how to write a response to literature essay

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A comprehensive guide to writing a response essay that will help you ace your academic assignments.

Writing a response essay can be a challenging task, as it requires you to analyze a piece of literature, a movie, an article, or any other work and provide your personal reaction to it. This type of essay allows you to express your thoughts and feelings about the content you’re responding to, and it can help you develop critical thinking and analytical skills.

In order to craft a compelling response essay, you need to carefully read and understand the work you’re responding to, identify key themes and arguments, and formulate a clear and coherent response. This guide will provide you with tips and strategies to help you write an effective response essay that engages your readers and communicates your ideas effectively.

Key Elements of a Response Essay

A response essay typically includes the following key elements:

• Introduction: Begin with a brief summary of the text you are responding to and your main thesis statement.
• Summary: Provide a concise summary of the text, focusing on the key points and arguments.
• Analysis: Analyze and evaluate the text, discussing its strengths, weaknesses, and the effectiveness of its arguments.
• Evidence: Support your analysis with evidence from the text, including quotes and examples.
• Personal Reaction: Share your personal reaction to the text, including your thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
• Conclusion: Sum up your response and reiterate your thesis statement, emphasizing the significance of your analysis.

By incorporating these key elements into your response essay, you can effectively engage with the text and provide a thoughtful and well-supported response.

Understanding the Assignment

Before you start writing your response essay, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the assignment requirements. Read the prompt carefully and identify the main objectives of the assignment. Make sure you understand what the instructor expects from your response, whether it is a critical analysis of a text, a personal reflection, or a synthesis of different sources.

Pay attention to key elements such as:

• The topic or subject matter
• The purpose of the response
• The audience you are addressing
• The specific guidelines or formatting requirements

Clarifying any doubts about the assignment will help you focus your response and ensure that you meet all the necessary criteria for a successful essay.

Analyzing the Prompt

Before you start writing your response essay, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze the prompt provided. Understanding the prompt is essential for crafting a coherent and well-structured response that addresses the key points effectively. Here are some key steps to consider when analyzing the prompt:

• Carefully read the prompt multiple times to fully grasp the main question or topic that needs to be addressed.
• Identify the key words and phrases in the prompt that will guide your response and help you stay focused on the main theme.
• Consider any specific instructions or requirements outlined in the prompt, such as the length of the essay, the format to be used, or the sources to be referenced.
• Break down the prompt into smaller parts or components to ensure that you cover all aspects of the question in your response.
• Clarify any terms or concepts in the prompt that are unclear to you, and make sure you have a solid understanding of what is being asked of you.

By analyzing the prompt carefully and methodically, you can ensure that your response essay is well-structured, focused, and directly addresses the main question or topic at hand.

Developing a Thesis Statement

One of the most critical aspects of writing a response essay is developing a clear and strong thesis statement. A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of your essay. It sets the tone for your entire response and helps guide your reader through your arguments.

When developing your thesis statement, consider the following tips:

Remember, your thesis statement should be specific, focused, and debatable. It should also be located at the end of your introduction paragraph to ensure it captures the reader’s attention and sets the stage for the rest of your essay.

Structuring Your Response

When structuring your response essay, it’s essential to follow a clear and logical format. Start with an introduction that provides background information on the topic and presents your thesis statement. Then, organize your body paragraphs around key points or arguments that support your thesis. Make sure each paragraph focuses on a single idea and provides evidence to back it up.

After presenting your arguments, include a conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis. Remember to use transitions between paragraphs to ensure a smooth flow of ideas. Additionally, consider the overall coherence and cohesion of your response to make it engaging and easy to follow for the reader.

Main Body Paragraphs

When writing the main body paragraphs of your response essay, it’s essential to present your arguments clearly and logically. Each paragraph should focus on a separate point or idea related to the topic. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea, and then provide supporting evidence or examples to reinforce your argument.

• Make sure to organize your paragraphs in a coherent and sequential manner, so that your essay flows smoothly and is easy for the reader to follow.
• Use transition words and phrases, such as “furthermore,” “in addition,” or “on the other hand,” to connect your ideas and create a cohesive structure.
• Cite sources and provide proper references to strengthen your arguments and demonstrate the credibility of your analysis.

Remember to analyze and evaluate the information you present in each paragraph, rather than simply summarizing it. Engage critically with the texts, articles, or sources you are referencing, and develop your own perspective or interpretation based on the evidence provided.

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Responding to literature

Get started, understand the assignment, understand your text.

• Choose your topic
• Construct your argument
• Create an outline
• Draft your essay
• Revise for clarity
• Format your sources
• Visit the Writing Centre

Books to help you get started

In most English courses, you will be asked to read and respond to a work of literature by writing an essay. This can either be about a poem, a short story or a play. How do you respond to literature and where do you start?

• Understand your essay guidelines
• Different kinds of writing assignments

 First of all, you can start by making sure you understand the essay guidelines:

Read the guidelines carefully.

Are there questions that need answering?

When is the assignment due?

How long should the paper be? (number of words or pages)

What citation style is required? (Usually, for English classes, you use MLA.)

What physical format is required? (Do you need a title page,  margins, line spacing ?)

Do you need to include secondary sources? What type of sources and how many are required? (books, journal articles? Are websites allowed?)

Does your instructor give a grading rubric or criteria for marking the essay? If so, what are they?

If you are unclear about the guidelines, check with your instructor.

This guide is intended to help you with the most common types of essays you use when writing about literature: the analytical essay, the compare and contrast essay or the argumentative essay. However, reading your assignment guidelines carefully will help you determine which kind of writing or response your instructor is looking for. The five most common types of academic writing are the following:

Report-  Reports are generally fact-based and descriptive with an objective tone. The purpose is to describe something. A book report, for example, will generally focus on a description of setting, characters, plot, conflict, etc. and will not focus too much on analysis. 

Analysis-  An analysis is an explanation of how parts of something relate to a whole. The purpose of an analysis is to look closely at certain elements of something and explain how they work together to create larger meaning.

Summary-  A summary is an abbreviation of the main points of an original text. Its purpose is to communicate in a condensed fashion the main points of something.

Reflection-  A reflection is a personal response to something that is based on your own feelings, sensations, initial reactions, etc. A reflection is subjective, can use first person ("I") and is a good way to start thinking about how a text has made you feel. 

Essay-  An essay is a piece of writing that is structured in such a way that it supports a debatable claim. It should be written from an objective standpoint, and its purpose is to persuade the reader to believe the claims you are making. An essay consists of a series of organized paragraphs that offer details in support of a position. In addition to different types of academic writing, there are different types of academic essays.

• Analytic-  The analytical essay is the most common kind of essay you will write for a literature course. The analytic essay goes beyond simple summary and description.  Rather than telling the reader the facts of the situation, the analytic essay demands that you examine information and evaluate it. In other words, the analytic essay does not simply ask what, where and when; it asks how, why and what is the effect of this?
• Compare and contrast-  This is the examination of similarities and differences between two things. You may choose to compare and contrast two stories or two poems by the same or different authors. However, you must have a purpose in deciding why to compare or contrast two texts that goes beyond a mere explanation of the similarities and differences between them. It should explain what the implications of these similarities and differences are, and what one might learn from looking at these two texts side-by-side. 
• Argumentative-  Argumentative essays bring up an important debatable issue that has two distinct sides. The thesis of an argumentative essay always clearly states which side of the issue is being supported; it does not merely state that there are two sides to the issue. In literature, you may be arguing why or how your interpretation of a text is valid and insightful, and how it may differ from another common interpretation or analysis.
• Expository-  Expository essays are intended to persuade an audience of a particular position by addressing one side of a debatable issue. In order to write an expository essay you must have a strong, debatable thesis statement (an argument or a claim), evidence to support your thesis, and a logical organization of your materials. Usually, expository essays only deal with one side of an argument without addressing the opposition.
• Descriptive-  The purpose of a descriptive essay is to persuade the reader of a particular position or belief through the use of rich descriptive detail. Descriptive essays are often paired with narrative arguments because effective stories contain evocative descriptions of people, places, and events. Descriptive writing does not just tell readers what to think, but instead shows readers why one way of looking at the world is better than another. These kinds of essays should contain specific details that bring a picture to life for the audience. It focuses on showing rather than telling. This may be less common when you are asked to write about literature, but may be a useful practice when looking to incorporate more creativity and description into your academic writing style.
• Cause and effect- The cause and effect essay traces the relationship between reasons and results. It asks why something happened, and what the consequence was. This may be less common when you are writing about literature, but is useful for things like illuminating patterns in society and underlining the consequences if trends are not reversed.
• Research-  A research essay can take the form of any of the above essay methods, but must always include credible, scholarly research that supports the claim(s) you are making.
• Review literary terms
• Identify themes

Many English essays analyze how formal elements of a literary text work together to create meaning or affect the reader. E very word, action, place, thought and object described in a literary text is deliberate.  Analyzing how an author uses different literary devices can help you identify themes and understand how the author is constructing meaning through their text. 

1. Plot- Plot refers to the elements that govern the unfolding of the actions, including the conflict and its development in a story or play. Probably the single most revealing question you can ask about a work of literature is, "What conflict does it dramatize?" Often, analyzing the conflict can point to the meaning or theme of the story.

1. Characters-  In literature, all actions, interactions, speeches, and observations are deliberate. In a story or play, you may expect that each action or speech, no matter how small, is a presentation of the complex inner and outer worlds that constitute a human being. Examining the actions, descriptions, statements and thoughts can give you insight into what the author is trying to say about a particular person with particular experiences.

