11 Sexy Ways to Introduce a Literary Essay

A thesis statement (TS) is necessary.
A TS is an interpretation based on literary elements ( like plot, characterization, setting, symbolism, imagery, narration, etc.).
A TS is not a fact. It never uses '' I think ''. It needs proof based on quotes.


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

2. Quotation :
'' I'm not mad. No, I'm not. Madmen know nothing.'' Why did the narrator say this? Was he really sane? E.A. Poe's ''Tell Tale Heart'' explores the fine line between madness and sanity.

3. Definition :
According to the dictionnary, the word ''lottery'' means a 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' '' Ode to Psyche,'' there is stunning visual imagery to depict the environment surrounding Psyche.

5. Life experience of the author :
Ernest Hemingway had major problems dealing with women. This is reflected in ''Hills like White Elephants'' where Jig and the american girl never really communicate.

6. Plot :
At the beginning of Oscar Wilde's ''Nightingale and the Rose,'' the nightingale is heart-broken, because the student is in emotional pain. At the end of the story, 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 ''Strange Fruit'' by A. Meeropol, the savagery of racism is clearly exposed.

8. Historical Background :
Romanticism and gothicism were in vogue in the early 19th century. In E.A. Poe's ''The Tell Tale Heart,'' 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 (not referring to it from the story) :
''A painting for the painter is what the novel is for the writer. The authors of all genrs face endless possibilites when shaping the canvas of their work. ''

11. Allusion :
Many classic works are based on trials : Harper Lee's ''To Kill a Mockingbird.'' Lee and Lawrence's ''Inherit the Wind, '' uses the context of a trial to pit freedom of thought.