The Writing Process

WRITING LITERARY CRITIQUES

Literary Theories & Criticism

 INTRODUCTION
Almost every literary work is attended by a
host of outside circumstances which, once we
expose and explore them, suffuse it with
additional meaning.
RICHARD D. ALTICK, The Art of Literary Research
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM
Step 1: READ
As you read the work, ask yourself questions, such as:
1.
Why did the author write this?
2.
What is the theme or themes?
3.
How is the style relevant to the content?
4.
How are the characters developed?
5.
What do the characters learn?
6.
How are the characters connected to the themes?
7.
What does the format and style suggest about the story?
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM
Step 2: THESIS
The thesis is a road map for the paper—it tells the reader what to
expect. A good thesis is specific, limited in scope, and offers a
perspective or interpretation on a subject.
1.
Focus on specific attribute(s) of the text(s).
2.
Make a specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes.
3.
Defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the text
and secondary sources.
4.
As you do research and your paper evolves, don't hesitate to
revamp your original thesis statement.
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM

Step 3: RESEARCH
Find evidence that supports your thesis. This evidence may include:
1.
Opinions of other critics.​
2.
Discussion of the text's historical and social context.
3.
Discussions in books or articles about your text.
4.
Discussions in books and articles about theories related to your
argument.
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM

Step 4: SUPPORT
In addition to support for your thesis in sources you have located in
your research, you will use support directly from the text, such as:
1.
Direct quotations
2.
Summaries of scenes
3.
Paraphrases
4.
Reminder: Do not summarize the plot. You are writing an analysis;
not a review or summary.
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM

Step 5: EDIT
The final step is to edit and polish the paper:
1.
Check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
2.
Ask a friend to review it for you. Since you have read it
so many times, you may overlook obvious mistakes.
3.
Make sure you follow all formatting guidelines.
 STEPS TO LITERARY CRITICISM

Some questions to consider as you review your paper:

1.
Do you get the reader's attention in the introductory
paragraph?
2.
Do you vary the sentence structure?
3.
Do your paragraphs transition well?
4.
Do your quotes and research clearly support your
thesis?
5.
Does your conclusion tie up all the loose ends?
 To critique a piece of writing is to do the
following:

❖ describe: give the reader a sense of the writer’s overall

purpose and intent
❖ analyze: examine how the structure and language of the
text convey its meaning
❖ interpret: state the significance or importance of each
part of the text
❖ assess: make a judgment of the work’s worth or value
 FORMATTING A CRITIQUE

❖ Two structures for critiques:

1. Critique Format for Nonfiction
2. Critique Format for Fiction/Literature.
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR NONFICTION

INTRODUCTION
❖ name of author and work
❖ general overview of subject and summary of author's
argument
❖ focusing (or thesis) sentence indicating how you will
divide the whole work for discussion or the particular
elements you will discuss
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR NONFICTION
BODY
❖ Objective description of a major point in the work
❖ Detailed analysis of how the work conveys an idea or
concept
❖ Interpretation of the concept
❖ Repetition of description, analysis, interpretation if more
than one major concept is covered
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR NONFICTION
CONCLUSION
❖ Overall interpretation
❖ Relationship of particular interpretations to subject as a
whole
❖ Critical assessment of the value, worth, or meaning of the
work, both negative and positive
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR
FICTION/LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
❖ Name of author and work
❖ Brief summary/description of work as a whole
❖ focusing sentence indicating what element you plan to
examine
❖ General indication of overall significance of work
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR FICTION/LITERATURE
BODY
❖ Literal description of the first major element or portion of the
work
❖ Detailed analysis
❖ Interpretation
❖ Literal description of second major element
❖ Detailed analysis
❖ Interpretation (including, if necessary, the relationship to the
first major point)
❖ and so on
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR
FICTION/LITERATURE
CONCLUSION
❖ Overall interpretation of the elements studied
❖ Consideration of those elements within the context of
the work as a whole
❖ Critical assessment of the value, worth, meaning, or
significance of the work, both positive and negative
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR
FICTION/LITERATURE
❖ You may not be asked in every critique to assess a work, only to
analyze and interpret it. If you are asked for a personal
response, remember that your assessment should not be the
expression of an unsupported personal opinion.
❖ Your interpretations and your conclusions must be based on
evidence from the text and follow from the ideas you have dealt
with in the paper. Remember also that a critique may express a
positive as well as a negative assessment.
 CRITIQUE FORMAT FOR
FICTION/LITERATURE