3. Point of View - Point of view is the speaker, narrator, persona or voice created by the author to tell stories, make observations, present arguments, and express personal attitudes and judgments. There are four common point of views:

• Omniscient point of view- In this point of view, the author, not one of the characters, tells the story, and the author assumes complete knowledge of the characters' actions and thoughts.
• Limited omniscient point of view- When this method is used, the author still narrates the story but restricts (limits) his or her revelation—and therefore our knowledge—of the thoughts of all but one character. One name for this character is "central consciousness." A device of plot and characterization that often accompanies this point of view is the character's gradual discovery of himself or herself until the story climaxes in an epiphany. 
• First person point of view- In the first person position, the author is even more restricted: one of the characters tells the story, eliminating the author as narrator. Here, the narrator is restricted to what one character says he or she observes. The narrator can therefore be unreliable (subject to their own thoughts, experiences, maturity level, etc.) or reliable (a credible source of information).
• Objective (dramatic) point of view- Objective point of view is the most restricting of all. Though the author is the narrator, he or she refuses to enter the minds of any of the characters. The writer sees them (and lets us see them) as we would in real life. In this method, we learn about the characters from what they say and do, how they look, and what other characters say about them. We don't learn what they think unless they tell us. This is sometimes called "dramatic" point of view, because we learn about characters in the same way we would in a play. 

4. Tone - Tone also has a great deal to do with the narrator. Tone is the narrator's predominant attitude toward the subject, whether that subject be a particular setting, event, character or idea. The narrator conveys tone through the way devices are handled, including word choice, which may be directly stated or indirectly implied. 

4. Structure- A structure is anything made with a clear organizational pattern. Every literary work has a structure of some sort. Sometimes the structure is new and original; often, it follows a known, set format, like that of a sonnet or a haiku. Certain structures have certain meanings attached to them. For example, a sonnet is traditionally used for love poetry. If a poet is writing a love poem following only certain rules of the sonnet structure, that may reveal elements of traditional notions of love that they accept and reject. Analyzing the structure or form of a story or poem can help reveal certain layers of meaning the author may be referencing.

5. Setting - Setting refers to where and when the plot occurs and the environment in which the characters are described as living. This environment includes the natural environment, the material environment, and the social environment. After determining basic questions such as, "Where does the story take place?" and " What sensuous qualities does the author give to the setting?" you can move on to other questions like, "What relationship does place have to characterization and theme?"

6. Imagery - Imagery is a term used for descriptive language that evokes the senses such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes and other physical sensations. The word "imagery" is also used for other kinds of figurative language, such as metaphor and simile.

7. Figurative language - Figurative language is something that is described in terms of something else, usually taking the form of a metaphor or simile.

• Metaphor- A metaphor compares something to something else without using "like" or "as" or other comparative terms. For example, "Your words are music to my ears." We know that words are not music, but by making this comparison, we ascribe a musical, pleasing quality to these words.
• Simile- A simile shows similarities between things that are different, using words like "like" or "as". For example: "My love is like a red, red rose" (Burns). What we know about a red rose helps us to understand what the beloved is like.

8. Denotation and Connotation- Denotation and connotation both deal with word meaning.

• Denotation- means the explicit meaning or dictionary definition of a word.
• Connotation- refers to the implications, feelings and cultural associations a word has collected through its use over time, for example, the association of red roses with romantic love.

9. Symbolism-  A symbol is a thing that represents another thing which is usually larger and more abstract. For example, a cross is a symbol of Christianity, or a heart is a symbol of love. In literature, words, characters, setting, events and situations can all be symbolic.

10. Rhythm-  Rhythm is the stresses that come at regular intervals to create effect. Poetry is built on a rhythmic pattern, called metre, which also contributes to effect and meaning. A metrical pattern is made up of a sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables.

11. Rhyme- Rhyme is a sound device in which identical or very similar sounds are repeated, often at the ends of lines in poems or songs.

12. Irony- Irony plays with the differences between appearances and reality, or between meaning and the words used to convey that meaning. An example of verbal irony occurs when a character says or does something without the knowledge that other characters and the readers/ viewers share.

13. Diction- Diction refers to the words and grammatical constructions a writer selects and which may reveal, among other things, the nationality and level of education of the writer or of the literary character given those words by the writer. A writer's diction will affect the "tone" of the text and its meaning.

14. Allusion- Allusion is a reference inside a work to something outside it, such as a person, place, event or other work. A writer making an allusion often presupposes that the reader knows something about the external reference and will understand how it adds to the work.

15. Genre- Genre has its roots in French, meaning "type" or "kind." Literature is divided up into genres or types, which share conventions or similar features. The major literary genres are drama, poetry, and fiction, which can be further subdivided by type. Knowing more about the conventions that are specific to certain genres can help in your analysis and understanding of the text.

Adapted from Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts and Writing the English Essay by Mary Ann Armstrong

Once you have reviewed some of the formal elements of a text, you can start to draw some conclusions about what message the author is trying to convey. 

Literature and poetry usually tell us more than just a story. The story can often be representative of some aspect of what it means to be alive, to be human, to connect or to not connect with others, etc. These are what we call themes.  A theme is a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

They can be things like

• Dreams and disillusionment
• The beauty of simplicity
• The illusion of power, etc.

Identifying what some of the themes of the story are, and how the author expresses these themes, is a good place to start when deciding what you want to write on.

You can ask yourself questions like

• Aside from the basic elements of plot, setting, and character development, what is the story really about? Then, how do other literary elements contribute to the development of this theme?
• What symbols and metaphors does the author use and what might these represent? How do these further enhance an overall theme or message of the story/poem?
• If there are several themes/messages, how might these be working together? What is the result of the author exploring these issues side-by-side?
• How might the historical context during which the story/poem was written influence the way the author portrays certain elements of these themes?

Often, your instructor will provide you with a list of questions specific to the text to help you start thinking about it in these terms.

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• Last Updated: May 3, 2023 2:58 PM
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How to Write a Response Paper

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Most of the time when you are tasked with an essay about a book or article you've read for a class, you will be expected to write in a professional and impersonal voice. But the regular rules change a bit when you write a response paper.

A response (or reaction) paper differs from the formal review primarily in that it is written in the first person . Unlike in more formal writing, the use of phrases like "I thought" and "I believe" is encouraged in a response paper. 

You'll still have a thesis and will need to back up your opinion with evidence from the work, but this type of paper spotlights your individual reaction as a reader or viewer.

Read and Respond

Grace Fleming

For a response paper, you still need to write a formal assessment of the work you're observing (this could be anything created, such as a film, a work of art, a piece of music, a speech, a marketing campaign, or a written work), but you will also add your own personal reaction and impressions to the report.

The steps for completing a reaction or response paper are:

• Observe or read the piece for an initial understanding.
• Mark interesting pages with a sticky flag or take notes on the piece to capture your first impressions.
• Reread the marked pieces and your notes and stop to reflect often.
• Record your thoughts.
• Develop a thesis.
• Write an outline.
• Construct your essay.

It may be helpful to imagine yourself watching a movie review as you're preparing your outline. You will use the same framework for your response paper: a summary of the work with several of your own thoughts and assessments mixed in.

The First Paragraph

After you have established an outline for your paper, you need to craft the first draft of the essay using all the basic elements found in any strong paper, including a strong introductory sentence .

In the case of a reaction essay, the first sentence should contain both the title of the work to which you are responding and the name of the author.

The last sentence of your introductory paragraph should contain a thesis statement . That statement will make your overall opinion very clear.

Stating Your Opinion

There's no need to feel shy about expressing your own opinion in a position paper, even though it may seem strange to write "I feel" or "I believe" in an essay. 

In the sample here, the writer analyzes and compares the plays but also manages to express personal reactions. There's a balance struck between discussing and critiquing the work (and its successful or unsuccessful execution) and expressing a reaction to it.

Sample Statements

When writing a response essay, you can include statements like the following:

• I felt that
• In my opinion
• The reader can conclude that
• The author seems to
• I did not like
• This aspect didn't work for me because
• The images seemed to
• The author was [was not] successful in making me feel
• I was especially moved by
• I didn't understand the connection between
• It was clear that the artist was trying to
• The soundtrack seemed too
• My favorite part was...because

Tip : A common mistake in personal essays it to resort to insulting comments with no clear explanation or analysis. It's OK to critique the work you are responding to, but you still need to back up your feelings, thoughts, opinions, and reactions with concrete evidence and examples from the work. What prompted the reaction in you, how, and why? What didn't reach you and why?

• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• How To Write an Essay
• How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
• Writing an Opinion Essay
• What Is a Critique in Composition?
• 6 Steps to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay
• 5 Steps to Writing a Position Paper
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• How to Write a Great Process Essay
• How to Write a Good Thesis Statement
• 10 Steps to Writing a Successful Book Report
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• How to Write a News Article That's Effective
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech
• What an Essay Is and How to Write One

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

24 How do I Write a Response Essay?

Pre-writing steps:

• Read the essay prompt carefully.
• Activate schema

Actively read the assigned article.

Analyze the article to determine the rhetorical situation.

• Consider your own thoughts about the article.
• Decide how you want to respond.

Conference #1

Structure your essay.

• Outline the essay you want to write.

Draft a working thesis.

Drafting the essay:

Write a summary of the article as your introduction.

Write 3 or more body paragraphs in response to the article.

Review your draft so far.

Write the conclusion to summarize your thoughts.

Revising steps:

Peer review

Conference #2

• Revise your essay.
• Proofread your essay.

—————————————–

Read the essay prompt carefully

• Highlight or note the important points
• Ask questions for any part that isn’t clear to you.
• Retrieve your assigned article.

