Turnitin.com Info

Look to the right of your screen. Along the side of the website you should see a link to the page I have labeled "Turnitin.com info"

You will find the ID number and password there along with specific instructions on how to set up an account and how to submit an essay.

Thesis Statements

Much like the mythological figure of Theseus, your Thesis is what's leading the charge in your essay. 

The most important part of your essay is the thesis statement. Your thesis statement lays the framework for the rest of your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, consider the three P’s:

Prompt: is your thesis actually addressing the prompt you have chosen to write on? Your thesis must relate to the key concept in the prompt. For instance, if the prompt asks about individualism, then you need to reference individualism in your thesis. 

Provable: You need to be able to prove your thesis through textual support (examples and quotes). Be sure they are worthy of being proven; for instance, it is not necessary to prove that Bromden sees fog since no one would disagree with that. 

Purpose: You should state why the author creates a situation or why he/she does what he/she does. What is the purpose of the author’s writing? This is called thematic purpose and should also reflect a major theme in the work. Purpose is the most important part of your thesis. This should show how the message of the novel is universal and goes beyond the author’s text.

All thesis statements must take some type of bold leap forward in making a claim about the book or author. This is how you add purpose in your thesis statement; it takes critical thinking on your part and the willingness to be bold (like Indiana Jones). I can’t tell you what the purpose of your thesis statement is! Only you can do that!

Example:

Prompt: Examine Julia’s role in 1984.

Fact: In 1984, Julia is a character who is very comfortable revolting against The Party.

Weak Thesis: Orwell uses highly sensual imagery when describing Julia’s rebellious nature against The Party. 

Stronger Thesis: Through Julia’s character, Orwell explores the motifs of love, escape, and revolt in order to demonstrate the human capability to overcome oppression.

Remember, a good thesis statement goes beyond the

text and becomes universal.

Body Paragraphs: The Meat and Potatoes of the Essay

The number one rule to remember is to stay away from plot summary. Instead of writing a book report, we want to write a literature analysis essay. 

One helpful way to accomplish this is to follow the TREAT model:

T- Topic sentence (Make sure this connects with your Thesis Statement)

R- Reasoning (This is basically the transition into your quote as you show the  reasoning behind your claim in the topic sentence.  This can be some plot summary- but make it short, include only what is necessary.)

E- Evidence (direct quote)

A- Analysis (see steps A, B, and C below).

T- Tie it together 

All Literature Analysis essays follow the TREAT model in some form. The most important part of this model is the “Analysis” step- this is what you will be graded on most heavily in lit analysis essays.

When analyzing direct quotes, you want to try and accomplish three steps:

A.    Consider what is said in the actual quote through its subtleties of the topics and ideas expressed. Basically, what is the author saying without directly saying it? (Ultimately, what is the point of including this quote? What is Kesey really trying to say or express? What are the larger ideas shown in this specific part of the text?) 

B.    Assess how the quote is said, considering how the word choice, the ordering or ideas, sentence structure, etc., contribute to the meaning of the passage. What specific words is that character using? (I’ve shown this to you many times when I point out examples of figurative language and imagery in the novel).

C.    Connect this analysis of the passage back to the significance of the text as a whole. What were you originally trying to say in your thesis statement, and how does this point you are making with the quote help contribute to your original argument? 

Make sure to never tell the reader simply what is occurring in the quote- this is just plot summary.  

Feel free to change up the formula. Often, writers will include two quotes per paragraph (this is especially true when your prompt involves two different characters). If this is the case, repeat the middle three sections (Topic Sentence    Reasoning     Evidence      Analysis     Reasoning     Evidence    Analysis) before tying it back together.

Sample Body Paragraph:  

The importance of companionship is visible through the isolation of Crooks who lets his cynical approach to life cloud the fact that he longs for friendship. This is most evident through Crook’s initial response to Lennie walking into his Stable room: “You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” (68). This statement from Crooks shows the impact that forced isolation has had on him. By being pushed away from other workers for so long, Crooks has become suspicious and cynical towards anyone who approaches him; even someone as harmless as Lennie.  Steinbeck has Crooks emphasize his personal ownership of his isolated room, which is separated from the bunkhouse of the other workers, by having him repeat the possessive pronoun “my” which only increases the atmosphere of isolation that Crooks has grown comfortable with. It is not until Crooks realizes that Lennie is harmless that he lets his guard down and holds a conversation with him, even uttering that “a guy needs somebody- to be near him” (72). It is in this revelation that the reader comes to an understanding of what Crooks truly desires: friendship. With the injustices he must live with due to his race and the isolation he feels due to his physical separation from others, Crooks copes with the lack of companionship by acting cynical towards all those who approach him. Although it is friendship that Crooks ultimately longs for, it is unobtainable for him due to this distrustful attitude which has become Crook’s natural response to everyone. Crook’s pessimism toward others shows just how destructive his lifestyle can be in welcoming potential friends into his life.  In portraying Crooks’ cynical social habits due to his forced isolation, Steinbeck demonstrates how emotionally destructive it can be when companionship is absent from one’s life for an extended amount of time.

The Intro Paragraph

Follow these four easy steps in creating a concise and clear introductory paragraph:

      The Hook: Make sure you begin your introduction with a sentence that is not overly dramatic, but also not too boring (This is a difficult task).

Do not use overly broad or generic hooks:

—  “Throughout human history…”

—  “According to Webster’s dictionary definition of…”

—  “Every individual on this planet is unique…”

     Concepts: Make sure you introduce the concepts you will be talking about. Define any specific terms/ concepts in the essay prompt that may be difficult to understand. Elaborate on them briefly (a sentence or two) if it will help the clarity of your essay.

·         For example: Explain the term “allusion.” Explain why people feared authoritarian forces in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Explain how female characters are typically portrayed by men before the women’s rights movement. Discuss the use of first person narration.

     Context: Set up the context for the essay. Introduce the author and text you will be discussing. Name drop, title drop, and theme drop. Do not give a summary of the plot!

     Thesis: The end of your introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement which should be the general argument and purpose of your paper.

Basic Example Intro Paragraphs: Label each of the four steps on the margin of each body paragraph.

When John Steinbeck wrote many of his famous works, the Great Depression was dragging on as millions of Americans desperately searched for work. As the workforce became increasingly competitive and individualistic, the feeling of loneliness and isolation from others would naturally have become the norm in American working culture. One novella that captures this strong sense of loneliness is Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, which depicts different characters’ experiences with loneliness whether they are isolated from society, or surrounded by others. In the novella, Steinbeck displays the different reactions that Crooks and Curley’s Wife have to loneliness to demonstrate that companionship is absolutely necessary for happiness.