THE LITERARY ESSAY:Taming the Five-Paragraph Beast

I. OVERVIEW What is a literary essay?

How do I start?

Introductory Paragraph and Thesis Statement

Body Paragraphs

Concluding Paragraph

Formatting and Works Cited

I. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

Introduction

Body – 1st line of argument

Body – 2nd line of argument

Body – 3rd line of argument

Thesis

Conclusion

Parting Thought

Traditional Five Paragraph Essay

II. HOW DO I START? Read question carefully: What is the topic?

What is the question asking you to do? Are there any key words?

Key words: analyze; show significance; to what extent; evaluate; argue; assess

Begin brainstorming – mind maps, character dialogues, fishbone organizers

DO NOT start planning or writing until you have thought the question through!

II. Inductive vs. Deductive Inductive: Taking individual observations

and coming up with a thesis

Deductive: Starting with a thesis and looking for evidence

A strong essay will work both ways!

III. INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH Begin with a hook – a relevant quotation or general

statement

Summarize the quotation or the general statement and link it to the text you are discussing

DO NOT USE broad statements like “Since the beginning of time . . .”

Transition/connect to text – introduce author and title

Outline your essay’s three main ideas (lines of argument or LOAs)

Define any potentially ambiguous or unknown key terms (e.g. poor, success, etc.)

Present thesis statement

If introduction is longer than ¾ of a page, too long; if less than ½ page, too short.

IV. THESIS STATEMENT Usually last few sentences of your introduction

Thesis presents YOUR ARGUMENT about the topic and outlines how you are going to argue it, and in what order.

Flag it with a key word like “Thus . . .” or “Therefore . . .”

A strong thesis statement is arguable, clear, and specific, and passes the “so what?” question. (In other words, why is this an important subject to analyze)

Simple equations for a thesis might look something like this:

What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

- Malcom Forbes

Malcom Forbes, a well-known American author and publisher, once suggested that the goal of education is to open up minds to new ideas and ways of thinking. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a story that is very much concerned with the idea of education and its role in abolishing prejudice. However, Lee sees this education taking place not in school, rather in the day to day interactions with family and community. Scout’s relationship with her father, Atticus, helps her to begin to learn about the consequences of prejudice. Similarly, Scout’s interactions with Aunt Alexandra and the female members of her community, lead Scout to recognize and challenge some of the gender roles which pervade the southern society in which she lives. Finally, the negative portrayal of formal education in the novel highlights Lee’s belief that it limits, rather than enlarges, one’s understanding of the world. By the end of the novel, Scout has gained new insight into the world around her not because of her schooling, but because of the lessons taught to her by her father, her community, and her reliance on her own observations.

Texan writer Tim O’Brian, author of the collection of short stories, The Things they Carried, has often been called the great storyteller of the Vietnam era. However, O’Brien’s stories in The Things They Carried, seem to defy the simple categorization of stories. In the collection, storytelling is not simply about narrating a series of linked events. Storytelling is, rather, a way for “Tim O’Brien,” the narrator of Things, to make sense of the experiences he had in Vietnam, to probe into the truth of what occurred to him and his friends before they went to Vietnam, while they were in Vietnam, and after they returned, and to give shape to his identity after it was badly shaken by the trauma of going to war. In short, for both the fictional “Tim O’Brian” and the author “Tim O’Brian,” storytelling functions as a way to make order out of chaos.

V. BODY PARAGRAPHS Body paragraphs help support your thesis by presenting

supporting LINES OF ARGUMENT (arguments that support your thesis)

Traditionally, you should have three body paragraphs for a five paragraph essay

Begin with a clear topic sentence (your line of argument – should state EXACTLY what you will be arguing in the paragraph)

Use transitions words, phrases, or sentences at the BEGINNING of the paragraph to link to the ideas introduced previously

DO NOT summarize plot! Your reader should be able to know what all your arguments are by reading the first sentence or two of each paragraph!

Use PEE formula to support your topic sentence 2-3 PEEs per paragraph

V. BODY PARAGRAPHSPoint – make sure it clearly links to your line of argument (LOA)/ topic

sentence Example – use a quotation or paraphrase to prove your argument

Direct quotations are strongest – make sure to have at least 2 per paragraph

Make sure to contextualize your quote! Who, what, where, when is it being said...

 Explanation – explain how your quote proves your line of argument

This is the bulk of your essay; explain your reasoning step-by-step (like a math problem)

Don’t worry if you think your explanation sounds obvious – it won’t to your reader!

Use specific words and phrases from your example when explaining to help strengthen your argument

Answer the “So What?” question. Why is it important that the reader understand/know this? How does it help prove your thesis? Again, using specific words or phrases from your thesis statement can help with this link.

DO NOT SUMMARIZE! The reader already knows the story; just does not know how to interpret it correctly

VI. Conclusion Moves from the specific to the general (opposite of

intro)

Synthesizes your argument (highlights key ideas which you have presented)

Ends with a statement of significance – why is this important? Connect your argument to “bigger” ideas.

DO NOT

Introduce new ideasUse the same words or phrases as your

introductionBecome “preachy” or melodramaticEnd with “In conclusion,” “In Summary,” or “In

closing.”

Clearly, the interaction of character (Phoenix Jackson) and act (the ritual journey in search of medication) is the most important element of Welty’s story. By relying heavily on the characterization of Phoenix Jackson and by describing her difficult encounters during her ritual journey to town, Welty emphasizes how spiritual and emotional strength can overcome physical frailty and how determination can overcome danger. These moral messages become clear by the time Phoenix reaches the doctor’s office at the end of the story. The image of the elderly woman determinately walking across the horizon, the image which had initially prompted the writing of Welty’s story, ends by becoming a vivid symbol of human strength and determination, seared into the mind of the reader.

VII. MOVING BEYOND THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAYCan begin to think in sections (major ideas within an

argument) and determine the number of paragraphs within that section needed to support that idea!

For example, you can havemore than three over all lines of argumentmore than one example for a point in a paragraph,

followed by your explanation and analysisonly one or two points per paragraph with

significant explanation a paragraph that is purely used to transition from

one line of argument to the next if you have a major shift in your argumentation

a paragraph used to define or explain a key idea needed for the rest of your argument.

The key to success is careful thinking and planning BEFORE writing!

VII. MOVING BEYOND THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAYThe five-paragraph structure can only

articulate a very simple form of argument - this can feel limiting for a more complex argument

More effective is a structure that is based on the needs of your argument – which often does not divide neatly into three main paragraphs

Still involves introduction, body and conclusion, but the “shape” of the body is more malleable!