How to Write an Analytical
Essay about Short Fiction
1) Read the story carefully. You should be able to recreate
the narrative line, identify the essential conflict, and distinguish between
major elements of plot that influence the movement of the story.
2) Select an element in the story to explore (examples:
theme, point of view, time, foreshadowing, image/symbol patterns). Perhaps you
may want to examine the story from a particular critical perspective or approach.
3) Read the story again, identifying and marking
passages that relate to that element.
4) Write a "working thesis," making a claim
about the element you have chosen to analyze. The purpose of your essay will be
to support, explore, demonstrate, or illustrate the validity of the claim you
have made about that element.
5) Compose topic sentences (four or five, perhaps)
that support, explore, demonstrate, or illustrate your thesis. Always begin
with the topic sentence (a claim); never begin a paragraph in the body of your
paper with a quotation or summary sentence.
6) Select specific passages in the text of the story
that help you to develop each topic sentence. These passages offer the reader
evidence of your claim. Avoid quoting passages longer than a single paragraph,
but rather, try to incorporate the most important phrases or brief sets of
sentences into each paragraph.
7) Build your paper to a climax; save your most
engaging or important topic sentence for discussion last.
8) Begin your paper with an introduction that
identifies the purpose of the paper and the text you are addressing. Open the
paragraph with an interest device like a quotation, startling statement, or
rhetorical question that will engage the reader's reflection and interest. The
title (which you may want to develop at the end of the writing process) should
be provocative without being juvenile, should reflect the perspective of the
paper and perhaps your point of view or attitude toward the topic.
9) Conclude your paper with a paragraph that does
more than summarize your thesis and major points. You may wish to echo your
opening interest device, evaluate the author's development of the motif, or
identify points for further reflection.
10) Print out your paper for careful editing. Reread
it for smooth transition in and out of quotations and check for adequate
support of each claim or topic sentence.
11) After revising the paper, print out your essay
again, proofreading it this time for elements of style and correctness. Revise
it once more and print out your final copy for submission.
This page was last modified on February 10, 2006,
and is maintained by Dr. Geoffrey Grimes.
