How to Write a Body Paragraph for Literary Analysis Essays (Full Paragraph Included)
Summary
TLDRThis video tutorial explains how to write a body paragraph for a literary analysis essay using an example from Khaled Hosseini's *The Kite Runner*. It covers the structure of a body paragraph, starting with a topic sentence, followed by evidence from the text, analysis, and a conclusion. The narrator discusses crafting effective analysis by examining images, events, language, character motivations, themes, and context. They also provide key insights into analyzing a character's growth and drawing deeper meaning from literary elements. Viewers are encouraged to engage and ask questions about their own essays.
Takeaways
- 📝 The body paragraph of a literary analysis essay should include a topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and a conclusion or transition.
- 📚 The topic sentence presents the main claim of the paragraph, which supports the thesis statement.
- 📖 Evidence should be taken directly from the text (quote, event, symbol, etc.) and smoothly integrated into your writing.
- 🔍 Analysis involves examining the evidence and explaining its larger meaning, while also connecting it back to the topic sentence.
- 🔄 The structure of evidence and analysis can be repeated, but overloading the paragraph can make it too crowded.
- 🔗 The conclusion or transition should reference the main idea of the paragraph and possibly preview the next paragraph.
- 📘 In the provided example from 'The Kite Runner,' Amir’s ignorance leads to his journey toward compassion and redemption.
- ❄️ Seasonal imagery, like winter and spring, is used to symbolize Amir's transition from ignorance to responsibility.
- 🧠 Effective analysis can come from considering elements like images, events, language, character motivation, theme, and context.
- 🎥 The video encourages viewers to ask critical questions about the text and offers tips for analyzing literary works in-depth.
Q & A
What is the structure of a body paragraph in a literary analysis essay?
-A body paragraph in a literary analysis essay typically starts with a topic sentence, followed by evidence from the text (such as a quote, event, or symbol), and then analysis of that evidence. This pattern of evidence and analysis is repeated, and the paragraph ends with a conclusion or transition to the next paragraph.
What is the purpose of the topic sentence in a body paragraph?
-The topic sentence introduces the main claim of the paragraph and supports the thesis statement. It sets the direction for the evidence and analysis that follows.
What kinds of evidence can be used in a literary analysis essay?
-Evidence can include a quote, event, image, symbol, motif, or character's action from the text being analyzed. It must be something that can be further examined and analyzed in the essay.
How should evidence be integrated into the body paragraph?
-Evidence should be smoothly integrated into the writer's own sentence, avoiding phrases like 'the character said' or 'the author writes.' The writer should provide a parenthetical citation if quoting directly from the text.
What should the analysis in a body paragraph focus on?
-The analysis should examine the meaning of the evidence and connect it to the larger themes or character developments in the text. It should also tie back to the topic sentence and the overall thesis of the essay.
What is the purpose of the conclusion or transition in a body paragraph?
-The conclusion or transition should summarize the main idea of the paragraph and may preview what the next paragraph will discuss. It can also serve as a bridge to the next part of the essay.
What is the thesis statement of the example essay on 'The Kite Runner'?
-The thesis of the example essay is: 'Amir is resolved to make amends for his ignorance, and 'The Kite Runner' suggests that individuals develop compassion when they learn about their true origins.'
How does the body paragraph example analyze Amir's ignorance in 'The Kite Runner'?
-The paragraph discusses Amir's ignorance and journey towards compassion by examining how learning the truth about his father's past helps him understand both his father and himself. The analysis uses images, such as the winter symbolizing desolation and the transition to spring symbolizing Amir’s transformation.
How does the example body paragraph use the metaphor of seasons in 'The Kite Runner'?
-The paragraph connects Amir's ignorance to winter, symbolizing desolation and darkness, and his transformation to spring, symbolizing new beginnings and redemption after he takes responsibility for his actions.
What are five elements to consider when developing analysis in a literary essay?
