English 4B—Unit 3

Literary Analysis Research Paper

Please read through these instructions before beginning your research paper.

Ms. Hood, Mrs Capers, Mrs Stevenson, Mrs Frnka

Definition of a literary analysis research paper:

A literary analysis is an argumentative analysis about a literary work. Although some

summary is needed within the argument of a literary analysis, the objective is not to write a
summary or report about a book or story. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/697/1

You are a literary critic! In this research paper, you will follow these steps (they are outlined in
detail on pages 2-3)…
1. Read a novel of your choice. See the suggested title list.
2. Analyze the overall THEME (message) of the novel
3. Research what other literary critics (besides you) say. Therefore, the paper is not only
about what you think, but you are encouraged and expected to include the ideas of
other literary critics! (It makes things easier if you find critics who agree with your
position.)
4. Draft organized ideas that identify and explain how the story’s literary elements and
devices communicate THEME.
5. Learn how to correctly document critics’ ideas so you can avoid plagiarism!
6. Publish an edited, polished, MLA formatted final draft

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 STEPS TO FOLLOW IN DETAIL:

1. Read a novel of your choice:

a. This novel will be your Primary Literary Source
Choose from the attached list of approved novels (see attached reading list) or speak
with your teacher to seek approval of another novel you want to use. Teachers will
help you make the best decision in novel so the paper will be easiest for you!
b. Unit 2 Lesson 7 Discussion:
1) The author’s name and title of the book you CHOOSE from the approved
novel LIST or a brief proposal for another choice.
2) A few brief sentences about why you chose the novel.
3) A couple of questions over the research paper
4) Question about Frankenstein

When you come to the live lesson your response for #1 &2 might look
something like this:

For a GRADE! I plan on reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I enjoyed reading this play
because the characters make me think a lot about social rejection and how it
feels when we desperately seek the approval of others. I can relate to the
feelings each of the characters have throughout the story.

2. Analyze the overall THEME (message) of the novel:

a. THEME is the author’s message to the reader.
b. There can be several themes in a story/novel; however, it is helpful to narrow the
focus to one or a few related themes.
c. Your teachers will guide you through understanding THEME and help you find
the theme of your novel.
d. THEME is the foundation of your paper. The THEMATIC STATEMENT is
included in your paper’s introduction and it will be referenced (as the tie that
binds) throughout your paper. (Live Lesson Help)

3. Research what other literary critics (besides you) say.

a. FIVE valid secondary sources are needed and will provide you with a lot of
ideas for your paper. Valid sources are found on the HISD literary databases—
find links to these on your teacher’s MESSAGE BOARD.
b. Invalid sources MUST be AVOIDED: Sparknotes, Bookrags, Wikipedia,
CliffNotes, etc. These are are not valid academic sources; you may read to gain
ideas from them, but do not use them in your writing. (Live Lesson Help)

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4. Draft organized ideas that explain how the story communicates THEME.
In this paper, you will discuss:
● The background of the author and how it supports your THEME
● Any relevant historical events (great battles, tragedies, new discoveries, etc.) and
how they support your THEME
● The important philosophical movements and ideas of the time and their roots and
how they support THEME
● Whether the author is in agreement, divergent, or in opposition to those
movements/ideas and how that position would support the THEME
● Literary devices used by the author:
a. Here you will describe the major devices used by the author and how these
devices support the communication of the THEME.
b. CONSIDER USING: characterization, imagery, diction (word choice),
syntax/style, point of view, setting, tone, and voice.
● Incorporation of your critics’ interpretations of the story throughout the paper
(Live Lesson Help)

5. Learn how to correctly document critics’ ideas to avoid plagiarism!

a. `TEN (minimum) direct quote references incorporated into text and
documented correctly with MLA guidelines. (Live Lesson Help)

6. Publish an edited, polished, MLA formatted final draft

a. 8-10 page paper
b. Works Cited--MLA formatted included at the end documenting your research
sources
c. This paper will count for THE major spring portfolio: Unit 3 lesson 10 and Unit 5
lesson 17.

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 Reminder:
This assignment is NOT asking you to
write a book report. Please make sure
you know the difference!

This assignment is NOT a book report. This assignment IS a literary analysis.

A book report:
Retells the story
That’s it, basically.
ST writes paper alone.
A literary analysis:
Boring. Bland. Little thought.
Explains the story
Earns no credit. Why?
Explains how the author uses techniques
Worked for nothing.
to add meaning throughout the story
Explains why the author does this (You
will make a reasonable guess)
ST gathers researched articles, literary
criticisms, that will be used to help ST write the
paper with a “team” of scholars.
ST earns credit for following directions,
writing a thoughtful paper, and doing a great job!

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SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU MAKE THIS PROCESS EASIER:

Reading your novel suggestions:

● Attend live lessons and/or watch recordings to receive specific instruction to help you ease
through this process.
● Choose a novel you know or think you’ll love – this will help make your research more
exciting.
● Read your novel not Sparknotes. The more closely you read the story, the easier it will be
for YOU to write your paper. Duh! ;) Make a reading schedule (pages read/day) and stick to
it!
● Annotate, which is the fancy way to say “take notes.” After you finish a daily reading
session, write down a summary of what you read. Identify the elements of the plot that stand
out to you. Identify details about characters that stand out. TRUST YOURSELF if you notice
something, it probably has meaning.

Researching your secondary sources suggestions:

● Attend live lessons and/or watch recordings to receive specific instruction to help you ease
through this process.
● Go to the HISD literary databases and follow the instructions from the live lessons
● Contact your teacher if you are having trouble finding sources. We’ll only fuss at you if you
are lost and you DON’T reach out to us so we can help you.
● Avoid using invalid resources like SparkNotes, Cliff Notes, Book Rags, and Wikipedia,
which would result in little to no credit for your work.