Activate schema.

• Skim and scan the article to identify the topic and the author(s).  Look for subtitles and boldly printed words.  Read the author’s bio which is often located at the beginning or at the end of the article.  Identify the publication.  Read the first sentence of each paragraph.  Ask yourself, “Am I familiar with this topic?” This will help you to activate your schema.
• identify the key points and ideas
• make note of where you agree or disagree
• highlight impactful sentences to quote the author later
• paraphrase the author’s words
• summarize the article
• What is the message?
• What is the context?
• Who is the author?
• What is the author’s purpose?
• What is the structure of the text?
• Who is the audience?

Consider your own thoughts about the author and their message.

• What do I think about this topic?
• Is this author trustworthy?
• Is the article written to inform or persuade me?
• If it is written to persuade, on which points do I agree or disagree?
• Is the author biased?
• Does the article have an objective or subjective tone?
• What did I like or dislike about what the author has written in this article?
• What made the most sense to me? What was confusing about this article?

Decide how to respond.

There are several ways in which to respond to an article.  You may choose a type of response from the following list:

• Before/After- Discuss your thoughts about this topic before you read the article, then explain what you learned from the article using evidence from the text.
• Persuasion- Discuss which parts of the articles you found convincing and/or which parts of the article you did not find convincing.
• Agreement or Disagreement- Discuss an idea that the author presented to which you agree or disagree. If there were two points of view that were presented, explain which one you agree with and explain why.
• Affect- Explain the emotional effect that the article had on you. Explain why you responded that way including your own background and your own thoughts/ experiences.
• Association- Share something from the article that is similar to your own experience.  Or relate the information to a different article that you have read before this article.
• Most students wait until they have a draft, but seriously, this is the best time to talk to a writing tutor about your project.
• HCC has several options for free tutoring. Best choice: after class, drop in at the Composition and Learning Center (CLC) in Duncan Hall 210. This is staffed by current HCC English professors, and you can talk to one for 10-20 minutes about your assignment and your ideas for your topic, and what to include in your essay.
• There are also drop-in tutors at the Learning Assistance Center (LAC) in RCF 340.
• an introduction- a summary paragraph of the article
• a response- 3 or more body paragraphs responding to the author
• a conclusion- a concluding paragraph summing up your thoughts.

Outline the essay your want to write.

• Use the structure of the response essay to determine the order of each paragraph.  Gather your notes. Review the way you chose to respond.   Write a main idea statement for each paragraph of your essay.  Then, list (using bullet points) the details that you want to include under each main idea statement. You can also list relevant quotes from the article that support your ideas.
• A thesis includes your topic and what you are going to say about this topic.
• A thesis always has two parts: a topic AND something important about this topic that your essay is going to discuss.
• A thesis is NEVER a question.
• Use your notes and the rhetorical situation of the article to write a summary.  Begin with an introductory sentence that introduces the publisher, author, topic, purpose, and the main idea of the article.
• Next, write a few sentences to describe the key points the author made to support the main idea.
• End your summary with your thesis.
• During your pre-writing, you decided how you might want to respond to the article.  Use your outline to draft your body paragraphs.  Use your synthesis skills to corporate relevant quotes from the article into paragraphs to support your ideas.
• Is your summary of the article concise, objective, and accurate?
• Do your body paragraphs respond to the article?
• Do you have a main idea for each of the body paragraphs?
• Do the sentences in each paragraph support each main idea?
• This question is extremely important.  If you find that you did not respond to the article in the way you had originally planned, revise your thesis.
• End your essay by summarizing the main points you shared in your body paragraphs.
• A classmate; a friend; a relative: ask someone to read over your work. Note their questions as they read.
• At the very least, read your essay aloud to yourself, stopping when you get tripped up in words or sentences. Consider how to make these rough spots easier to read.
• Schedule a conference with your instructor, or drop in on their student/office hours, or send them a Zoom request to talk about any questions you have about your draft.
• You can also drop in at the CLC in DH210 or LAC in RCF 340 to have a conference with a tutor.

Revise your essay

• Look at your outline: have you forgotten anything?
• Do a paragraph outline of just main idea sentences for each paragraph: you’ll have a 5-7 sentence summary of your whole essay.

Proofread your essay

• take on an objective tone?
•  introduce the article properly?
• capture the main point of the article?
• respond to the article?
• capture your thoughts and opinions?
• begin with a main idea statement followed by detail?
• include quotes from the article?
• concisely review your thoughts about the article?
• Major grammar errors include run-on sentences, comma splices, and sentence fragments.
• You are responsible for running Grammarly or another grammar/spellcheck before your essay is submitted.
• Your instructors want to focus on improving your WRITING—not technical errors that machines can catch easily.
• Use Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines for formatting your academic essay and for any in-text citations or a Works Cited page.

College Reading & Writing: A Handbook for ENGL- 090/095 Students Copyright © by Yvonne Kane; Krista O'Brien; and Angela Wood. All Rights Reserved.

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beginner's guide to literary analysis

Understanding literature & how to write literary analysis.

Literary analysis is the foundation of every college and high school English class. Once you can comprehend written work and respond to it, the next step is to learn how to think critically and complexly about a work of literature in order to analyze its elements and establish ideas about its meaning.

If that sounds daunting, it shouldn’t. Literary analysis is really just a way of thinking creatively about what you read. The practice takes you beyond the storyline and into the motives behind it. 

While an author might have had a specific intention when they wrote their book, there’s still no right or wrong way to analyze a literary text—just your way. You can use literary theories, which act as “lenses” through which you can view a text. Or you can use your own creativity and critical thinking to identify a literary device or pattern in a text and weave that insight into your own argument about the text’s underlying meaning. 

Now, if that sounds fun, it should , because it is. Here, we’ll lay the groundwork for performing literary analysis, including when writing analytical essays, to help you read books like a critic. 

What Is Literary Analysis?

As the name suggests, literary analysis is an analysis of a work, whether that’s a novel, play, short story, or poem. Any analysis requires breaking the content into its component parts and then examining how those parts operate independently and as a whole. In literary analysis, those parts can be different devices and elements—such as plot, setting, themes, symbols, etcetera—as well as elements of style, like point of view or tone. 

When performing analysis, you consider some of these different elements of the text and then form an argument for why the author chose to use them. You can do so while reading and during class discussion, but it’s particularly important when writing essays. 

Literary analysis is notably distinct from summary. When you write a summary , you efficiently describe the work’s main ideas or plot points in order to establish an overview of the work. While you might use elements of summary when writing analysis, you should do so minimally. You can reference a plot line to make a point, but it should be done so quickly so you can focus on why that plot line matters . In summary (see what we did there?), a summary focuses on the “ what ” of a text, while analysis turns attention to the “ how ” and “ why .”

While literary analysis can be broad, covering themes across an entire work, it can also be very specific, and sometimes the best analysis is just that. Literary critics have written thousands of words about the meaning of an author’s single word choice; while you might not want to be quite that particular, there’s a lot to be said for digging deep in literary analysis, rather than wide. 

Although you’re forming your own argument about the work, it’s not your opinion . You should avoid passing judgment on the piece and instead objectively consider what the author intended, how they went about executing it, and whether or not they were successful in doing so. Literary criticism is similar to literary analysis, but it is different in that it does pass judgement on the work. Criticism can also consider literature more broadly, without focusing on a singular work. 

Once you understand what constitutes (and doesn’t constitute) literary analysis, it’s easy to identify it. Here are some examples of literary analysis and its oft-confused counterparts: 

Summary: In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” the narrator visits his friend Roderick Usher and witnesses his sister escape a horrible fate.  

Opinion: In “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe uses his great Gothic writing to establish a sense of spookiness that is enjoyable to read. 

Literary Analysis: “Throughout ‘The Fall of the House of Usher,’ Poe foreshadows the fate of Madeline by creating a sense of claustrophobia for the reader through symbols, such as in the narrator’s inability to leave and the labyrinthine nature of the house. 

In summary, literary analysis is:

• Breaking a work into its components
• Identifying what those components are and how they work in the text
• Developing an understanding of how they work together to achieve a goal 
• Not an opinion, but subjective 
• Not a summary, though summary can be used in passing 
• Best when it deeply, rather than broadly, analyzes a literary element

Literary Analysis and Other Works

As discussed above, literary analysis is often performed upon a single work—but it doesn’t have to be. It can also be performed across works to consider the interplay of two or more texts. Regardless of whether or not the works were written about the same thing, or even within the same time period, they can have an influence on one another or a connection that’s worth exploring. And reading two or more texts side by side can help you to develop insights through comparison and contrast.

For example, Paradise Lost is an epic poem written in the 17th century, based largely on biblical narratives written some 700 years before and which later influenced 19th century poet John Keats. The interplay of works can be obvious, as here, or entirely the inspiration of the analyst. As an example of the latter, you could compare and contrast the writing styles of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Edgar Allan Poe who, while contemporaries in terms of time, were vastly different in their content. 

Additionally, literary analysis can be performed between a work and its context. Authors are often speaking to the larger context of their times, be that social, political, religious, economic, or artistic. A valid and interesting form is to compare the author’s context to the work, which is done by identifying and analyzing elements that are used to make an argument about the writer’s time or experience. 

For example, you could write an essay about how Hemingway’s struggles with mental health and paranoia influenced his later work, or how his involvement in the Spanish Civil War influenced his early work. One approach focuses more on his personal experience, while the other turns to the context of his times—both are valid. 

Why Does Literary Analysis Matter? 

