Extract analysis

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Goals today: 10th Jan 

Complete the approach to annotation we started before the holiday 

Construct a plan for a 4 paragraph analysis essay 

Practise writing an introduction 

A different approach to annotation 

Construct a thesis statement 

Approaching close reading

1. Getting Started: Treat the passage as if it were complete in itself. Read it a few times, at least once aloud. Concentrate on all its details and assume that everything is significant. Determine what the passage is about and try to paraphrase it. Make sure that you begin with a general sense of the passage’s meaning.

What is this passage about? Paraphrase it in one sentence.

Approaching close reading

2.  Write directly on the passage!

-Write at least two questions in the margins as you re-read.

 - Write at least two opinions in the margins: you might write your opinion of a character, an idea, the writing style, etc.

Approaching close reading

3. Word meaning: Determine the meanings of words and references. Also, note (and verify) interesting connotations of words. Look up two words you do not know or which are used in unfamiliar ways. Make your notes on your extract. 

4. Consider the diction (word choice) of the passage. What mood does it evoke? Describe the mood and pick out words that support your opinion. 

Use your thesaurus to expand your vocabulary. Make your notes on your extract 

Approaching close reading

5. Imagery: What sort of imagery is evoked? (What images can you see in your head?)

How do the images relate to those in the rest of the text? Are they similar or different and how? What happens to the imagery over the course of the passage? Which senses are appealed to? 

What literary techniques are used and to what effect? 

Approaching close reading

6. Construct a Thesis: Based on all of this information and observation, construct a thesis that ties the details together. Determine how the passage illuminates the concerns, themes, and issues of the entire text it is a part of. Ask yourself how the passage provides insight into the text. Try to determine how the passage provides us with a key to understanding the character of Gatsby and the work as a whole.

Thesis statement 

Topic + opinion + plan of focus 

Your thesis statement is ...

The rules 

Italics/underlined 

to argue

to explain 

to evaluate 

to instruct 

to inform 

to analyse 

 to explain

to entertain

to describe

 to recount

to persuade 

Thesis statement 

F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the closing paragraphs in his novel The Great Gatsby to highlight the corruption of the American Dream and to illustrate that the past will always influence the future and cannot be disregarded or ignored. The author successfully does this through the use of symbolism and vivid imagery. 

MPO

Complete your MPO for your two body paragraphs. 

Do not fill out the introduction or concluding statement. 

General statement 

Specific statement(s)

Thesis statement

Thesis statement 

Specific statement(s)

General statement

INTRODUCTION

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION includes these

A general statement that works as a hook 

The title of the novel is stated 

The author  is named 

The text type is clearly identified (novel)

Date and place of publication is stated (1926 USA)

The plot of the novel is briefly stated - in one or two sentences

where the extract appears in the novel is stated 

The content of the extract is paraphrased: (briefly)

The thesis: what you find most important about the text (without elaboration) (main idea/main theme)& plan of development is stated (what techniques you will focus on) 

Example introduction 

However much we focus with endless hope upon the future, we find ourselves "ceaselessly" "borne back""into the past". The novel, The Great Gatsby,  written by F.Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1926 outlines the story of a poor man, Jay Gatz, who 

However much we focus with eternal hope upon the future, we find ourselves "ceaselessly" "borne back” “into the past". The novel, The Great Gatsby, written by F.Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1926 in America, outlines the story of a poor man in America, Jay Gatz, who is obsessively focused on rekindling the relationship with the love of his life: Daisy. He hopes that, through the acquisition of wealth, he will persuade her to leave her husband and confirm that she has only ever loved Gatsby. This extract contains the last paragraphs at the end of the novel in chapter nine. In this extract, the narrator, Nick Carraway, considers the impact of the infatuation that Gatsby has for Daisy and how he was deluded into thinking that obtaining her would result in the attainment of the American Dream. Accordingly, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the closing paragraphs in his novel The Great Gatsby to highlight the corruption of the American Dream and to illustrate that the past will always influence the future and cannot be disregarded or ignored. The author successfully does this through the use of vivid imagery and employing a recurring motif.

Moving to the conclusion - concluding transitions 

Thus, ...

Accordingly,...

Consequently, ...

In consideration of,... 

Hence, Fitzgerald argues that, ...

Ultimately, Fitzgerald states the main claim that ...

considering the above, ... 

1. concluding transition phrase.

2. Refocus back to the thesis statement and use the language of the guiding question. Use synonyms.

3. Synthesize what you have written, but do not summarise. By showing ..., the author highlights ...

4. Final transition to opinion ultimately/finally/fundamentally... 

5. End strong with your opinion on the topic (failure of the American Dream/past controlling future), but do not use the word 'I'. 

Conclusion 

A literary essay should analyze and evaluate a work of literature or an aspect of a work of literature. A strong conclusion will rephrase the thesis statement and broaden the scope of the essay in four to six sentences. You should also have an effective last sentence in the essay so you can wrap it up on a high note.

Rephrase your thesis statement

Rephrase your thesis statement. Avoid repeating your thesis statement as it appears in your introduction. Change the language and word choice in the original thesis statement so that it reflects the analysis that you have shown in your literary essay.