❖ Don't confuse critique with criticize in the popular sense

of the word, meaning “to point out faults.”
 THESIS STATEMENTS
❖ One of the (if not the) most important parts of the
paper—think of it as the foundation of a house—if your
foundation is weak and poorly constructed, what do you
think happens to the house?
❖ Announcement of a writer’s analytical argument that
he/she intends to make and prove in the duration of the
paper.
❖ It is the roadmap for the paper- it tells the reader what
to expect from the rest of the paper.
 THESIS STATEMENTS
❖ It should be placed somewhere in the Introduction of
your paper—Many like to put it as the last sentence(s)
of their Intro which is fine.
❖ Successful thesis statements provoke thought and
should read beautifully.
 THESIS STATEMENTS

It should include two parts: WHAT and WHY.

❖ WHAT: What claim are you making about the text?

❖ WHY: Why should we care? Why is your claim

important? Your thesis should answer the “so

what?” question. *A thesis statement is usually, but
can be more than, one sentence long.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

“Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American

novel.”

What’s wrong with this thesis statement?

It is an opinion about the book, not an argument.

 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

“In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast

between life on the river and life on the shore.”

Better? How so? What is still missing?

Doesn’t answer the “so what?” question—what is the

point of the contrast? What does the contrast signify?
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
“Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s
Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of
American ideals, one must leave ‘civilized’ society and go back to
nature.”

Even better?
It presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an
analysis of it content and answers the “so what” question.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
“Edgar Allen Poe’s work was affected greatly by the current
events of his life, covering his family life, his childhood, and his
career; these events changed his style and subject of his works.”
What’s wrong with this thesis statement?

More questions than answers: which works will be explored?

What current events? What childhood or career events? How
did Poe’s style change and WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
“There is a lot of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.”
Bad? Why?

“Hawthorne’s use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter falters

and ultimately breaks down with the introduction of the
character Pearl.”
Better? Why?
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
“The character of Ben in Arthur Miller’s Death of a
Salesman is a great [or important, or crucial, or
unforgettable, etc.] character.”
What’s wrong with thesis?
It does not say enough to serve as the basis for an essay.
Besides, each of these judgments is entirely a matter of personal
opinion because none of them define the criteria by which the
judgment is being made.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
“Through Paul’s experience behind the lines, at a Russian
prisoner of war camp, and especially under bombardment
in the trenches Erich Maria Remarque realistically shows
how war dehumanizes a man.”

What can we anticipate that the author of this thesis will

prove to us in the rest of the paper?
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

❖ The thesis may focus on an analysis of one of the elements

of fiction, drama, poetry or nonfiction as expressed in the
work: character, plot, structure, idea, theme, symbol,
style, imagery, tone, etc.
Example 1:
❖ In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a fictional
character in Phoenix Jackson whose determination, faith,
and cunning illustrate the indomitable human spirit.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

Example 2:
The character of the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet serves as a foil to
young Juliet, delights us with her warmth and earthy wit, and
helps realize the tragic catastrophe.
Example 3:
The works of ecstatic love poets Rumi, Hafiz, and Kabir use
symbols such as a lover’s longing and the Tavern of Ruin to
illustrate the human soul’s desire to connect with God.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
The thesis may focus on illustrating how a work reflects the particular
genre’s forms, the characteristics of a philosophy of literature, or the
ideas of a particular school of thought.
Example:
“The Third and Final Continent” exhibits characteristics recurrent in
writings by immigrants: tradition, adaptation, and identity.
❖ Note how the thesis statement classifies the form of the work
(writings by immigrants) and identifies the characteristics of that
form of writing (tradition, adaptation, and identity) that the essay
will discuss.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