-The five elements to consider are: images, events, and objects; language or writing style; character motivation and development; theme or universal concept; and context such as time, setting, or historical background.
Outlines
📚 How to Structure a Literary Analysis Body Paragraph
This paragraph introduces the process of writing a body paragraph for a literary analysis essay. It outlines the steps: starting with a topic sentence, providing evidence from the text, offering analysis, and concluding with a transition. The speaker advises using a clear claim in the topic sentence, directly connecting evidence to analysis, and maintaining a balance in the depth of analysis without overcrowding the paragraph.
📝 Example Analysis of Amir's Journey in *The Kite Runner*
The speaker begins an example body paragraph focusing on Amir's ignorance and growth in *The Kite Runner*. The topic sentence reflects Amir's journey of understanding through confronting his father's past. The evidence is a quote from Rahim Khan, which illustrates Amir’s realization of the lies surrounding him. The analysis connects the theme of winter with ignorance, highlighting Amir's transformation as he seeks to redeem both himself and his father.
❄️ Amir’s Transformation and Analysis of Imagery
In this part of the example, the speaker continues to analyze Amir’s journey, focusing on imagery. They describe how Amir’s encounter with Sohrab mirrors the relationship between Baba and Hassan, emphasizing the cyclical nature of redemption. The analysis of spring imagery represents Amir’s personal growth and transition from ignorance (winter) to new beginnings (spring). This analysis highlights the deeper implications of Amir becoming a surrogate father and finding redemption through his actions.
🖼️ Analyzing Literary Elements for Deeper Understanding
The speaker shifts focus to explain how to develop nuanced analysis in a literary essay by examining five elements: images, events, objects, language, characters, and themes. They suggest asking critical questions about the author's purpose, word choice, and writing style to uncover hidden meanings. The speaker emphasizes that these interconnected elements help convey the text’s themes and deeper messages, encouraging readers to think about the author's broader intentions.
🧐 Exploring Context and Theme in Literary Analysis
The final paragraph discusses the importance of context, time, and setting in a literary analysis. The speaker encourages readers to consider how historical periods, flashbacks, and narrative structure impact the story's meaning. By examining these aspects, readers can enhance their analysis, especially in relation to the themes and other literary elements mentioned earlier. The video concludes with an invitation to comment on personal experiences with literary analysis and subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Topic Sentence
💡Evidence
💡Analysis
💡Thesis Statement
💡Transition
💡Imagery
💡Character
💡Theme
💡Context
💡Paraphrasing
Highlights
Introduction to writing a body paragraph for a literary analysis essay.
Structure of a body paragraph includes a topic sentence, evidence, analysis, and a conclusion or transition.
The topic sentence should include the main claim of the paragraph, supporting the thesis statement.
Evidence can include quotes, events, symbols, motifs, or character actions from the text being analyzed.
Analysis examines the evidence and explains its larger meaning, connecting it back to the topic sentence.
The sample thesis statement: Amir is resolved to make amends for his ignorance in The Kite Runner, suggesting individuals develop compassion when they learn about their true origins.
Brief plot overview of The Kite Runner, including key events such as Amir's betrayal of Hassan and his journey to raise Hassan's son.
Example of a topic sentence: Amir becomes a more understanding son and surrogate father when he faces the truth about his father's past.
The importance of integrating quotes smoothly into sentences without using phrases like 'the character said' or 'the author writes.'
Analysis of the quote: Amir's remembrance of winter evokes frost and desolation, symbolizing his oblivion, while his journey toward redemption is an attempt to redeem both his father and himself.
Use of metaphorical seasons in the analysis to symbolize Amir's transition from ignorance (winter) to growth and redemption (spring).
The conclusion or transition of a body paragraph should reference the main idea and possibly preview the next paragraph.
Tips for coming up with nuanced analysis: consider images, events, objects, language, character motivations, themes, and the context of time and setting.
Questions to guide analysis include why the author includes specific images, events, or objects, and how they convey larger themes or ideas.
