Thesis Generating Exercise, Literary Analysis

1. What aspect of the novel will you write about?  Note:  As this essay will be fairly short, use the list of the elements of fiction covered in class and in the reserve readings to narrow your focus.

2. What is your interpretation and/or analysis of this element in the novel (i.e., what would you like to say about this element)?

3. Why is your interpretation and/or analysis of this element important and/or significant for the reader’s overall understanding of the text?

4. What evidence can you find in the text to justify your interpretation and/or analysis?

5. Write a thesis statement that mentions the author and book and that introduces the element that you will write about, and why/how that element is important in enhancing the reader’s understanding and interpretation of the novel (i.e., why is this point significant?).

6. Where in your draft will this thesis be introduced?