11 Sexy Ways to Introduce a Literary Essay

Background:

-A thesis statement is necessary.
-A TS is an interpretation.
-A TS is based on literary elements (setting, plot, narration, etc.)
-A TS is not a fact.
-A TS never uses ''I Think''
-A TS needs proof based on quotations.

1. Biographical Information: In A. Bierce's ''Occurence at ... ,'' he takes the view point of his enemy, a confederate, - even though he was a federal soldier - to show the horrors of war.

2. Quotation: ''I'm not mad. No, I'm not.'' Why did the narrator say this? Was he really sane? E.A. Poe's ''Tell...'' explores the fine line between madness and sanity.

3. Denifition: According to the dictionary, the word ''lottery'' means random draw with money as the prize. In S.Jackson's ''The Lottery,'' the prize is very macabre indeed: death by stoning.

4. A literary element: Imagery is a powerful way to express feelings and emotion. In John Keats's ode to psyche,'' there is stunning visual imagery to depictthe environment surrounding psyche.

5. Life experience (author):E.Hemingway had major problems dealing with women in his life.This is reflected in ''Hills...,'' where Jig and the American never really communicate.

6. Plot: At the beginning of Oscar Wilde's ''Nightingale...,'' the bird is heart-broken because the student is in emotional pain. At the end , the bird's heart is literally broken by a thorn of a rose tree.

7. Philosophical or sociological concept: Racism has always existed and will always exist, particularly towards black people. In A.Meeropol's ''Strange Fruits,'' the savagry of racism is clearly exposed.

8. Historical background: Romanticism and gothicism were in vogue in the early ninetenth century. In E.A. Poe's ''The Tell...,'' there are many gothic elements, such as the dark side of human nature.

9. Claim to fame/ notoriety: J.D. Salinger's ''Catcher in the Rye'', is still read in classrooms across North America because of its relevance to young people.

10. Using imagery: ''A painting for the painter is what the novel is for the writer. The authors of whole genres face endless possibilities when shaping the canvas of their work.''

11. Allusion: Many classic works are based on trials: Lee's ''To Kill a...,'' Rose's ''Twelve Angry Men,'' and H.Miller's ''The Crucible.'' Lee and Lawrence's ''Inherit the Wind'' uses the context of a trial to pit freedom of thought versus fondamentalism.