Writing a Literary Essay

Admin Number of posts : 16 Registration date : 2007-02-06

Writing a Literary Essay

* Try to write about something you find interesting that also addresses the concerns and preoccupations of the course.
* Give your essay an interesting title that has something to do with the position you are taking.
* Assume intelligent readers who have read the material (though they'll need reminders).
* Keep your tone straightforward and your explanations concise. Write as directly and clearly as you can, but remember that "simple" does not mean "simplistic."
* Don't retell the story. Plot is of limited value in literary essays and is usually used only to set up the context of the quotations you plan to analyze. Instead, express an opinion about what you've read. Don't be afraid to take risks to interpret. Aim for a thesis that not everyone would agree with. Don't assume there's one correct view; in literary study there isn't. This does not mean that ANY position you take about the text is correct; some arguments fit the evidence better than others, so beware! You can assert any view that arises from thoughtful discussion and convincing analysis of textual evidence.
* Explain your arguments thoroughly and patiently. Don't expect the reader to grasp your claims easily.
* Organize your paragraphs according to the development of your argument, not according to the chronological order of a text. Cover one aspect of your argument per paragraph or section (set of related paragraphs) of your essay. Use transitions to show how sections are logically connected to each other and to your thesis.
* Don't try to say everything you've figured out about the readings in one essay. Select only those quotations that advance and support a particular thesis. Set up quotations with a brief reminder to readers of what is happening in the text at that point. Integrate quotations into your essay so that everything reads as coherent sentences. Keep quotations as brief as you can (see the brief style guide).
* Use present tense to show that literary works and the issues they raise are still alive. Not "Othello was..." but "Othello is...."
* Show that you care about your work by proofreading carefully for small errors.