5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY

1
5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY

• How do I structure my literary analysis?

2
INTRODUCTION

• Needs to have
• Attention getter
• Quote, image, surprising fact, anecdote, etc.
• Short plot summary
• Assume the reader HAS read the story, but years
  ago, and needs a little reminder
• Theme
• Identify what the authors main point or purpose
  is in writing the story
• Thesis
• Include all literary elements to be discussed and
  how they relate to the theme

3
BODY PARAGRAPHS

• Focus on one literary element per paragraph
• PROVE IT- use quotes, or paraphrase what happened
  in the story to demonstrate your point
• Explain quote
• Relate quote to theme- SO WHAT?
• Use transitional statements between paragraphs

4
Speaking of using quotations

• Remember
• Cite your quotes! (Name Page)
• If you need to change words so that the quote
  makes sense, place new words in brackets
• Incorporate your quote into a sentence
• You cant just plop them into the paragraph- then
  theyre naked!!
• Explain the quote without referencing it directly
  

5
CONCLUSION

• Restate the thesis, but DO NOT use the same
  wording
• Summarize each element and restate how it proves
  the theme
• This should take at LEAST 4 sentences
• Connect back to introduction- make an overall
  clincher to give a sense of global importance or
  finality

6
Thesis
Topic Sentence and Idea 1
Clincher
Transition, Topic Sentence, and Idea 3
Clincher
7
Outlining

• Thesis Welty uses masterful symbolism,
  figurative language, and characterization in A
  Worn Path to depict exactly how influential love
  can be.
• Introduction
• Love
• i. Relationships between mothers and daughters
• ii. Grandmothers- Phoenix Jackson
• Thesis

8
Literary elements must be discussed in one
paragraph for each element, and be given in the
order listed in thesis!

• II. Symbolism
• A. first aspect
• i. example (pg)
• B. second aspect
• i. example (pg)
• C. third aspect
• i. example (pg)

9

• III. Characterization- overcoming obstacles
• A. Phoenixs age
• i. I ought to be shut up for good my senses
  are gone. Im too old. Im the oldest people I
  ever know (282)
• B. Phoenixs hallucinations
• ii. Sees little boy bringing her a plate with
  a slice of marble cake on it but when she went
  to take it there was just her hand in the air
  (285)
• C. Phoenixs forgetfulness
• iii. sat and forgot why I made my long trip
  (285)

10
By the way

• From this point forward,
• AVOID 1st and 2nd person!!
• This means, I, you, us, we, our, etc.