Sometimes an author wrote a work of literature strictly for entertainment’s sake, but more often than not, they meant something more. Whether that was a missive on world peace, commentary about femininity, or an allusion to their experience as an only child, the author probably wrote their work for a reason, and understanding that reason—or the many reasons—can actually make reading a lot more meaningful. 

Performing literary analysis as a form of study unquestionably makes you a better reader. It’s also likely that it will improve other skills, too, like critical thinking, creativity, debate, and reasoning. 

At its grandest and most idealistic, literary analysis even has the ability to make the world a better place. By reading and analyzing works of literature, you are able to more fully comprehend the perspectives of others. Cumulatively, you’ll broaden your own perspectives and contribute more effectively to the things that matter to you. 

Literary Terms to Know for Literary Analysis 

There are hundreds of literary devices you could consider during your literary analysis, but there are some key tools most writers utilize to achieve their purpose—and therefore you need to know in order to understand that purpose. These common devices include: 

• Characters: The people (or entities) who play roles in the work. The protagonist is the main character in the work. 
• Conflict: The conflict is the driving force behind the plot, the event that causes action in the narrative, usually on the part of the protagonist
• Context : The broader circumstances surrounding the work political and social climate in which it was written or the experience of the author. It can also refer to internal context, and the details presented by the narrator 
• Diction : The word choice used by the narrator or characters 
• Genre: A category of literature characterized by agreed upon similarities in the works, such as subject matter and tone
• Imagery : The descriptive or figurative language used to paint a picture in the reader’s mind so they can picture the story’s plot, characters, and setting 
• Metaphor: A figure of speech that uses comparison between two unlike objects for dramatic or poetic effect
• Narrator: The person who tells the story. Sometimes they are a character within the story, but sometimes they are omniscient and removed from the plot. 
• Plot : The storyline of the work
• Point of view: The perspective taken by the narrator, which skews the perspective of the reader 
• Setting : The time and place in which the story takes place. This can include elements like the time period, weather, time of year or day, and social or economic conditions 
• Symbol : An object, person, or place that represents an abstract idea that is greater than its literal meaning 
• Syntax : The structure of a sentence, either narration or dialogue, and the tone it implies
• Theme : A recurring subject or message within the work, often commentary on larger societal or cultural ideas
• Tone : The feeling, attitude, or mood the text presents

How to Perform Literary Analysis

Step 1: read the text thoroughly.

Literary analysis begins with the literature itself, which means performing a close reading of the text. As you read, you should focus on the work. That means putting away distractions (sorry, smartphone) and dedicating a period of time to the task at hand. 

It’s also important that you don’t skim or speed read. While those are helpful skills, they don’t apply to literary analysis—or at least not this stage. 

Step 2: Take Notes as You Read  

As you read the work, take notes about different literary elements and devices that stand out to you. Whether you highlight or underline in text, use sticky note tabs to mark pages and passages, or handwrite your thoughts in a notebook, you should capture your thoughts and the parts of the text to which they correspond. This—the act of noticing things about a literary work—is literary analysis. 

Step 3: Notice Patterns 

As you read the work, you’ll begin to notice patterns in the way the author deploys language, themes, and symbols to build their plot and characters. As you read and these patterns take shape, begin to consider what they could mean and how they might fit together. 

As you identify these patterns, as well as other elements that catch your interest, be sure to record them in your notes or text. Some examples include: 

• Circle or underline words or terms that you notice the author uses frequently, whether those are nouns (like “eyes” or “road”) or adjectives (like “yellow” or “lush”).
• Highlight phrases that give you the same kind of feeling. For example, if the narrator describes an “overcast sky,” a “dreary morning,” and a “dark, quiet room,” the words aren’t the same, but the feeling they impart and setting they develop are similar. 
• Underline quotes or prose that define a character’s personality or their role in the text.
• Use sticky tabs to color code different elements of the text, such as specific settings or a shift in the point of view. 

By noting these patterns, comprehensive symbols, metaphors, and ideas will begin to come into focus.  

Step 4: Consider the Work as a Whole, and Ask Questions

This is a step that you can do either as you read, or after you finish the text. The point is to begin to identify the aspects of the work that most interest you, and you could therefore analyze in writing or discussion. 

Questions you could ask yourself include: 

• What aspects of the text do I not understand?
• What parts of the narrative or writing struck me most?
• What patterns did I notice?
• What did the author accomplish really well?
• What did I find lacking?
• Did I notice any contradictions or anything that felt out of place?  
• What was the purpose of the minor characters?
• What tone did the author choose, and why? 

The answers to these and more questions will lead you to your arguments about the text. 

Step 5: Return to Your Notes and the Text for Evidence

As you identify the argument you want to make (especially if you’re preparing for an essay), return to your notes to see if you already have supporting evidence for your argument. That’s why it’s so important to take notes or mark passages as you read—you’ll thank yourself later!

If you’re preparing to write an essay, you’ll use these passages and ideas to bolster your argument—aka, your thesis. There will likely be multiple different passages you can use to strengthen multiple different aspects of your argument. Just be sure to cite the text correctly! 

If you’re preparing for class, your notes will also be invaluable. When your teacher or professor leads the conversation in the direction of your ideas or arguments, you’ll be able to not only proffer that idea but back it up with textual evidence. That’s an A+ in class participation. 

Step 6: Connect These Ideas Across the Narrative

Whether you’re in class or writing an essay, literary analysis isn’t complete until you’ve considered the way these ideas interact and contribute to the work as a whole. You can find and present evidence, but you still have to explain how those elements work together and make up your argument. 

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay

When conducting literary analysis while reading a text or discussing it in class, you can pivot easily from one argument to another (or even switch sides if a classmate or teacher makes a compelling enough argument). 

But when writing literary analysis, your objective is to propose a specific, arguable thesis and convincingly defend it. In order to do so, you need to fortify your argument with evidence from the text (and perhaps secondary sources) and an authoritative tone. 

A successful literary analysis essay depends equally on a thoughtful thesis, supportive analysis, and presenting these elements masterfully. We’ll review how to accomplish these objectives below. 

Step 1: Read the Text. Maybe Read It Again. 

Constructing an astute analytical essay requires a thorough knowledge of the text. As you read, be sure to note any passages, quotes, or ideas that stand out. These could serve as the future foundation of your thesis statement. Noting these sections now will help you when you need to gather evidence. 

The more familiar you become with the text, the better (and easier!) your essay will be. Familiarity with the text allows you to speak (or in this case, write) to it confidently. If you only skim the book, your lack of rich understanding will be evident in your essay. Alternatively, if you read the text closely—especially if you read it more than once, or at least carefully revisit important passages—your own writing will be filled with insight that goes beyond a basic understanding of the storyline. 

Step 2: Brainstorm Potential Topics 

Because you took detailed notes while reading the text, you should have a list of potential topics at the ready. Take time to review your notes, highlighting any ideas or questions you had that feel interesting. You should also return to the text and look for any passages that stand out to you. 

When considering potential topics, you should prioritize ideas that you find interesting. It won’t only make the whole process of writing an essay more fun, your enthusiasm for the topic will probably improve the quality of your argument, and maybe even your writing. Just like it’s obvious when a topic interests you in a conversation, it’s obvious when a topic interests the writer of an essay (and even more obvious when it doesn’t). 

Your topic ideas should also be specific, unique, and arguable. A good way to think of topics is that they’re the answer to fairly specific questions. As you begin to brainstorm, first think of questions you have about the text. Questions might focus on the plot, such as: Why did the author choose to deviate from the projected storyline? Or why did a character’s role in the narrative shift? Questions might also consider the use of a literary device, such as: Why does the narrator frequently repeat a phrase or comment on a symbol? Or why did the author choose to switch points of view each chapter? 

Once you have a thesis question , you can begin brainstorming answers—aka, potential thesis statements . At this point, your answers can be fairly broad. Once you land on a question-statement combination that feels right, you’ll then look for evidence in the text that supports your answer (and helps you define and narrow your thesis statement). 

For example, after reading “ The Fall of the House of Usher ,” you might be wondering, Why are Roderick and Madeline twins?, Or even: Why does their relationship feel so creepy?” Maybe you noticed (and noted) that the narrator was surprised to find out they were twins, or perhaps you found that the narrator’s tone tended to shift and become more anxious when discussing the interactions of the twins.

Once you come up with your thesis question, you can identify a broad answer, which will become the basis for your thesis statement. In response to the questions above, your answer might be, “Poe emphasizes the close relationship of Roderick and Madeline to foreshadow that their deaths will be close, too.” 

Step 3: Gather Evidence 

Once you have your topic (or you’ve narrowed it down to two or three), return to the text (yes, again) to see what evidence you can find to support it. If you’re thinking of writing about the relationship between Roderick and Madeline in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” look for instances where they engaged in the text. 

This is when your knowledge of literary devices comes in clutch. Carefully study the language around each event in the text that might be relevant to your topic. How does Poe’s diction or syntax change during the interactions of the siblings? How does the setting reflect or contribute to their relationship? What imagery or symbols appear when Roderick and Madeline are together? 

By finding and studying evidence within the text, you’ll strengthen your topic argument—or, just as valuably, discount the topics that aren’t strong enough for analysis. 

Step 4: Consider Secondary Sources 

In addition to returning to the literary work you’re studying for evidence, you can also consider secondary sources that reference or speak to the work. These can be articles from journals you find on JSTOR, books that consider the work or its context, or articles your teacher shared in class. 

While you can use these secondary sources to further support your idea, you should not overuse them. Make sure your topic remains entirely differentiated from that presented in the source. 

