25 Apr Theme Analysis Essay

First, choose which two works you’ll be focusing on for this essay. 

 

· You can choose two short stories, two poems, or one of each

 

· It is recommended (though not required) that the two works you choose come from the same Module 

 

· The two works should have a topic or theme in common

 

Then, re-read the works.

 

· What do they have in common? What topics, themes, and literary devices are shared?

 

· How do they differ? Are they expressing the same theme in different ways? Discussing the same topic but expressing different themes?

 

· What literary elements does each use to illustrate or emphasize its theme?

 

· Make note of quotes from the texts that you might want to use in your essay.

 

Review these resources:

 

· The Spiderman Paper.docx: This annotated sample essay points out all the required formatting and organizational components in an essay

 

· Video guide to literary analysis

 

· Writing Toolkit: Compare / Contrast

 

Write

 

For this essay, you’ll be comparing how two different works explore the same or similar themes in their own ways.

 

You can choose A or B:

 

A. Write about two works that share theme – which means they both make the same overall point

 

B. Write about two works that share a topic, but have different themes – which means that they each make a different point about the same general topic

 

For example, if there are two stories about growing up that seem to make the same point, that would be option (a); if there were two stories that each made a different point about growing up, that would be option (b). 

 

Your essay should:

 

· Be about 900-1,000 words long (3+ pages)

 

· Be organized – it should have an introduction (including your essay’s thesis), at least two discussion sections, and a conclusion

 

· Focus on supporting its thesis statement

 

· Include quotes in each body paragraph

 

· Use MLA format, including internal citations

 

You should avoid:

 

· Copy / pasting from other submissions

 

· Summary – focus on making and supporting points

 

· Unprofessional discourse

 

· Conversational language (you, I, etc.)