Basic steps in writing a literature pap
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BASIC STEPS IN WRITING A LITERATURE PAPER
Pre-Writing Suggestions
It may be helpful first to submit a journal entry with a short discussion of your potential topic, or a "brainstorming" list of ideas and details that could be used in a paper on a topic you are exploring. Or use the worksheet given below to get feedback on your topic before writing the paper.
Reread the literary work, or relevant portions of it if it is long, and make notes on all details relating to your topic that you might add to your paper. You will be expected to provide more supporting details for each point of analysis than are required in informal journal entries.
Develop a Thesis
You may have developed a good central point of analysis in your pre-writing activities that will provide a thesis, or you may have to develop a new one appropriate for your revised focus. If you start with a journal entry that was based primarily on facts about plot or on personal reactions, it will be essential to develop an interpretive thesis—a precise statement about the topic. If you change your mind later about the opinion or point of interpretation stated in your thesis (since we often discover new insights as we write), reword it and revise the rest of the essay accordingly.
Sample Thesis Statements about the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty:
On character: In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson is a frail old woman with physical and mental weaknesses, but she appears as a strong heroic character by the end of the story. She uses common sense, wit, and courage to overcome the obstacles she encounters.
On plot: In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson’s walk through the fields and woods becomes a heroic quest as she overcomes a series of obstacles bravely, determined to reach her goal and obtain medicine for her sick grandson.
On theme: Like many folktales, “A Worn Path” shows that a poor, physically weak country woman can become a hero if she uses
BASIC STEPS IN WRITING A LITERATURE PAPER
Pre-Writing Suggestions
It may be helpful first to submit a journal entry with a short discussion of your potential topic, or a "brainstorming" list of ideas and details that could be used in a paper on a topic you are exploring. Or use the worksheet given below to get feedback on your topic before writing the paper.
Reread the literary work, or relevant portions of it if it is long, and make notes on all details relating to your topic that you might add to your paper. You will be expected to provide more supporting details for each point of analysis than are required in informal journal entries.
Develop a Thesis
You may have developed a good central point of analysis in your pre-writing activities that will provide a thesis, or you may have to develop a new one appropriate for your revised focus. If you start with a journal entry that was based primarily on facts about plot or on personal reactions, it will be essential to develop an interpretive thesis—a precise statement about the topic. If you change your mind later about the opinion or point of interpretation stated in your thesis (since we often discover new insights as we write), reword it and revise the rest of the essay accordingly.
Sample Thesis Statements about the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty:
On character: In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson is a frail old woman with physical and mental weaknesses, but she appears as a strong heroic character by the end of the story. She uses common sense, wit, and courage to overcome the obstacles she encounters.
On plot: In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson’s walk through the fields and woods becomes a heroic quest as she overcomes a series of obstacles bravely, determined to reach her goal and obtain medicine for her sick grandson.
On theme: Like many folktales, “A Worn Path” shows that a poor, physically weak country woman can become a hero if she uses