1. A Catchy Title
2. Introduction: the opening paragraph. The introduction should include the following:
a. Hook, Author, Title, Main Characters, A Short Summary, Thesis
b. Hook: The beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader's interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following:
- A startling fact or bit of information
- A meaningful quotation (from the work or another source)
- A rich, vivid description
- An analogy or metaphor
c. Introductions should identify the work of literature being discussed, name the author, and briefly present the issue that the body of your essay will more fully develop (your thesis). Basically, introductions suggest that something interesting is occurring in a particular work of literature.
3. Body: The body of your paper should logically and fully develop and support your thesis
a Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea that supports your thesis statement
b. These paragraphs include:
i. A topic sentence - a topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might think of it as a signpost for your readers-or a headline-something that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points in your essay. It might be helpful to think of a topic sentence as working in two directions simultaneously. It relates the paragraph to the essay's thesis, and thereby acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself.
ii. Context for the quote
1. Who says it? What is happening in the text when they say it?
2. This prepares the reader for the quote by introducing the speaker, setting, and/or situation.
iii. Quote/Concrete details - a specific example from the work used to
provide evidence for your topic sentence/support thesis.
iv. Commentary - your explanation and interpretation of the concrete detail. Commentary explains how the concrete detail proves the thesis.
v. Clincher/Concluding Sentence - last sentence of the body paragraph. It concludes the paragraph by tying the concrete details and commentary back to the major thesis.
4. Conclusion: the last paragraph where you are given one last chance to convince the reader of your argument and provide a sense of closure.
a. Summarize your argument AND extend your argument.
b. A sophisticated conclusion does not simply restate the thesis of the introduction or summarize the logic presented in the body of the essay. Your conclusion, most often, will try to suggest the broader significance of your discussion - why is it important?
In other words, suggest in your introduction that some literary phenomenon is occurring. In the body of your essay, use examples and fully developed logic to prove that the literary phenomenon takes place. Finally, in your conclusion suggest why such a phenomenon is significant.