How to Write Literature 101

HOW TO WRITE A LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to carefully examine and sometimes evaluate a work of

literature or an aspect of a work of literature. As with any analysis, this requires you to break the

subject down into its component parts. Examining the different elements of a piece of literature is not

an end in itself but rather a process to help you better appreciate and understand the work of

literature as a whole. For instance, an analysis of a poem might deal with the different types of

images in a poem or with the relationship between the form and content of the work. If you were to

analyze (discuss and explain) a play, you might analyze the relationship between a subplot and the

main plot, or you might analyze the character flaw of the tragic hero by tracing how it is revealed

through the acts of the play. Analyzing a short story might include identifying a particular theme (like

the difficulty of making the transition from adolescence to adulthood) and showing how the writer

suggests that theme through the point of view from which the story is told; or you might also explain

how the main character‟s attitude toward women is revealed through his dialogue and/or actions.

REMEMBER: Writing is the sharpened, focused expression of thought and study. As you develop

your writing skills, you will also improve your perceptions and increase your critical abilities. Writing

ultimately boils down to the development of an idea. Your objective in writing a literary analysis essay

is to convince the person reading your essay that you have supported the idea you are developing.

Unlike ordinary conversation and classroom discussion, writing must stick with great

determination to the specific point of development. This kind of writing demands tight

organization and control. Therefore, your essay must have a central idea (thesis), it must have

several paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central idea, and...