) |
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Explanation:Note that the final period in
an indented quotation precedes the parenthetical citation.
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7. When you quote from poems or plays in poetic line format,
use line rather than page citations. (See Poetry and Drama Guidelines
for specific examples.)
Example of Drafting and Revising a Primary Source
Quotation:
Quotation from Primary text: Quoting
from the primary text is important to support your generalizations
about the story or the characters. The author’s “voice” should
be heard!
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First Draft: "Knowing that Mrs. Mallard
was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break
to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death" is
a great way to begin the story.
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Revised Quotation: Chopin's opening announcement
that "...Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble..." foreshadows
the events to come in the story (Chopin 265).
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Explanation: The first draft allows this
writer to get her thoughts out on paper. The revision shows that
she has remained accurate, favored a briefer portion of the quote
and used ellipsis marks to show the omission, added a more coherent
lead-in phrase, and followed the quotation with the correct citation.
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Quoting from Secondary Sources (Critical
and Biographical Works)
1. Limit the use of verbatim quotations when you are using
secondary sources. In general, only ten to fifteen percent of your secondary
source references should be in the form of direct quotations. The subsequent secondary source citations are from an article by Daniel Deneau.
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Explanation:Use direct quotation of secondary
sources only for a few exceptionally well-phrased critical statements. Use
summary or paraphrase for most references to critical or biographical
sources. (See “Paraphrasing from Secondary Sources” below.)
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2. Just as with a primary source quotation, introduce a
secondary source quotation with a coherent introductory phrase, and enclose
the quotation in quotation marks.
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Example:
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Daniel P. Deneau points out that
Mrs. Mallard emerges from her bedroom “with a totally new
perspective on…her place in the scheme of things” (2).
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Explanation:In this introductory phrase, the
author’s name and a specific connection of the quoted passage
to the story are provided. The ellipsis (i.e., three dots) indicates
that some words from the original text have been omitted because
they are not essential to the meaning of the passage. Be sure
that when you omit words from a quotation, the remaining text reads
coherently and creates a complete and grammatical sentence.
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3. Identify the author in your parenthetical citation if
his or her name is not included in the introductory phrase.
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Example:
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One critic emphasizes that Mrs.
Mallard is affected “with a totally new perspective on…her
place in the scheme of things” (Deneau 2).
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Explanation:Even when the author’s name
is shown in the parenthetical citation, it’s very helpful
to have an introductory phrase that signals the beginning of the
source information.
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For additional information
about adding brief explanatory insertions to quotations, identifying errors
within quotations, or indenting long quotations, see “Quoting
from Primary Sources” above.
For specific information
about quoting correctly from other literary genres, see the following specific
sections of the tutorial: “Quoting From Fiction,” “Quoting
From Poetry,” or “Quoting From Drama.”
Paraphrasing from Secondary Sources (Critical or Biographical
Sources)
While
verbatim quotations are important in a literary essay, students should
take care not to quote
excessively. In general, not more than ten to fifteen percent of a research
essay should be presented in the form of verbatim quotations from secondary
sources. Another useful method for bringing secondary sources into a literary
essay is to use paraphrased ideas. A paraphrase is a restatement
in your own words of a secondary source. Up to forty or fifty percent of
your research essay may be based on information obtained from critical
sources in the form of paraphrased ideas.
1. Introduce any paraphrased ideas that you obtain from
secondary sources with an appropriate and coherent introductory phrase,
and follow each paraphrased idea with a parenthetical citation. Do
not use quotation marks for paraphrased information.
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Example:
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One critic emphasizes that Mrs.
Mallard develops a new attitude about her changed status (Deneau
2).
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Explanation:The introductory phrase and the
parenthetical citation show your reader where the paraphrased information
begins and ends. Without this framework, paraphrased ideas will
be difficult for your reader to identify. Note that paraphrased
passages are not enclosed in quotation marks; only word-for-word
quotations are placed in quotation marks.
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2. Be sure to paraphrase secondary
sources accurately; never misrepresent a critic’s ideas.
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Example:
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Critic Daniel Deneau traces Louise
Mallard’s transformation from bereaved widow to liberated
woman to a precise moment in Chopin’s story (2).
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Explanation:Although Deneau pinpoints the
exact time of Mrs. Mallard’s transformation, he does not
take a position on her new situation. To say that he “celebrates” her
change would misrepresent his perspective; the verb “traces” in
the example above is a neutral assessment of her character development,
one that better demonstrates the tone of Deneau’s analysis.
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3. Be
sure to introduce every paraphrased idea, and follow it with a parenthetical
citation. Adding a parenthetical citation
at the conclusion of several paraphrased sentences is not adequate because
you must acknowledge every idea that you obtain from a source.
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Example:
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One critic emphasizes that Mrs.
Mallard’s new attitude about her changed status overtakes
her with little warning (Deneau 2). Although she seems unlikely
to recover easily from the shock of her husband’s untimely
death, in less than an hour an unidentified “something” envelops
her, transforming grief into joy. Deneau not only describes Louise
Mallard’s transformation from bereaved widow to liberated
woman but also connects it to a precise moment in Chopin’s
story (2).