Step 5: Write a Working Thesis Statement

Once you’ve gathered evidence and narrowed down your topic, you’re ready to refine that topic into a thesis statement. As you continue to outline and write your paper, this thesis statement will likely change slightly, but this initial draft will serve as the foundation of your essay. It’s like your north star: Everything you write in your essay is leading you back to your thesis. 

Writing a great thesis statement requires some real finesse. A successful thesis statement is: 

• Debatable : You shouldn’t simply summarize or make an obvious statement about the work. Instead, your thesis statement should take a stand on an issue or make a claim that is open to argument. You’ll spend your essay debating—and proving—your argument. 
• Demonstrable : You need to be able to prove, through evidence, that your thesis statement is true. That means you have to have passages from the text and correlative analysis ready to convince the reader that you’re right. 
• Specific : In most cases, successfully addressing a theme that encompasses a work in its entirety would require a book-length essay. Instead, identify a thesis statement that addresses specific elements of the work, such as a relationship between characters, a repeating symbol, a key setting, or even something really specific like the speaking style of a character. 

Example: By depicting the relationship between Roderick and Madeline to be stifling and almost otherworldly in its closeness, Poe foreshadows both Madeline’s fate and Roderick’s inability to choose a different fate for himself. 

Step 6: Write an Outline 

You have your thesis, you have your evidence—but how do you put them together? A great thesis statement (and therefore a great essay) will have multiple arguments supporting it, presenting different kinds of evidence that all contribute to the singular, main idea presented in your thesis. 

Review your evidence and identify these different arguments, then organize the evidence into categories based on the argument they support. These ideas and evidence will become the body paragraphs of your essay. 

For example, if you were writing about Roderick and Madeline as in the example above, you would pull evidence from the text, such as the narrator’s realization of their relationship as twins; examples where the narrator’s tone of voice shifts when discussing their relationship; imagery, like the sounds Roderick hears as Madeline tries to escape; and Poe’s tendency to use doubles and twins in his other writings to create the same spooky effect. All of these are separate strains of the same argument, and can be clearly organized into sections of an outline. 

Step 7: Write Your Introduction

Your introduction serves a few very important purposes that essentially set the scene for the reader: 

• Establish context. Sure, your reader has probably read the work. But you still want to remind them of the scene, characters, or elements you’ll be discussing. 
• Present your thesis statement. Your thesis statement is the backbone of your analytical paper. You need to present it clearly at the outset so that the reader understands what every argument you make is aimed at. 
• Offer a mini-outline. While you don’t want to show all your cards just yet, you do want to preview some of the evidence you’ll be using to support your thesis so that the reader has a roadmap of where they’re going. 

Step 8: Write Your Body Paragraphs

Thanks to steps one through seven, you’ve already set yourself up for success. You have clearly outlined arguments and evidence to support them. Now it’s time to translate those into authoritative and confident prose. 

When presenting each idea, begin with a topic sentence that encapsulates the argument you’re about to make (sort of like a mini-thesis statement). Then present your evidence and explanations of that evidence that contribute to that argument. Present enough material to prove your point, but don’t feel like you necessarily have to point out every single instance in the text where this element takes place. For example, if you’re highlighting a symbol that repeats throughout the narrative, choose two or three passages where it is used most effectively, rather than trying to squeeze in all ten times it appears. 

While you should have clearly defined arguments, the essay should still move logically and fluidly from one argument to the next. Try to avoid choppy paragraphs that feel disjointed; every idea and argument should feel connected to the last, and, as a group, connected to your thesis. A great way to connect the ideas from one paragraph to the next is with transition words and phrases, such as: 

• Furthermore 
• In addition
• On the other hand
• Conversely 

Step 9: Write Your Conclusion 

Your conclusion is more than a summary of your essay's parts, but it’s also not a place to present brand new ideas not already discussed in your essay. Instead, your conclusion should return to your thesis (without repeating it verbatim) and point to why this all matters. If writing about the siblings in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” for example, you could point out that the utilization of twins and doubles is a common literary element of Poe’s work that contributes to the definitive eeriness of Gothic literature. 

While you might speak to larger ideas in your conclusion, be wary of getting too macro. Your conclusion should still be supported by all of the ideas that preceded it. 

Step 10: Revise, Revise, Revise

Of course you should proofread your literary analysis essay before you turn it in. But you should also edit the content to make sure every piece of evidence and every explanation directly supports your thesis as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

Sometimes, this might mean actually adapting your thesis a bit to the rest of your essay. At other times, it means removing redundant examples or paraphrasing quotations. Make sure every sentence is valuable, and remove those that aren’t. 

Other Resources for Literary Analysis 

With these skills and suggestions, you’re well on your way to practicing and writing literary analysis. But if you don’t have a firm grasp on the concepts discussed above—such as literary devices or even the content of the text you’re analyzing—it will still feel difficult to produce insightful analysis. 

If you’d like to sharpen the tools in your literature toolbox, there are plenty of other resources to help you do so: 

• Check out our expansive library of Literary Devices . These could provide you with a deeper understanding of the basic devices discussed above or introduce you to new concepts sure to impress your professors ( anagnorisis , anyone?). 
• This Academic Citation Resource Guide ensures you properly cite any work you reference in your analytical essay. 
• Our English Homework Help Guide will point you to dozens of resources that can help you perform analysis, from critical reading strategies to poetry helpers. 
• This Grammar Education Resource Guide will direct you to plenty of resources to refine your grammar and writing (definitely important for getting an A+ on that paper). 

Of course, you should know the text inside and out before you begin writing your analysis. In order to develop a true understanding of the work, read through its corresponding SuperSummary study guide . Doing so will help you truly comprehend the plot, as well as provide some inspirational ideas for your analysis.

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What is a Response To Literature?

• Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

A response to literature is, in many ways, the same as a response to a statement.

Think of a conversation or a discussion. One person says something, puts forward an argument or states a position, and the other responds by stating their position, opinion, or counterargument.

A response inherently draws from something else – it doesn’t and cannot stand alone. A response to literature, likewise, relies on a piece of literature to prop it up, to which it can act as a companion. It is drawn from this, and while it may not necessarily agree with the original text, without prior knowledge of the piece of literature it is removed from, it won’t make much sense to the reader.

In response to a literature essay, you give your opinion on a text through a reasoned argument.

What is the purpose of a response to a literature essay?

A response to a literature essay is to provide context on and criticism of the original text. You do this by proposing a theory about the original text your essay sets out to prove or disprove. You then detail why you believe this theory, using textual elements as evidence. If you’ve done it right, your argument should be proved or disproved at the end, just as you proposed.

Writing a response to a literature essay allows you to dive deeply into the original novel or poem. You can get to grips with the plot and characters, analyze the settings, and think about what messages the author wanted to convey; this helps you to gain a much better understanding of the text. It can also help others who read your essay because they should understand the text better.

Essentially, when you write a response to literature, you’re acting as a literary critic. You don’t have to like or dislike the text – you have to write about it in a way that demonstrates your understanding to the point where you can prove your theory.

What are the features of a response to a literature essay?

A response to a literature essay typically follows a particular structure like this:

You should start your response to the literature essay with a thesis statement, explaining the elements of the text you want to concentrate on and the points you wish to make about it; this may be a theory you want to prove or disprove based on the evidence provided in the text by the author.

There are numerous different elements you can choose from when you’re deciding what to concentrate on. These include:

• Themes or morals
• Background to the novel, such as contemporary social or political issues
• The author’s writing style

A good statement will propose a question or theory about one of these elements – or a different element of your choosing. It should simply explain what point you’re setting out to prove. Keep your statement short, as you’ll go on to present evidence and prove your point.

In this section of your response to the literature essay, you should talk about the elements of the original text that sparked your question or theory. For example, the characters and settings and how they relate to your view. What evidence do these elements provide that strengthens your case?

It is where you demonstrate your thorough understanding of the text by delving into the characters and settings. Explain why and how you believe the author has portrayed them in a certain way. These things all provide essential background information and give context to your argument.

Concrete Details

Concrete details are facts about the text that can’t be argued with or interpreted differently. These are the actual events within the text and any background information the author has provided about social, economic, or political conditions at the time.

You should use these inarguable details as evidence to prove your argument. For example, suppose you’re arguing that a female character doesn’t deserve fate. In that case, you can use the way other characters treat her as evidence and any information the author has given you about what social conditions were like for women at the time.

Literary Styles and Devices

In this section, you should show how the author’s purpose coincides with your theory. Give examples of the way the text is written, and point out any literary devices the author has used which would back up your original argument. You can also demonstrate how the evidence you have already provided in your essay connects with what you believe to be the author’s intent. It would help if you used the author’s stylistic decisions to prove your point.

Your conclusion section is where you consolidate everything you’ve written so far. You should summarise precisely how each of your areas provides support for your argument and explain why you have reached the conclusion you have. Finally, tell your reader why the evidence you’ve supplied proves or disproves your initial theory about the novel, and wrap up satisfactorily.

How to write a response to literature

Writing a response to literature takes several steps:

Firstly, read the text. It’s impossible to respond appropriately to a piece of literature without understanding it. So ensure you pay close attention to what the writer is trying to say, the mechanics of how they do that, and what techniques and tricks they use. While you read, ask yourself why the writer might be trying to say something or using a particular image repeatedly. The writer may even be using a specific idea or technique for multiple purposes, all working to deepen the meaning behind the text.

For example, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the image of nature is repeatedly evoked throughout the text. Shelley uses the character for various reasons, not only to underscore the unnatural nature of Victor’s monstrous creation but also to bring focus to the order and perfection of the natural world. The symbolic use of nature in the text also acts as a foreshadowing of something dreadful that is about to happen, which is an invocation in itself of classic Gothic writing.