Another option is to revise your thesis statement to be more clear, making  edits to it. Go back to your introduction and read your thesis statement again. Then, keep your thesis statement in mind as you read over your body paragraphs. Consider whether your thesis statement still feels relevant to your essay, or if it could be revised. 

Rephrase but do not repeat

Start with your revised/ rephrased thesis statement. The middle section of your conclusion should be three to five sentences long. It should broaden the scope of your essay. 

• Important themes or ideas 
• summarize your most important findings 
• No new information in your conclusion 

Answer the question 'so what?'

Think about why someone would care about what you are addressing in your essay and why the focus of your essay is important. Answering the question “so what?” can help you generate interesting things to finish your essay within the conclusion. Possible final sentences: 

• Finish with a powerful image or detail from the text
• End with a simple sentence straightforward sentence
• Set your findings in a larger context

Extract topics 

Write next to each section of text the percentage to which you understand that section. Write a number out of 10. 

Look at your percentage of understanding. Where is your understanding more limited? 

Write down key words/ideas/ topics that you find in each section of the text. 

1	Cruel, aggressive, arrogant
2	Contempt. A need to be liked
3	Wish to impress Nick. Relationship, world view
4	Communication
5	Boasting
6	Ownership. Property. Materialism
7	Boasting, status, connections

Goals today: 12th Jan 

Get support on how to construct your body paragraphs 

Discover the 'powerful sentence' 

Write your two  body paragraphs 

Share your work 

Write your conclusion 

Don’t write about the text. 

Instead, write about how the author uses the text to communicate a message to the reader.

Thesis statement 

1. Carefully read the Guiding Question and determine the focus and key words that must be implemented in the thesis statement.  The key words will typically be the literary or linguistic element from the Guiding Question.

2. Look for the “insightful ideas” from your (left margin) annotations while also considering the key words of the Guiding Question.

3. Flip the Guiding Question into a thesis statement. 

4. Use evaluative language in your thesis statement. 

Evaluative language. Adjectives/adverbs indicating evaluation 

effective(ly)	Intentional(ly)
clever(ly)	Clear(ly)
Powerful(ly)	conscious(ly)
Wise(ly)	successful(ly)
Subtle(ly)	skillful(ly)
Surreptitious(ly)	dramatical(ly)

Share your thesis statement

Example 

Through the skillful use of imagery and the intentional use of dialogue, Fitzgerald viscerally establishes the characterisation of Tom and highlights his relationship with Nick in order to establish conflict early in the novel. 

INTRODUCTION includes these

A general statement that works as a hook 

The title of the novel is stated

The author  is given

The text type is clearly identified (novel)

Date and place of publication is stated

The plot is briefly stated - in one or two sentences

where the extract appears in the novel is stated 

The content is paraphrased: what does the extract actually say (briefly)

The thesis: what you find most important about the text (without elaboration) (main idea/main theme)& plan of development is stated (what techniques you will focus on) 

Write your introduction for this extract. Include all of the required elements. 

The body paragraph 

Look at the ideas you have generated and the stylistic features that you have identified. 

Fill out your MPO for your two body paragraphs.

Create for each body paragraph a topic sentence that reflects your thesis statement. 

Note the three quotes, stylistic feature and the relationship author/audience (effect on the reader) 

Your body paragraph contains 

An insightful idea

Key language from your guiding question

textual references/ quotes

stylistic features

the author/audience relationship (effect on the reader)

transition words

evaluative language 

All these features appear several times and not in a specific order. For example; the words "Fitzgerald/the author" and "the audience" highlight that you are going to discuss the author/audience relationship. 

Integrating textual reference & author/audience relationship  

1. As the passage begins, (author) employs [technique] ...

2. In line ___, (author) uses [technique]...

3. To further emphasize ___, (author) utilizes [technique]...

4. To heighten___, (author) uses [technique]...

5. Even more..., (author) chooses [technique]...

6. Through [technique], the author...

7. Accordingly, the audience understands that...

8. As a result, the audience concludes that...

9. Consequently, the audience realizes that...

10. As a consequence, the audience perceives that... 

Discussing the implications 

1. This phrase implies that...

2. Although not explicitly stated, the reader can imply that...

3. The author suggests that...

4. While not stated explicitly, the author hints that...

5. The implications are clear: ( ...) .

6. The reader can deduce that...

7. Readers can infer that...

8. Readers can conclude that...

9. The audience can reason that...

10 While not overtly stated, the reader can infer that...

Write your two body paragraphs 

Link your ideas within and between your body paragraphs.

Then link to your conclusion using a transitional phrase and  complete your conclusion 

The powerful sentence 

Author	Verb	Technique	Purpose	Idea
F. Scott Fitzgerald	Introduces	tactile imagery	to illustrate	the physical, aggressive presence of Tom.
Fitzgerald	uses	dialogue	to create	a feeling of tension between Tom and Nick.
The author	inserts	Tom's internal monlogue	to establish	the character's world view and his insecurities.
The author	develops		to reflect
Fitzgerald	creates		to convey