Writing your paper suggestions:

● Attend live lessons and/or watch recordings to receive specific instruction which will help
you ease through this process.
● Barf on a page. (That’s a funny way to say FREE WRITE without worry of organization or
mechanics.) Set a timer and write a no notes draft.
● Draft a working thematic statement (this should cover theme)
● Decide on the sub-topics for each of your paragraphs (see basic requirements for ideas)
● Plan to revise and edit your paper at least three times.
● Meet with your teacher to discuss issues when needed.
● Format your paper following the MLA Guidelines (See PowerPoint on message board for
more information and an example:
● double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font
● 1” margins top, bottom, and sides
● on the upper right corner (last name, page # - 1st page and up) = (Frnka 1)
o (insert – page number – top of page – plain number 3- you will see the number
appear – type your last name where the cursor is and hit the space bar – your page
numbers should automatically change on each page – close the header)
● title should be centered, in the same font as your paper and included immediately after
your header (do not underline, bold, or place in quotations)
● Use parenthetical documentation when incorporating text from your secondary sources
● Include a mandatory Works Cited Pag

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 ** PLEASE NOTICE! **
➢ ALL RESEARCH PAPERS MUST BE TURNED IN THROUGH CHECK MY
WORK

➢ Papers not turned in through CheckMyWork will be EARN a 0.

➢ Not completing the paper by the end of Unit 3 could earn you a permanent 0.

➢ The paper is not scheduled in your curriculum until Unit 3; however, it is

highly recommended you begin the process at the beginning of the semester.

➢ It is extremely difficult to pass English 4 B without completing the research paper,

as it is a culminating paper meant to showcase all of the reading and writing skills
you mastered during your academic career.

Unit 3 & 5 Portfolio Modifications

The portfolio lessons in Unit 5 have been modified to include the credit you earned
for the paper in Unit 3. Please do not complete another literary analysis paper
in Unit 5, but submit the polished research paper from Unit 3 instead. Should
you earn a 100 on your research paper in Unit 3, you will just submit the same
paper in Unit 5 lesson 17.

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 Literary Devices Glossary

Characterization is how each person’s age, background, and personality are developed. This
can be done by physical description, as well as describing what each character thinks, says,
and does.

Mood the overall feeling, or mood, of a piece of writing is constructed through the details
(*description) and language (word choice). Some examples of MOOD might be: upbeat,
romantic, happy, sad, tragic, scary, etc.

Plot is the story line. The standard plot develops as follows:

1) Exposition is background information needed to explain the story.
2) Rising action lets things build toward a climax, developing the conflict.
3) Climax is the point of the highest interest, conflict, or suspense (showdown).
4) Falling action is what happens after the climax. It is usually a cooling off period. The
French call it the “denouement,” meaning the unraveling of the knot.
5) Resolution is the ending which explains how the conflict or problem is solved.

*Note that plots can vary greatly from this order. For example, the story may begin with the
climax, or it may have flashbacks.

Point of view determines who will be the narrator of your story.

First person point of view uses I. Once upon a time I turned into a bug…
Third person point of view uses either third person limited narrator (knows some things, but
not everything) or a third person omniscient narrator (knows everything). Once upon a time
Gregor turned into a bug…
Second person point of view is rare, but can be effective. Once upon a time you woke up in
your bed, and you noticed that you were a bug with big scaly wings…

Scene or setting is environment, milieu, or locale where the story takes place. It includes the
time, place, weather, culture, and historical period.

Theme is the insight into human life that the writer conveys through the story. The theme
may be life and death, good versus evil, vaulting ambition (remember Macbeth), nice guys
finish last, good always triumphs over evil, etc.

Tone: When you are speaking to someone, your TONE tells the listener how you feel about
your subject, as well as how you feel about the listener. Tone in writing is created by choice
of words, choice of details, and sentence structure. Some examples of tone: personal,
friendly, informal, formal, serious, humorous, unemotional, emotional, passionate, obsessed,
objective, subjective, critical. (Note: the Tone of a research paper is almost always formal,
which means you use the third person point of view).

Author’s Voice: see past the book and hear the author’s cry in the wilderness.

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 Suggestion for Outlining and Drafting
I. Introduction: Attention getter (hook), background information, and thesis statement

II. Important Information about the Author—explain who he/she is and why this person chose to
write this book. Include quotes from research and possibly the introduction or preface of your
literature. Make sure to cite your quotes.

III. Times in Which the Author Lived—what events took place before or during the author’s
lifetime that may have inspired or motivated the author to write about the things he/she
included in the book. Include quotes from research and possibly the introduction or preface of
your literature. Make sure to cite your quotes.

IV. Literary Elements/Literary Devices—how the author uses these to create his/her story. These
include a.) Characterization, b.) Plot, c.) Point of View, d.) Setting/Scene, e.) Tone, f.) Voice.
Include quotes from research and the literature.

V. Themes—the most important literary element. a.) Explain the themes clearly and accurately,
b.) Note any symbolism or other literary devices the author used to get his/her ideas across, c.)
Give a good critique of the of the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s thematic structure.
Include quotes from research and the literature. Make sure to cite your quotes.

VI. Literary Critics—These are people with Doctoral Degrees from big universities that have the
title Ph.D. behind their name. Quote/show what they thought of the book, the author, and
his/her ideas. Include quotes from your research. You may include quotes from the literature.
Make sure to cite your quotes.

VII. Personal Opinion—Finally, you get to say your piece. Here is where you say what you think
of the book, the author, and his/her ideas. Include quotes from the literature (usually
information from critics is good). Make sure to cite your quotes.

VIII. Conclusion—summarize overall research findings

*Please see Research Paper Part II for more about the drafting process and to see an example
paper.