Encouragement to think critically about the author's choices and to analyze how they use literary elements to build deeper meanings.
Transcripts
what's up everyone today i'm showing you
how to write a body paragraph for a
literary analysis essay
using an actual paragraph that i wrote
for a real essay in class
if you want to learn how to write an
introductory or
concluding paragraph for this same type
of essay
please check out the links to the videos
on those topics
in the description box below let's get
started
the structure of your body paragraphs
will look something like this
you'll start off with your topic
sentence then you'll provide
evidence taken directly from the book
poem short story or text that you're
analyzing
then you'll offer your own analysis on
that piece of
evidence and you'll repeat that pattern
of evidence and analysis however many
times you want to
i usually only do it once or twice
because if i do it
anymore my paragraphs tend to be
overcrowded but it's really up to you
and after that you'll provide your
conclusion
or your transition into the next body
paragraph
or the concluding paragraph your topic
sentence will include the main
claim of your whole paragraph and this
should support the thesis statement
your evidence can be a quote event
image symbol motif or character's action
or any other type of information from
that text
that you can analyze in some way and
your actual analysis is the commentary
that examines the evidence and explains
its larger meaning
in your analysis you should also connect
the evidence back to the topic sentence
and again you'll repeat the same
structure of evidence and analysis
and finally your conclusion or
transition will have a reference to the
main idea of the paragraph
and possibly a preview of what the next
paragraph will be about
before we jump into our body paragraph
let's take a look at the thesis
statement for this literary analysis
essay on khaled hosseini's book the kite
runner
don't worry you don't need to have read
this book to understand the example
i'll walk you through all the
information that you need to know
here's the thesis amir is resolved to
make amends for his ignorance and
callousness in the kite runner suggests
that individuals
develop compassion when they learn about
their true
origins so you might be a little
confused
about this thesis statement but don't
worry i've included some key plot points
to know
from this book i am providing a warning
though that this
brief plot overview does contain
spoilers
and this overview is not at all
comprehensive
so i highly highly suggest that you read
the book since it's amazing
first off our story takes place
initially in afghanistan
where amir the main character and
narrator betrays hassan his childhood
friend
amir and his father baba move to america
and when baba dies amir learns that baba
was also
hassan's biological father as an adult
amir learns that hassan has died in
afghanistan and has left behind a son
sorob who is in danger so amir finds
sorab
and raises him in america
again that was a super super brief
overview
and it also skips over many many
important facets of
this novel for example amir is an
upper-class wealthy
individual in afghanistan and he belongs
to an ethnic group that is the majority
whereas hassan is part of an ethnic
minority group that is persecuted
and that definitely has major
implications throughout the whole story
let's write our body paragraph this
paragraph focuses
on amir's ignorance and his subsequent
journey towards compassion
this is our topic sentence amir becomes
a more understanding son and surrogate
father when he faces the truth about his
father's past
notice how i haven't used the word
ignorance in this topic sentence
but i'm implying that this paragraph
will be about the erasure of
amir's ignorance because i'm stating
that he's had a revelation
that he's facing the truth about his
father's past
and his own past so now let's include
some evidence
what we'll write is telling amir that
hassan is baba's
biological son too rahim khan
makes amir see how his entire life long
before the winter of 1975
had been a cycle of lies betrayals and
secrets and i've included a
parenthetical citation at the end
there before the period
so notice how i've integrated the quote
seamlessly
into my own sentence i try to avoid
using the phrase
the character said or the author writes
or anything like that and
now i'm providing some analysis
of that quote which is taken directly
from the book
amir's remembrance of winter evokes
images of frost
desolation and darkness emphasizing his
own oblivion
although amir cannot reconcile his
perception of baba's greatness with
baba's hypocrisy
amir soon realizes that he is more
similar to his father than he initially
believed thus amir's journey to find
saurabh
is an attempt to redeem both his father
and himself
when amir meets orab the latter's
resemblance to hassan
is so uncanny that amir sacrifices for
saurabh
depict what could have occurred had baba
accepted hassan
