Skip to main content

How do I start the introduction to an analysis paper?

An introduction to a literary analysis contains many of the same elements as the introduction to other kinds of essays, particularly the argumentative essay.  Remember, an analysis is making an argument that you are going to support with the literary text.  Let's go over what you need, generally and specifically. 


First, a good way to start is the funnel method, starting with a general idea and then narrowing down to the specifics of your argument, as a funnel is broad at the top and narrow at the bottom.  For instance, if I were writing an analysis of The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), I might begin with some discussion of the American dream.  Or I could begin with some discussion of the Roaring Twenties, depending on the focus I am going to narrow down to.  The idea is to engage the reader in a more general topic as a way of opening the door to your analysis.


Second, you must name your literary text and its author in the introduction. We do not assume the reader is our professor, who already knows the text.  You can do this after you make some more general statements.  It is not necessary to do this in your very first sentence.


Third, it is a good idea to give a very brief overview of the literary text.  You often have to be a bit selective, and you need to bear in mind what you are going to focus on in your analysis. For example, a book might have many characters, but you are not necessarily going to name all of them if they have no place in your discussion. As a general matter, letting the reader know the setting, the main characters, and a few words about the plot is enough.  I might say about The Great Gatsby that it takes place in the 1920s in New York, features Nick as a narrator, and features the Buchanans and the Wilsons as contrasting couples.  Again, what I choose to focus on in my brief overview will depend on what I am going to focus on in my analysis.


Finally, you need a thesis statement, just as you do for most essays.  What is the main idea you want the reader to take away after reading your essay?  How will you support that idea? Both of these must be in the thesis statement.  In a literary analysis, your support is going to be the text, and you are expected to be examining the literary elements of the text, such as imagery, tone, setting, and characterization.  So, returning to The Great Gatsby again, I could have this as a thesis statement:



Fitzgerald's settings, characterizations, and contrasts show us that the American dream is always receding, never to be realized. 



Once you put all of this together, your drawing in part, your naming of the author and the text, your brief overview, and your thesis statement, you will have a fine introduction. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

etymology - Origin of the greeting "Sweet dreams".

Does anybody know the etymology of the phrase "sweet dreams"? I tried googling but did not find anything satisfying. Is this a relatively new phrase of the modern world or has this been in use for some time? I think it's the latter one. Answer The OED has the interjection as "a farewell to someone going to bed" from the 20th century: 1908 Sears Roebuck Catal. 198/1 Tenor Solos..Good Bye, Sweet Dreams, Good Bye. But it goes back until at least the 19th and possibly 18th centuries. John Wolcot, writing under the pseudonym of Peter Pindar, used it in his poem "Orson and Ellen; A Legendary Tale" published in 1801: Also from 1801 in The infernal Quixote (Page 287) by Charles Lucas: In the March 1776 of The Universal Magazine was published "The Serenade. A Pastoral Tale. From the German of Gesner" , where the shepherd Daphnis watches over his beloved as she sleeps and sings: The same tale appears in 1776's as Idyl XI, " Daphnis ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are the similarities between the relationships of the characters in The Outsiders and Romeo and Juliet?

At first glance, it might appear as if the characters in  The Outsiders  by S. E. Hinton and  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare do not have much in common; however, when one isolates the core of the conflicts, it becomes clear that the relationships in both stories are rooted in rivalry and secrecy.  In both  The Outsiders  and  Romeo and Juliet , an overarching theme is rivalry. While   socioeconomic status separates the greasers from the Socs in The Outsiders , last names separates the Montagues from the Capulets, who appear to be relatively equal in terms of socioeconomic status. Due to these rivalries, there are instances of deadly interactions in both stories. In  The Outsiders , Johnny kills Bob (whether his actions were justified or not is debatable). In  Romeo and Juliet , Romeo kills Tybalt and Paris, and Tybalt kills Mercutio. These deaths have profound effects on the main characters. In Ponyboy's case, the Johnny's death and other events in the novel inspire h...
Post a Comment
Read more