When writing about literature, you follow the same basic conventions required of any expository essay. That is, you
- state a thesis in your introduction
- develop that thesis by giving supporting reasons and evidence in the body of the essay
- conclude with a summary of your main points and a restatement of the thesis
- cite and document any quotes.
There are a few conventions in writing about literature of which you should be aware.
- In the introduction to your essay, mention the title of the work and the author's full name:
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley presents a narrator who is obsessed with gaining knowledge and power. - The title of a story or poem is set off with quotation marks; the title of a play or novel is underlined or italicized:
- story: "The Dead"
- poem: "Fern Hill"
- play: The Importance of Being Earnest or The Importance of Being Earnest
- novel: Jane Eyre or Jane Eyre
- The first time you refer to an author, use his or her full name. Thereafter, use only his or her last name:
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens paints a portrait of a boy who has to learn some hard lessons. In order to make these lessons clear, Dickens creates characters whose faults and attributes are caricaturized. - Note that a comma or period is placed inside the quotation marks; a semicolon or colon is placed after the quotation marks:
- In "The Horse Dealer's Daughter," Lawrence often leaves his characters' thoughts unspoken.
- Lawrence is addressing the inseparability of love and lust in "The Horse Dealer's Daughter."
- Lawrence has created an ambiguous ending for "The Horse Dealer's Daughter"; this leaves the interpretation of the story up to the reader.
- Not many events occur in "The Horse Dealer's Daughter": a breakfast, a conversation or two, an attempted suicide, and rescue are the extent of the plot.
- Avoid using wordy or grammatically incorrect opening lines:
In Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, he tells a fascinating story.
In this sentence, "he" doesn't refer to anyone; and if you use the author's name, you don't need "he," too. Try it this way:
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens tells a fascinating story.
But there's still a problem: This opening sentence doesn't tell your reader what your essay is about. It's filler, without real content. Get to your point quickly and directly, perhaps like this:
Pip, in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, is a likable character, but he is not a hero. - Unless you have been asked to write a personal essay, avoid using the first person ("I") and the second person ("you") in your essays. Most college essays are supposed to preserve a formal tone, and using "I" and "you" gives the essay too casual a tone. Instead of saying,
I think Jane Eyre is a feminist,
try
Jane Eyre is a feminist.
(Note that this makes you sound more authoritative, as well.)
And instead of saying
If you look closely at Jane Eyre, you will see that she is a feminist,
try
A close reading reveals that Jane Eyre is a feminist.
For information on using MLA format to cite and document correctly, see The Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University, or The Purdue University Online Writing Lab.
And if you need help getting started or with a rough draft, please feel free to see me in my office (my office location and hours are posted on the Schedule) or e-mail me at annw708@earthlink.net.