The second step in writing a response to literature is to consider what you want to say. Just as the writer is free to write what they wish when they write a text, when you are writing a response, you are free to write whatever you like about it. Response to literature is about your opinion on that text, what you find interesting, or what you disagree with. You can discuss whatever you choose if you explain why you feel that way or hold that opinion.

The third and final part is to write your response. Again, be sure to draw plenty of examples from the text to support your arguments and to add weight to what you are trying to say.

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• 17 Literary Response Writing

Start-Up Activity

Write the following sentence starters on the board:

A great novel is like . . .

My favorite movies are those that . . .

I love a story that . . .

Take answers from students, writing them down. Then review the answers, looking for commonalities. Most if not all of the responses should highlight a special connection that the literature makes with the reader or viewer.

Great literature naturally evokes a response, and students can formalize that response in writing. This chapter leads the way.

Think About It

“It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth.”

—Gao Xingjian

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.10
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.10
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.C
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.F
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.10

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

Lafs.1112.rl.1.1, lafs.1112.rl.4.10, lafs.1112.ri.1.1, lafs.1112.ri.4.10, lafs.1112.w.1.2, lafs.1112.w.2.4, lafs.1112.rl.1.2, lafs.1112.rl.1.3, lafs.1112.rl.2.5, lafs.1112.w.2.5, lafs.1112.w.3.7, lafs.1112.w.3.9, lafs.1112.w.4.10, teks covered in this chapter, 110.38.c.4.g, 110.39.c.4.g, 110.38.c.7.a, 110.38.c.7.b, 110.38.c.7.c, 110.39.c.7.a, 110.39.c.7.b, 110.39.c.7.c, 110.38.c.4.f, 110.38.c.5.c, 110.38.c.7.d.i, 110.39.c.4.f, 110.39.c.5.c, 110.39.c.7.d.i, 110.38.c.7.d, 110.39.c.7.d, 110.38.c.10.b, 110.39.c.10.b, 110.38.c.5.d, 110.38.c.6.a, 110.39.c.5.d, 110.39.c.6.a, 110.38.c.6.b, 110.38.c.6.c, 110.38.c.6.d, 110.39.c.6.b, 110.39.c.6.c, 110.39.c.6.d, 110.38.c.8.b, 110.39.c.8.b, 110.38.c.9.a, 110.39.c.9.a, 110.38.c.9.b.i, 110.39.c.9.b.i, 110.38.c.5.f, 110.38.c.9.b.ii, 110.39.c.5.f, 110.39.c.9.b.ii, 110.38.c.9.d, 110.39.c.9.d, 110.38.c.9.c, 110.39.c.9.c, 110.38.c.11, 110.39.c.11, 110.38.c.4.h, 110.39.c.4.h, 110.38.c.10, 110.39.c.10, page 212 from write for college, literary response writing: quick guide.

Use this page as a basis for discussing literary responses and warming up students to the possibilities in this chapter.

Students can respond to literature in many ways: book or movie reviews, play synopses, novel analyses, anthology recommendations, parodies, fan fiction, wikis, and so on. Page 213 includes many different starting points for literary analyses alone. Whatever the response, readers should start by thinking of the communication situation using the PAST questions.

Of course, responses in writing also benefit from attention to the traits, especially ideas . Literature allows one mind to briefly inhabit another mind, sharing its ideas.

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Page 213 from Write for College

Ideas for literary analyses.

Use this page to encourage students to find a unique inroad to whatever they are reading and responding to.

Fiction, history, and biography feature people (characters) in a particular place and time (setting) doing things (plot and conflict) for specific reasons (theme). These forms and all nonfiction also feature authors who write with a particular style. Any of these elements can provide a strong starting point for a literary analysis.

Page 214 from Write for College

Guidelines: writing a personal response.

Our favorite literature is very personal. We connect to a specific character or setting or author and can't get enough. That's why personal responses provide an excellent starting point for literary analyses.

Use the model on pages 216–217 to show one student's personal response to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Lead students through the prewriting guidelines and give them time to find and review the literature that they will respond to. Point them to page 215 for many possible starting points for personal responses.

Once students have read their selections and gathered their thoughts, lead them through the drafting guidelines. Emphasize that a personal response can freely use an "I" voice, showing the connection between reader and literature.

Provide students the Checklist for Revising and Editing Personal Responses to help them improve their work.

Page 215 from Write for College

Starting points for personal responses.

The questions on this page prompt students to find points of entry for their responses. Invite students to read through the list and pick out one or two questions they would like to explore. Then direct them to the bottom of the page and suggest that they freewrite responses to the question(s) they have chosen. After 5 to 10 minutes of freewriting, they will likely have a strong sense of where they would like their responses to head.

Page 216 from Write for College

Personal response.

Have students read the sample personal response on this page and the next. Then lead a discussion about it.

• How does the writer connect with the story?
• What words show the writer's enthusiasm for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ?
• How does the writer use details from the story?

Page 217 from Write for College

Personal response (cont.).

After students have read this page and the last, have them respond to the reading by answering the "Reading for Better Writing" questions at the bottom of the page.

Page 218 from Write for College

Guidelines: writing a book review.

Students have written book reports from the time that they became readers. High school book reviews , however, need to demonstrate greater sophistication. Students should avoid the "I" voice from personal responses (pages 214–217), instead focusing on the elements in the literature itself. Also, the review should do more than chronologically list events, but instead should evaluate their significance and help the reader decide whether to read the work or not.

Review with students the sample book review on pages 219–220. Then lead them through the prewriting guidelines and give them time to work.

Once students finish prewriting, have them develop their drafts.

Provide them the Checklist for Revising and Editing Book Reviews to use as they improve their work.

Page 219 from Write for College

Book review.

Have students read the sample book review silently to themselves. Then use the side notes to lead a discussion about the parts of the review.

On this page, have students focus on the writer's use of quotations from the book and paraphrases of the action in the book. Have them determine why each quotation provides a significant insight stated in an especially effective way. Tell students they also should choose quotations carefully, paraphrasing most information.

Page 220 from Write for College

Book review (cont.).

Complete your discussion of the model book review.

Note how the review discusses the ending without ruining it (no spoilers).

Also, note how the final paragraph captures the theme of the book, broadening it out to connect to life in general.

Page 221 from Write for College

Guidelines: writing a limited literary analysis.

Instead of reviewing a whole work, students can dig in more deeply to analyze one part. They could select a physical part, such as a chapter or section, or they could choose one of the classic components of fiction: character, setting, conflict, theme, exposition, rising action, climax, denouement, dialogue, or description.

Have students read the sample literary analysis, which focuses on a specific scene in The Scarlet Letter .

Afterward, lead students through the prewriting guidelines. Give them time to work. Tell them to transition to drafting whenever they feel ready to do so.

Provide the Checklist for Revising and Editing Limited Literary Analyses to help students improve their work.

Page 222 from Write for College

Limited literary analysis.

Have a volunteer read aloud the excerpt from The Scarlet Letter . Then have students silently read the limited literary analysis beginning on this page.

Afterward, lead a discussion. Note how the writer identifies the passage, credits the source and author, and gives background leading up to the thesis statement.

Page 223 from Write for College

Limited literary analysis (cont.).

Continue your discussion of this analysis. Note the interplay of paraphrases and quotations of especially effective passages. Also note that the writer continually goes beyond both types of evidence to infer and interpret from the text.

With the definition of "foundered" (see the third side note), the writer brings outside evidence into the interpretation. Encourage students to connect the passage to other readings, historical events, definitions, and other types of external information. (Of course, the connection should illuminate the text.)

Page 224 from Write for College

Continue your discussion of the model, using the side notes for talking points.

Page 225 from Write for College

After completing your discussion of the model analysis, have students spend five minutes freewriting in response to the "Reading for Better Writing" prompt at the bottom of the page.

Page 226 from Write for College

Guidelines: writing an extended literary analysis.

An extended literary analysis treats a whole work just as a limited literary analysis treats a specific part.

To prepare students to write their own extended literary analyses, have them read and review the sample play analysis on pages 226–227.

Present to students the guidelines for prewriting and give them time to work. Have them transition to drafting whenever they are ready.

Provide the Checklist for Revising and Editing Extended Literary Analyses to help students improve their work.

Page 227 from Write for College

Extended analysis of a play.

Ask students to read the analysis. Then lead a discussion of the model.

Discuss how the writer describes the action in the play and provides quotations from it. Also, show how the writer incorporates comments from the playwright (on this page) and information about the playwright (on the next page) to flesh out the analysis.

Point out to students that this analysis is shorter because of the medium it addresses, while a novel-length extended analysis may need to be longer to adequately explore the work. (See pages 229–232.)

Page 228 from Write for College

Extended analysis of a play (cont.).

Complete your discussion of this analysis. Afterward, have students reflect by freewriting responses to the "Reading for Better Writing" feature at the bottom of the page.

Extended Analysis of a Book

Have students read the extended analysis to themselves. Afterward, use the side notes to discuss the work. Note that this analysis digs in more deeply than the play analysis had. It cites more sources and more rigorously reviews them.

Page 230 from Write for College

Extended analysis of a book (cont.).

Continue your discussion of the analysis. Note how adeptly the writer incorporates outside viewpoints, including insights from the author's mother, an author in her own right.

Also show how the writer does not simply "plunk" quotations from the literature and other sources, but seamlessly incorporates the quotations with explanatory text.

Page 231 from Write for College

Discuss the side note on this page, showing how the writer used the observation of a critic to add greater dimension to her analysis. The reference allows the writer to unpack one of the major themes of the literature.

