Writing Analytical Essays About Literature

Try it risk-free Since analysis is one of the cornerstones of critical thought, the analytical essay is a frequent, often demanding, and potentially inspiring assignment for students.Explore an example and popular structures in this lesson.Here's a sample thesis: 'In the short story, 'Hills Like White Elephants,' Ernest Hemingway masterfully uses setting, dialogue, and tone to explore the extremely tenuous nature of any relationship.' This thesis works to preview both my perception of the theme of the short story, and it also previews the structure of my essay in that my main body paragraphs will center around the components of: setting, dialogue, and tone.

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Since a writer's task in analysis is to examine how parts work together to form a whole, a writer often finds it helpful to choose components or those parts that he/she feels best support the argument.

In other words, if I write an analysis on Ernest Hemingway's short story 'Hills Like White Elephants,' I would want to discuss how his use of literary techniques work together to further the main theme.

She is loved and taken care of and eventually grows into an attractive young woman, both physically and emotionally.

As a result, she no doubt brings joy to her parents and the whole Valmonde household.

Let's take a look at an example to see how one writer formed claims based on this premise and then justified them through textual support.

The following excerpt, as well as the thesis, comes from an analysis essay.This writer has also skillfully named the short story, revealed he will analyze this theme through character, and has also included the name of the author.If a reader were to see this thesis by itself, without the context of the paper, it previews the content as a stand-alone entity. While the writer's paragraph does chronicle some of Desiree's background, it is not the same as a summary paragraph.As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 79,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more.Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.An analytical essay will almost always use heavy textual support to substantiate a point, but it is often up to an instructor's discretion about whether outside sources beyond the subject of analysis itself are encouraged.An analytical essay's primary purpose is to examine components of a piece of literature, film, advertisement, and so on, in order to pinpoint how those components work together to form a successful whole.Not only do her wealthy, adoptive parents, as plantation owners, have the wealth to supply all that she could need and want, but the plantation almost certainly has slaves on which Desiree can rely for completing daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.In this environment, Desiree grows up to be, as Chopin wrote, 'beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere.' Up to this point in her life, Desiree's dependency seems to prove advantageous.This analysis centers on Kate Chopin's character, Desiree, from the short story 'Desiree's Baby.' The writer notes the following in his thesis: 'Through Desiree in 'Desiree's Baby,' Chopin illustrates that dependence can be an important component of healthy relationships, but she also strongly warns of the dangers of being overly dependent.In a paragraph from his analysis essay about Chopin's story, the writer states, 'Desiree's dependence within her relationships begins even before her marriage, in her upbringing in the Valmonde household.' Desiree first appears when, as Chopin wrote, 'she was of the toddling age.' She is mysteriously abandoned at the gate of the Valmonde plantation, where she is rescued by Monsieur Valmonde.