Example 2:
Samuel Beckett’s Endgame reflects characteristics of Theatre of
the Absurd in its minimalist stage setting, its seemingly
meaningless dialogue, and its apocalyptic or nihilist vision.
Example 3:
A close look at many details in “The Story of an Hour” reveals
how language, institutions, and expected demeanor suppress the
natural desires and aspirations of women.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
The thesis may draw parallels between some element in the work and real-life
situations or subject matter: historical events, the author’s life, medical
diagnoses, etc.
Example 1:
In Willa Cather’s short story, “Paul’s Case,” Paul exhibits suicidal behavior that
a caring adult might have recognized and remedied had that adult had the
scientific knowledge we have today.
❖ This thesis suggests that the essay will identify characteristics of suicide
that Paul exhibits in the story. The writer will have to research medical and
psychology texts to determine the typical characteristics of suicidal
behavior and to illustrate how Paul’s behavior mirrors those characteristics.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
Through the experience of one man, the Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, accurately depicts the historical
record of slave life in its descriptions of the often brutal and quixotic
relationship between master and slave and of the fragmentation of
slave families.
Example 1:
In “I Stand Here Ironing,” one can draw parallels between the
narrator’s situation and the author’s life experiences as a mother,
writer, and feminist.
 SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
Example 2:
Through the experience of one man, the Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, accurately depicts the historical
record of slave life in its descriptions of the often brutal and quixotic
relationship between master and slave and of the fragmentation of
slave families.
Example 3:
In “I Stand Here Ironing,” one can draw parallels between the
narrator’s situation and the author’s life experiences as a mother,
writer, and feminist.
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS

1. In (title of work), (author) (illustrates, shows)

(aspect) (adjective).
Example:
In “Barn Burning,” William Faulkner shows the
characters Sardie and Abner Snopes struggling for
their identity.
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS
2. In (title of work), (author) uses (one aspect) to
(define, strengthen, illustrate) the (element of
work).
Example:
In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses foreshadowing to
strengthen the plot.
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS

3. In (title of work), (author) uses (an important part of

work) as a unifying device for (one element), (another
element), and (another element). The number of
elements can vary from one to four.
Example:
In “Youth,” Joseph Conrad uses the sea as a unifying device
for setting, structure and theme.
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS

4.(Author) develops the character of (character’s name)

in (literary work) through what he/she does, what
he/she says, what other people say to or about
him/her.
Example:
Langston Hughes develops the character of Semple in
“Ways and Means”…
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS

5. In (title of work), (author) uses (literary device) to

(accomplish, develop, illustrate, strengthen) (element
of work).
Example:
In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Poe uses the
symbolism of the stranger, the clock, and the seventh
room to develop the theme of death.
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS
6. (Author) (shows, develops, illustrates) the theme of
__________ in the (play, poem, story).
Example:
Flannery O’Connor illustrates the theme of the effect of
the selfishness of the grandmother upon the family in “A
Good Man is Hard to Find.”
 SAMPLE PATTERNS FOR THESES ON
LITERARY WORKS

7. (Author) develops his character(s) in (title of work)

through his/her use of language.

Example:
John Updike develops his characters in “A & P” through his
use of figurative language.
SAMPLES OF LITERARY CRITIQUES

Young Goodman Brown

 SAMPLES OF LITERARY CRITIQUES

Literary-Analysis-Sample-Paper-Ernest Hemingway
 Sources:
Dr. Murray and Anna C. Rockowitz Writing Center, Hunter College, City
University of New York
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1620142357/smhsorg/a4wyrtz3
qk9seylmaqr3/Thesis_statement_handout__1.pdf
Perimeter College, Georgia State
University, http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/handouts/communications/lite
rarythesis.pdf
https://libguides.uta.edu/literarycriticism/theories