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Explanation:In this example of a paraphrase,
related points from Deneau’s article are connected by an
interpretive statement. Note that each paraphrased idea requires
a separate parenthetical citation, as shown above.
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For specific information
about paraphrasing correctly from other literary genres, see the following
specific sections of the tutorial: “Quoting From Fiction,” “Quoting
From Poetry,” or “Quoting From Drama.”
Drafting the Literary Analysis Essay
1. Draft
a literary analysis (as you would draft any other type of essay) by identifying
your working thesis and informally
outlining your main sub-topics.
2. Begin your first draft with your own ideas about the
literary selection that you are analyzing.
3. After you have drafted your
own ideas, support those ideas with specific details from the text of the
selection—details about characters, setting, images, symbols, plot,
or other relevant information. (DO NOT JUST SUMMARIZE THE PLOT, HOWEVER!)
You should also support your ideas with specific quotations from the text
of the selection. See specific directions for “Quoting from Primary
Sources” above.
4. Once you have provided your
own analysis, add supporting information from the critical or biographical
sources that you have consulted. See specific directions for “Quoting
from Secondary Sources” and “Paraphrasing from Secondary
Sources” above.
5. Revise and edit the first draft of your essay before
you write the final draft.
Drafting the Essay Introduction
After
you formulate your essay’s thesis, develop your introductory paragraph. You
may capture the reader’s interest in a variety of ways, for example,
by writing a provocative question, using a quotation from the text of the
literary selection, or discussing a major theme of the selection. You
may also wish to identify one of the selection’s prominent characteristics,
such as the surprise ending of “The Story of an Hour.” After
your introductory remarks, state your thesis at the conclusion of the introductory
paragraph.
Sample Introduction: |
How
much change can actually be depicted in a very brief story about only one
hour in the life of the protagonist? Surprisingly, Kate Chopin reveals
a great deal about the inner psychological life of the protagonist in “The
Story of an Hour.” Louise Mallard’s reaction to the news of
her husband’s accident reflects her changing attitude about her role
as a proper wife.. |
Explanation: The
introduction begins with a provocative question for capturing the reader’s
interest, followed with a general overview of the story’s content
in the second sentence. The third sentence, the thesis, suggests a comparison/contrast
between Louise Mallard’s emotions upon hearing of Brently Mallard’s
death in a railroad accident and the emotions she experiences as she begins
to anticipate her new social status. |
Drafting Body Paragraphs Using Primary and Secondary
Source Synthesis:
After the opening paragraph, including
the thesis statement, has been presented, body paragraphs, such as the
one below,
develop the essay’s argument that Louise Mallard’s attitude about
her role as a woman changes in the course of the story. Note how quotations
from the primary source, Chopin’s story, and from a critical source,
Deneau’s article, are both synthesized into the paragraph.
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First Draft: At he beginning of the story,
Chopin says, “Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with
a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently
as possible the news of her husband’s death” (265).
When she is told her husband is dead, she reacts right away and
weeps with “sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s
arms” (265). Later, she goes to her room, and Daniel P. Deneau,
a critic, says that she is affected “with a totally new perspective
on…her place in the scheme of things” (265). His analysis
helps explain the sudden change in Mrs. Mallard.
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Revision: As the story opens, the reader
learns that Louise Mallard is “afflicted with a heart trouble” (Chopin
265). Chopin's choice of detail implies that, except for her illness,
Louise Mallard is a typical nineteenth-century wife. Thus, when
her husband, Brently, is reported dead in a train disaster, the
news is conveyed to Louise gently, “in broken sentences;
veiled hints that revealed in half concealing” (265). Louise
reacts immediately and openly, weeping with “sudden, wild
abandonment, in her sister’s arms” (265). Later, she
retires to her room, to mourn her husband’s death in seclusion.
At this moment of social disengagement, according to critic Daniel
P. Deneau, an idea suddenly occurs to her, one that “oddly
arrives from the sky, [to] exert a powerful physical influence
on Louise and leave her with a totally new perspective on...her
place in the scheme of things” (2). Through Deneau’s
perceptive analysis, the reader watches Mrs. Mallard’s transformation
from bereaved nineteenth-century widow to liberated modern woman.
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Explanation: The first draft demonstrates
that the writer has assembled all the necessary evidence from the
text. In the revision, the writer has added the following information
1. An explanation of the
significance of the first line.
2. Quoted passages from
the primary text to depict the situation and highlight Mrs. Mallard’s strong response.
3. A quoted passage from
a secondary source to introduce the story’s main conflict:
Mrs. Mallard’s transformation.
(See example in Works Cited section below.)
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Preparing
the Works Cited Page
1. Begin a new page that you name Works Cited.
2. In alphabetical order, list
all of the sources that you have quoted or paraphrased, using the author’s
last name or the first important word of the title (if no author is listed). Do
not number the entries on the Works Cited page.
3. Provide all of the required
publication information about each source , whether the publication is a book, a periodical,
or an electronic source. (Example: Deneau, Daniel. Explicator, Summer
2003, Vol. 61.)
4. Use correct MLA form for each entry. Follow the models
given in your MLA handbook or use the following link: http://lib.ocean.edu/the_source/MLA.htm
5. Double space all lines on the Works Cited page.
