Writing Analytical Claims

Writing Analytical Claims

Literary Analysis Paragraph

A Literary analysis paragraph presents evidence and analysis to support a claim or topic sentence about some aspect of a literary text.

It's usually one part/paragraph of a literary analysis essay or critical analytical essay that contains multiple paragraphs, each with a different topic, claim, and pieces of evidence.

Why is this important?

These literary paragraphs are important first steps for writing insightful responses to literary texts.

It's also on your final exam in this course.

And it's what English professors look for at the University of Alberta, either as short response to a question on an exam or as an exercise in class, or as part of a larger assignment like an essay.

Structure of a Literary Paragraph

The Claim/Topic Sentence/Mini-Thesis

• Analytical claim (topic sentence)
• Evidence
• Analysis of the evidence and an explanation of how it connects to your claim
• More evidence (if necessary)
• More analysis (if necessary)
• A concluding sentence that wraps up your analysis

A complete sentence that states an opinion about the suggested or implied meaning of the text.

It can be a connection you notice in the text, a contradition, or something about a symbol, theme, or character in the text.

"The Sandwich Method"

Idea/Claim

Evidence (quotes, paraphrase, details)

Analysis of the evidence (what does it mean? how does it support your claim?)

(Repeat if necessary)

Ask yourself . . .

Continued

What do I notice in the text that stands out?

What do I want to say about the text?

What do I think this means? (the characters' actions, for example, the dark setting, the short dialogue, the figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, etc), the tone, etc)

Why is this important for understanding the literary text?

A claim is not a fact that can be discovered in the literary text: what happens to the characters, what the characters do, etc.

It is about why something happens the way it does, or why a character acts or behaves the way he/or she does.

It is a point that needs analysis to be proven. It requires textual evidence to support your argument/claim.

There must only be one claim/main idea per paragraph.

Continued

How to write a claim

Refer to the literary text:

Example #1: “In the excerpt from “Revelations” by Flannery O'Connor . . .”

Example #2: "The passage from Louise Erdrich's Tracks . . .

The significance is usually your interpretation of an implied or suggested idea or theme in the story or poem.

Remember: texts and interpretations are subjective, so you may notice and assume one thing about a particular action, setting, theme, and someone else may think something different, but that's okay! This is where you argue your point with evidence and analysis (sandwich method).

Exercise 1: Which are analytical claims?

How to write a claim continued

Use a verb such as “reveals,” “suggests,” “indicates,” and so on to introduce the significance in the literary text.

A. The descriptive language in "Revelation" indicates that Mrs. Turpin is an insensitive person.

B. In today's world some people do not care about other people's feelings.

C. "Fleur" suggests that good deeds are not always rewarded with happiness.

D. In "Fleur" the main character falls into a lake and almost drowns.

Example

How to write a claim

Reference to literary text

Verb to introduce idea/connecting verb

A and C are analytical claims because they point out ideas suggested by the text:

• A focuses on a literary technique like the descriptive language as evidence to show/prove that Mrs. Turpin is an insensitive person.
• C identifies a particular theme/motif and moral of the story that is not explicitly stated in the text itself but rather determined through a textual analysis/close reading

B and D are facts that cannot really be refuted or argued:

• Although B is a general statement that many people would agree with, it also does not specify how it's relevant to the liteary text
• D is simply a plot summary and therefore cannot be proven or argued

The excerpt from Louise Erdrich's Tracks implies that virtuous and courageous actions are not always a guarantee of happiness.

In the passage from Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation," Mrs. Turpin's size in addition to her "looming" figure suggest that she is a dominant character.

The implied or suggested idea

If it's not about the text in general, what about the text is doing the action of the verb? In this case, it's Mrs. Turpin's character description.

Exercise 2: Write an analytical claim based on "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"