Page 232 from Write for College

Complete your discussion of the extended analysis. Point out how the writer used MLA documentation style to provide in-text citations (in parentheses) and works-cited entries.

Page 233 from Write for College

Guidelines: responding to a literary prompt.

On many high-stakes tests, including the AP English exams, students will need to read a piece of literature and respond by writing an analysis essay.

An on-target response starts with analyzing the prompt using the PAST questions. After analyzing the prompt, students should closely read the literature. On a piece of scrap paper, they should write a thesis statement that names the literature, provides the subject, and creates a specific focus that answers the prompt. Students should jot supporting points below the thesis statement, creating a quick list to structure their responses.

Then students should draft their responses.

Afterward, they need to quickly revise and edit their responses. Provide them the Checklist for Revising and Editing Responses to Literary Prompts. Students should ask themselves these kinds of questions as they revise. (Of course, they will not be able to use the checklist during an actual testing situation.)

Page 234 from Write for College

Literary prompt.

Ask students to closely read the literary prompt and analyze it using the PAST questions:

• P urpose: Capture Poe's sense of being alone, with evidence from the text (meaning, imagery, symbolism; rhythm, rhyme, enjambment)
• A udience: Test grader
• S ubject: The poem "Alone" by Edgar Allen Poe and its major theme of isolation
• T ype: Literary analysis essay

Then have students read the text. Ask them to practice prompt responses by jotting down a thesis statement and quick list of main points. Have students draft, revise, and edit their responses.

Afterward, review the student response on page 235.

Page 235 from Write for College

Prompt response.

After students have written their own responses to the prompt and text on page 234, have them closely read the sample student response on this page.

Ask students how their own responses differed from the sample response. Ask how the responses were similar. Then lead a general discussion of the sample, using the side notes to guide the conversation.

Afterward, ask students what they learned about responding to literary prompts in a timed situation.

Page 236 from Write for College

Evaluating literary response writing.

Provide students the Assessment Rubric for Literary Response Writing to help them evaluate their responses to literature. You also can use this rubric to assess student's writing, assigning a score of 1 (incomplete) to 6 (amazing) for each trait, and dividing by 6 to receive an overall score (6 = A+, 5 = A, 4 = B, 3 = C, 2 = D, 1 = F).

• 01 One Writer's Process
• 02 Traits of Writing
• 03 Prewriting
• 05 Revising
• 07 Publishing
• 08 Improving Sentences
• 09 Building Paragraphs
• 10 Mastering Essays
• 11 Writing with Style
• 12 Writing Terms and Techniques
• 13 Personal Writing
• 14 Narrative Writing
• 15 Explanatory Writing
• 16 Argument Writing
• 18 Creative Writing
• 19 Conducting Research
• 20 Summaries, Paraphrases, and Abstracts
• 21 Report Writing
• 22 Writing the Research Paper
• 23 MLA Research Paper
• 24 APA Research Paper
• 25 Writing in Science
• 26 Writing in Social Studies
• 27 Writing in Math
• 28 Writing in the Workplace
• 29 Reading Nonfiction
• 30 Reading Literature
• 31 Reading Graphics
• 32 Listening and Note Taking
• 33 Speaking Effectively
• 34 Building Vocabulary
• 35 Writing on Demand
• 36 Answering Document-Based Questions
• 37 Taking Exit and Entrance Exams
• 38 Taking Advanced Placement* Exams
• 39 Marking Punctuation
• 40 Checking Mechanics
• 41 Understanding Idioms
• 42 Using the Right Word
• 43 Parts of Speech
• 44 Using the Language
• 45 Student Almanac

How to Write a Response Paper: Understanding the Basics

Writing a response paper is an important task for students. It allows them to critically analyze a text, express their thoughts and opinions, and improve their writing skills. In this comprehensive guide, our ‘ write my essay ’ experts will explore the basics of how to write a response paper, pre-writing steps, and crafting a winning introduction, body, and conclusion. So, let's dive in and discover a flawless response paper at the end!

Defining What is a Response Paper

A response paper is a written assignment that requires the student to read a text and respond to it by expressing their views on the topic. It can be a stand-alone assignment or part of a larger project. When writing a response paper, it is important to remember the audience you are writing for. Are you writing for your professor, classmates, or a broader audience? This will help you tailor your writing style and tone accordingly.

Moreover, this kind of academic assignment should not only summarize the text but also provide a critical analysis of its main arguments and ideas. It should demonstrate your understanding of the text and your ability to engage with it in a thoughtful and meaningful way.

Purpose of Crafting a Response Paper

Writing response papers aims to demonstrate your understanding of the text, give your opinions and thoughts, and provide evidence to support your claims. In addition, this type of paper can help you develop critical reading skills and formulate coherent arguments. By engaging with the text, you can identify its strengths and weaknesses, evaluate its claims, and form your own opinions about the topic.

Furthermore, crafting response paper examples can be a valuable exercise in self-reflection. It allows you to articulate your thoughts and feelings about a particular topic and can help you better understand your values and beliefs.

Types of Response Papers

There are various types of response papers, each with its own unique characteristics and requirements. These include:

• Personal response : Here, you express your personal opinions, thoughts, and emotions about the text. This type of paper allows you to engage with the text more personally and explore your reactions to it.
• Critical response : Involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting the text to provide a critique. This type of paper requires you to engage with the text more objectively and analytically, focusing on its strengths and weaknesses and providing evidence to support your claims.
• Research-based response : Research-based response paper examples involve using external sources to support your claims. This type of paper requires you to engage with the text and supplement your analysis with evidence from other sources, such as scholarly articles, books, or interviews.

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How to Write a Response Paper: Pre-Writing Steps

Before diving into the writing process, laying a strong foundation through effective pre-writing steps is crucial. These initial stages not only provide clarity and structure but also enhance the overall quality of your response. And if you aren’t sure how to write a reaction paper , these steps can also be employed for your assignment.

Carefully Read and Analyze the Text

The first step in response paper creation is to carefully read and analyze the text. This involves more than just reading the words on the page; it requires critical thinking and analysis. As you read, pay attention to the author's tone, style, and use of language. Highlight important points, take notes, and identify the author's main argument and themes. Consider the context in which the text was written and how it relates to contemporary issues.

For example, if you are reading a historical document, think about how it reflects the social and political climate of the time. If you are reading a work of fiction, consider how the characters and plot relate to larger themes and ideas. By carefully analyzing the text, you will be better equipped to write a thoughtful and insightful response.

Take Notes and Highlight Key Points

Another important step is to take notes while reading, as it helps you organize your thoughts and ideas. As you read through the text, jot down your reactions, questions, and observations. Highlight key points, evidence, and quotes that support the author's argument. This will make it easier to refer back to specific parts of the text when you are writing your response.

Additionally, taking notes can help you identify patterns and connections between different parts of the text. This can be especially helpful when you are trying to develop your thesis statement and outline.

Develop a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a central argument that you will be making in your paper. It should be clear and concise and provide direction for your essay. Your thesis statement should be based on your analysis of the text and should reflect your own perspective.

When developing your thesis statement, consider the main argument of the text and how you agree or disagree with it. Think about the evidence and examples that the author uses to support their argument and how you might use those same examples to support your own argument. Your thesis statement should be specific and focused and should guide the rest of your essay.

Create an Outline

If you want to unlock the most important tip on how to ace a response paper perfection, it lies in creating a well-organized outline. Identify key points, evidence, and arguments that you want to discuss and organize them into a well-written paper format. Your outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Start by introducing the text and your thesis statement. In the body paragraphs, discuss your main points and provide evidence from the text to support your argument. Use quotes and examples to illustrate your points. In conclusion, summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement. In the following paragraphs, we'll delve deeper into writing each section with more details.

Actual Writing Process with a Response Paper Format

Now that you have completed the essential pre-writing steps, it's time to delve into the actual writing process of your paper. In this section of our comprehensive guide, we will explore how to start a response paper along with developing insightful body paragraphs and culminating in a powerful conclusion.

Engage the Reader In Your Introduction

The introduction is the first impression that your reader will have of your paper. It is important to make a good first impression, so you want to engage them right from the start. There are several ways to do this, such as providing context, using a hook, or starting with a rhetorical question.

For example, if you are writing a paper about the effects of social media on mental health, you might start with a hook like:

'Did you know that the average person spends over two hours a day on social media? That's more time than they spend exercising or socializing in person.' 

When working with your paper, this hook immediately grabs the reader's attention and makes them interested in learning more about your topic.

Provide Context and Background Information

Once you have engaged the reader, it's important to provide context for the text you are analyzing. This includes information like the author's name, the title of the work, and the publication date. This information helps the reader understand the context of the text and why it is important.

For example, if you are analyzing a poem by Maya Angelou, you would want to provide some background information about her life and work. You might mention that she was a civil rights activist and a prolific writer and that the poem you are analyzing was written in 1969, during a time of great social and political upheaval in the United States.

Present Your Thesis Statement

Finally, it's important to present your thesis statement in the introduction. The thesis statement is the main argument of your paper, and it should be presented clearly and concisely so that the reader knows exactly what your paper is about.

For instance, if you are crafting a response paper example about the effects of social media on mental health, your thesis statement might be something like:

'This paper argues that excessive use of social media can have negative effects on mental health, including increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation.'

By presenting your thesis statement in the introduction, you are setting up the rest of your paper and giving the reader a roadmap for what to expect. This helps them stay focused and engaged throughout your paper.

