AP English Literature AMSCO Guided Notes
3.4: Writing About Literature III
AP English Literature Guided Notes
AMSCO 3.4 - Writing About Literature III
Essential Questions
- How can you communicate in writing an interpretation of a work of literature that asserts a claim and supports it with evidence?
I. Components of Literary Analysis
1. What is the relationship between claims, textual evidence, and commentary in literary analysis?
2. What three factors determine the credibility of a literary analysis?
3. How do the components of a paragraph of literary analysis compare to those of an essay of literary analysis?
II. Thesis Statement
A. Understanding the Thesis Statement
1. How does a thesis statement differ from a claim in literary analysis?
2. What are five reasons why thesis statements are critical to effective essay writing?
3. What attributes do the strongest thesis statements share?
B. Process of Developing a Thesis Statement
1. What are the three stages in developing a thesis statement, and what characterizes each stage?
2. What is a working thesis and why might it need revision?
C. Previewing the Line of Reasoning
1. How can a thesis statement provide a preview of an essay's organization and development?
III. Line of Reasoning and Commentary
A. Understanding Line of Reasoning
1. What is a line of reasoning and how does it relate to the thesis statement?
2. What are two possible approaches to organizing a line of reasoning?
B. Consistent and Explicit Commentary
1. What three functions should commentary serve in connecting evidence to claims and thesis?
2. Why is it important to make connections among thesis, claims, evidence, and meaning explicit rather than assuming readers will infer them?
IV. Strategic and Sufficient Evidence
A. Strategic Purposes of Evidence
1. What are six strategic purposes for using evidence in literary analysis?
2. How can understanding the strategic purpose of evidence strengthen your commentary?
B. Determining Sufficient Evidence
1. How do you determine how much evidence is sufficient to support a claim?
C. A Recursive Process
1. What does it mean to say that the writing process is recursive, and how does this apply to developing literary analysis?
2. What are two different starting points writers can use when developing an interpretation, and how do they relate to the recursive process?
V. Grammar, Mechanics, and Conventions
A. Key Conventions in Grammar and Mechanics
1. Why is it important to follow established conventions of grammar and mechanics in academic writing?
2. What are three common errors in subject/verb agreement, noun/pronoun agreement, or punctuation that writers should avoid?
B. The Power of Punctuation
1. How can the presence or absence of punctuation change the meaning of a sentence?
Key Terms
claims
textual evidence
commentary
thesis statement
line of reasoning
illustrate
clarify
exemplify
associate
amplify
qualify
recursive