A typical literary analysis essay has an introduction, an argument, body, and a conclusion. Each of these parts may have one or more sections. The introduction is where you introduce your main topic, the rest of your essay is composed of supporting evidence and thoughts. The body consists of all of your thoughts and ideas relating to your main topic.
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The main argument in any literary analysis essay is usually based on an original literary work. The purpose of this essay is to examine a literary work and make a generalization about that literary work. For instance, if you are writing about Moby Dick, you could analyze whether there are literary elements to it, and whether or not Moby Dick is truly one of the greatest works of literature. After making this generalization, your conclusion can then discuss what literary elements and themes are present in other works that are similar to Moby Dick.
The next part of what is a literary analysis essay is to read the essay out loud to yourself. This will help you determine whether or not you are agreeing with the writer or not. If you find that you disagree with the writer’s point of view, then you should change the focus of your reading to the perspective of the reader. For instance, if the reader doesn’t like the way the author is describing the events in the paragraph, but you think the description is accurate, then you need to describe how you think the events should be described instead of quoting the words the author uses. Reading aloud is also a good way to get another person’s opinion about your work.
The third part of what is a literary analysis always contains the thesis statement. The thesis statement is what really makes up the bulk of the essay. This statement is made from the main body of the essay and works as the pivot for the rest of the essay. The thesis must be strong enough to establish a central idea, but it must also be easy to follow because it is not something that the writer states one day and then writes down. In order to support the main idea of the essay, the writer needs to use examples. For instance, if the main idea of the essay is that war is bad, then the author may want to include some quotes or other evidence that proves that point.
The fourth and last part of what is a literary essay outline is the introduction. The introduction helps the reader to get acquainted with the writer and his/her work. It usually starts with a personal story about the author. Then the writer introduces his/her main argument, provides supporting evidence, and closes by briefly describing the conclusion. The introduction allows the reader to start reading the essay with a goal in mind; therefore, the writing style must reflect that purpose.
The structure of the essay is usually chronological. However, there are instances when the author may choose to use an analytical essay form. In the case of the analytical essay, the purpose of the essay is simply to present research findings and support the main thesis of the entire piece. Each paragraph in the essay contains a thesis statement, which is a summary of what the entire article or essay is discussing; however, at the end of each paragraph, the reader should be able to determine the overall central idea of the topic.