{"id":2627,"date":"2014-12-01T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-02T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=2627"},"modified":"2018-04-08T09:08:38","modified_gmt":"2018-04-08T16:08:38","slug":"literary-analysis-essay-tips-kibin-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/literary-analysis-essay-tips-kibin-editor\/","title":{"rendered":"Literary Analysis Essay Tips From a Kibin Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had a chance to sit down with Natalie H.<\/a> who has been an editor for Kibin since June 2013. We talked about what makes a literary analysis essay tick and what makes it ick<\/em>, and I asked her about her all-time writing pet peeves. Here’s what Natalie had to say.<\/p>\n

What is a literary analysis essay?<\/h2>\n

Well, simply put, a literary analysis essay is an essay that analyzes a short story, article, or some aspect of a novel. Exactly what, though, does this entail? What does it mean to analyze a piece of writing?<\/p>\n

When we analyze something, whether it is someone\u2019s actions or a piece of writing, we are<\/em> trying to determine meaning<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Why does my mother-in-law always bring us half-eaten cartons of ice cream, for example? She could be generous. She could be looking for an excuse to visit. She might have the world\u2019s worst track record for choosing ice cream flavors.<\/p>\n

Rather than simply read, remember, and state her actions, however, I am going to assign them a meaning. I am then going to support my interpretation with my own opinions, specific examples of her actions, and perhaps quotes from my mother-in-law and a reliable source like a psychologist who has heard hundreds of mother-in-law stories.<\/p>\n

Writing a literary analysis is a lot like this.  You must read, understand, engage with, and interpret the text, and then share those interpretations with your reader.<\/p>\n

What makes for a particularly good literary analysis essay?<\/h2>\n

When writing a literary analysis essay, there are two key elements. First, you must have a strong thesis statement. Second, you must thoroughly support that thesis statement.<\/p>\n

What makes for a strong thesis statement<\/a>? A thesis statement must be specific, clearly stated, and easily supported. <\/em><\/p>\n

For example, \u201cFlannery O\u2019Connor wrote a lot about pride\u201d is not a specific thesis statement. Flannery O\u2019Connor <\/a>wrote dozens of stories about any number of proud characters.<\/p>\n

This statement is too general.<\/p>\n

Ask more pointed questions to help you develop more specific statements. For example, what role did pride have in the development of a certain character or the outcome of a specific O\u2019Connor short story (or two)?<\/p>\n

A better thesis statement might be \u201cIn \u2018Good Country People\u2019 and \u2018A Good Man is Hard to Find,\u2019 pride in the main characters leads to loss of dignity and, in some cases, the loss of human life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now that you have a strong thesis statement, you must support your argument.<\/p>\n