Meanwhile, you can find out more about how to write an essay format and set the right referencing style for your assignment!

Crafting the Body

One key aspect of ensuring a well-structured and articulate paper is to utilize your typical response paper outline as a reliable roadmap. By following it, you can maintain focus, coherence, and logical flow throughout your response. Moreover, keep the following points in mind as you proceed with crafting the body of your response paper:

• Use evidence and examples from the text:
• Incorporate relevant quotes, statistics, or other evidence that supports your opinions and arguments.
• By using evidence from the text, you can strengthen your argument and demonstrate a deep understanding of the material.
• Analyze and interpret the text:
• Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by thoroughly analyzing and interpreting the text.
• Explain how the text relates to your thesis statement and overall argument.
• Provide a clear and concise response that showcases your knowledge and understanding of the material.
• Address counterarguments and alternative perspectives:
• Acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints to demonstrate your ability to consider different perspectives.
• Explain why your argument is stronger than the opposing viewpoint.
• Provide evidence to support your claim and solidify your stance.

Concluding Your Paper

In the conclusion of your response paper example, it is essential to consolidate your reactions, ideas, and arguments regarding the text. Summarize the key points discussed throughout your paper, drawing inferences whenever applicable. 

When uncertain about ​​ how to write a conclusion for a research paper , the first important rule is to refrain from introducing new ideas or reiterating information already presented in the introduction of your paper. Instead, provide a concise and coherent summary that encapsulates the essence of your response, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Response Paper Example

To show you how to write a response paper effectively, our essay writer has provided an amazing example below. It will inspire you and help you on your own learning journey. Get ready to explore new ideas and expand your knowledge with our response paper sample.

As we conclude this comprehensive guide on how to write a response paper, you have acquired the essential tools and knowledge to embark on your writing journey with confidence. With a firm grasp of pre-writing strategies, the art of crafting an engaging introduction, organizing a well-structured body, and understanding the significance of supporting arguments and addressing counter arguments with a good response paper example, you are poised to leave a lasting impression.

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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7 Writing the Critical Response Essay (CRE)

The Critical Response Essay is a multi-paragraph, multi-page essay that requires you to take one of your Critical Response Paragraphs and revise it to create a more complex and stronger argument. You should choose your best CRP or the one that most interests you. Focus on making it not only a longer argument, but also a better argument, using what you’ve learned since writing the original piece to improve the argument and the writing itself (argument form, paragraph form, and grammar). Also use what you’ve learned from my feedback and from our discussions in class and individual conferences. You must include confutation.

ARGUMENT FORM

CREs require that you use classical argument form. The parts of this kind of argument are as follow:

Key Takeaways

• Introduction Paragraph , ending with claim
• [ Confutation as first argument paragraph ?]
• Argument Paragraphs (two or three): Begin with a subclaim , then support it by providing textual evidence and analysis of evidence [including confutation within?]
• [ Confutation as final argument paragraph ?]
• Conclusion [confutation as conclusion?]
• Works Cited

Your title may not be simply the title of the story or the assignment. It must be a title that is specific to your argument.

INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH with CLAIM

• Introduce the story and the author about which you are writing. If you’re writing about a film, identify the director.
• Call attention to the features of the story on which you will base your argument. This is the ONLY part of the essay in which you may summarize parts of the story.
• END the introduction with your CLAIM.
• If you have no claim, you have no argument, and therefore you may earn a disappointing grade.
• Likewise, if your claim does not appear in the introduction, your reader has no way of knowing what your subclaims and evidence are attempting to prove.
• It’s not like a joke where you save the punchline until last.
• It’s not mystery-writing, where you don’t identify the murderer until the end.
• It’s an argument. So for your reader to understand what is the point of all the evidence and analysis you’re working so hard to create, you must tell her, in the introduction, what you’re trying to argue and prove.

Writing an Arguable Claim

• Think in terms of theme .
• Theme cannot be expressed with just a word or even a short phrase, like sibling rivalry or fear of marriage. Those are interesting topics, but they are not yet themes.
• To turn a topic into a theme, you must be able to say what the story shows us about the topic , that relates to real life beyond the story.

“Beauty and the Beast” illustrates sibling rivalry.

This is an insufficient claim about theme because it doesn’t give me even a hint of what you think the story says about sibling rivalry. Unless you plan to tell me that in the next sentence, there’s a problem with your claim. By the way, a claim can be more than one sentence.

Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s “Beauty and the Beast” illustrates how sibling rivalry can be caused by unnecessary competition for mates, particularly in the case of sisters.

Now that’s an arguable claim because it includes author, title, a topic, and what the story says about the topic and how it relates to real life.

You can make this claim even stronger (and give yourself greater confidence that your argument will be persuasive) by including the main textual evidence you will cite.

Or you could revise this idea to discuss how cultural expectations play a role in this kind of rivalry and unhealthy competition. See the CRP Example for something like that.

If it helps, you can think of these components as part of a formula.

Let X be the story and some particular feature of it.

Let Y be the theme you are arguing.

Instead of an equal sign, we insert a verb that expresses the relationship between X and Y:

(=) illustrates, shows, portrays, dramatizes, suggests (etc.)

In this example:

Let X be the elder sisters’ resentment toward Beauty.

Let Y be how sibling rivalry can be caused by competition for mates.

Notice in the example below how this process creates an arguable claim.

(X) The elder sisters’ resentment toward Beauty in “Beauty and the Beast”

(Y) how sibling rivalry can be caused by competition for mates.

ARGUMENT PARAGRAPHS

• Support the claim with argument paragraphs.
• How many you need is up to you, but generally at least two, in some cases three or four.
• Begin EVERY argument paragraph with a TOPIC SENTENCE
• The topic sentence is like a mini-claim, the paragraph’s claim
• Tells me what you’ll argue in this paragraph
• And tells or shows how this point supports the main claim.
• Support the topic sentence with textual evidence and analysis
• Quotations and your analysis of them.
• See the Quotation Sandwich document for guidance.
• Vary the verbs you use to incorporate quotations into your sentences. DO NOT use the words “says,” “states,” or “writes” (or any forms of these verbs). See the document titled “Effective Verbs for Introducing Quotations in Canvas for many possible verbs that you may use.
• Use transitional terms—also called “signposts”—to show the relationships from one point to the next and from one paragraph to the next. The internet is full of lists of transitional terms. Here’s one good source: Transition Words.

CONFUTATION

Confutation makes an argument stronger by dealing with opposing points and evidence.

• Confutation includes the following parts:
• Presenting opposition fairly (opposing claims or ideas)

Remember that the opposition must not be a “straw man.” That is, you must engage with something that a careful reader would actually argue, not a simplistic, obviously erroneous reading.

Some readers might argue that the sisters are not abusive toward Beauty.

This example is a straw man statement. No one would seriously argue this point because the sisters actually plot to get Beauty killed, and what could be more abusive than that?

• Refuting the opposition: showing how it is incorrect or at least as correct as your reading.
• Directly after the introduction
• o Directly before the conclusion
• o As part of the conclusion
• o Within paragraphs, to deal with possible alternative interpretations of your textual evidence.

Consider a confutation involving the fairy who appears at the end of “Beauty and the Beast” and what she does to Beauty’s sisters. That is, she punishes the two sisters for their bad behavior. Some readers see this as fair because those mean girls get what’s coming to them. But others see it as a missed opportunity to promote sisterhood among all three of the girls. Here are examples of how to write these points as a complete confutation.

State the opposition, as fairly as possible: When the fairy punishes the two sisters for their bad behavior, some readers see this extreme punishment as fair because those mean girls finally get what is coming to them.

Refute the opposition: But by imposing this punishment, the fairy misses a chance to promote sisterhood among all three of the girls. But if she has such powerful magic, that she can turn young women to stone, shouldn’t she be able to teach them to love each other instead?

This refutation includes a rhetorical question; it is not meant for you to answer, but to leave the reader thinking about your ideas. You are not required to pose your refutation as a question; this is just one way to write your refutation.

What do you do with a conclusion? Do not just restate your claim, even if you change some of the wording. That’s not worth your reader’s time. So what is worth your reader’s time?

• A kind of wrap-up: What’s the point of this argument? What has been learned here and why does it matter? What do you want you and your reader to have learned or created together?
• And why is this important? Does it apply to real life now? How?
• Certainly the spirit of your claim will be here. But not just your claim reworded.
• o Because you’ve just been feeding it and exercising it,
• o So now it’s bigger and more interesting.
• o So you should be able to talk it about it with greater complexity and authority. Don’t go crazy and add new ideas—remember you’re wrapping things up.
• Confutation as Conclusion: You may be able to write a conclusion that includes confutation. Why might this be a useful strategy? Why might it be problematic?

Understanding the difference between claim and conclusion

• the conclusion is similar to the claim
• and yet more detailed and complete in meaning.
• Notice the relationship between the CLAIM and the Conclusion in this example:

The story of “The Frog King, or Iron Henry” illustrates and even promotes the importance of consent in relationships.

In this way, the story highlights the importance of understanding and respecting the value of consent. This tale teaches readers to stand up for themselves and refuse to give in to situations that will clearly cause discomfort or danger.

Keep this guidance and these examples handy as you draft your essay, and remember that I’m happy to answer questions and review drafts within the time constraints announced in class.

Introduction to Literature Copyright © by Judy Young is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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5.7: Sample Response Essays

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• Page ID 92549

• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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• Sample response paper "Spread Feminism, Not Germs" accessible version with notes in parentheses     
• Sample response paper "Typography and Identity" in PDF with margin notes  
• Sample response paper "Typography and Identity" accessible version with notes in parentheses