openly so in the first part of this
analysis
i am directly referring to the quo
and the image of winter that's explained
there
and i'm connecting the idea of winter to
larger ideas of desolation and darkness
and oblivion but then i used that
comparison of ignorance to winter
in order to lead into a larger idea
which is that amir's revelation makes
him realize that his father
is a hypocrite because he was supposed
to be a great man but it turned out that
he
had you know lied for his pretty much
his entire life
but that actually leads to amir's own
healing because he realizes that
he can redeem himself and his father if
he
too owns up to his own lies and
eventually goes on
a journey to help someone other than
himself
and for once not be so self-centered
so again i'm going to include some more
evidence which ties back
to the topic sentence and this overall
argument
and here it is flying a kite for sorab
at the novel's conclusion
amir sees the first flake melting in a
metaphorical spring after saurabh smiles
so again i'm including a quote it's very
small but it's still a quote
from the kite runner itself you don't
always have to include a quote
as evidence you can definitely include
paraphrased material
and you definitely should include that
in your body paragraph
if you can and now we're having some
analysis again
the image of spurring signals a
transformation in
amir's life since spring represents new
beginnings
the transition from a metaphorical
winter to spring
indicates that amir finally has matured
and has taken responsibility for his
actions as a child
again we are analyzing this idea of
seasons which represent larger ideas
so we started off with winter which
represents
oblivion and isolation or desolation
and now we're transitioning into spring
which represents
amir's new life or
his new beginnings since he's now a
surrogate
father to hassan's child and he's also
someone
who is redeemed and
who is actively trying to become a
better father
to saurabh so finally we'll have
our conclusion or our transition
into the next paragraph and this will be
on his journey toward accountability
amir discovers that greatness does not
mean perfection
since those who are truly great try to
atone for their misdeeds
and this last portion is actually really
important when i'm talking about atoning
for
misdeeds because the next body paragraph
will refer directly to amir's
misdeeds or his betrayal of hassan which
i mentioned in the topic sentence
and that second paragraph will focus on
amir's callousness
as well or his indifference to the
feelings of others his cruelty
the big question you're probably asking
yourself is
how do i come up with effective nuanced
analysis
for my essay there are five different
elements that you can consider
to do this and each of these elements
are
interconnected the first is images
events
and objects when we're looking at these
three things
we want to ask ourselves why does the
author
include these images events or objects
in the story
does the author want to make the reader
consider what they would do in a similar
situation
immerse the reader in the story
represent a theme or another idea
reveal a truth misconception or paradox
or make
a statement about human rights politics
science literature or any other field
by asking these questions we can place
ourselves in the author's
shoes and start thinking about their
reasoning for including these items
next is language or the writing style of
the text
why does the author choose specific
words to describe a scene
what are the tone in the mood and why
does the author include
figurative language for example these
questions
will help us dissect direct quotes
taken from the text and
allow us to see how the author
uses the written word as a medium
to convey larger ideas
or larger character traits
for example and that leads nicely into
the next element which is character
what's the character's apparent and
hidden motivation for taking
a particular action and what does a
scene reveal about the character's
personality or background
next we have theme which is a universal
abstract concept that the author is
trying to convey
and theme is connected to all of the
other elements
listed in this diagram because all of
those other elements
are usually ways that the author can
convey
a specific theme or a specific idea
about the human condition in general
and lastly we have context time and
setting what is the historical time
period in place
do flashbacks or foreshadowing occur is
the story told in chronological order
all of these questions definitely affect
our analysis
particularly the context portion
for the example that we were talking
about
thanks for watching let me know what
book you're analyzing
for your literary analysis essay in the
comments down below
and feel free to ask any questions you
have about writing body paragraphs
if you like this video remember to like
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notifications
i'll see you next time
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