In this lesson, students will practice analyzing a literary work and recording their findings in a group composition. At the end of this lesson, students are going to:
- list the literary elements—such as characterization, setting, plot, and theme—that are employed in a specific selection.
- examine the relationships between the character, setting, plot, and theme.
- provide proof from a piece of literature to back up your thesis.
- write a group composition with multiple paragraphs outlining their analysis.
- provide pertinent, well-focused content in a written essay.
- reiterate the analysis's main points in the opening and conclusion.
- revise the practice analysis as a group using the knowledge and experience gained.

- What effects do language conventions and grammar have on written and spoken communication?
- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe?
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers?
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response?
- What is the objective?
- What is the actual topic of this text?
- What makes writing clear and effective?
- What will appeal to the audience the most?
- Who is the target audience?
- Why do authors write?

- Analysis: The process or result of identifying the parts of a whole and their relationships to one another. 
- Characterization: The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various personalities. 
- Climax: The turning point in a narrative; the moment when the conflict is at its most intense. Typically, the structure of stories, novels, and plays is one of rising action, in which tension builds to the climax. 
- Conflict/Problem: A struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions. 
- Literary Elements: The essential techniques used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme). 
- Plot: The structure of a story. The sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The structure often includes the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating what is called conflict. 
- Resolution: The portion of a story following the climax, in which the conflict is resolved. The resolution of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is neatly summed up in the following sentence: “Henry and - Catherine were married, the bells rang, and everybody smiled.” 
- Rising Action: The part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated. Rising action leads up to the climax, or turning point. 
- Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds. 
- Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. 
- Thesis: The basic argument advanced by a speaker or writer who then attempts to prove it; the subject or major argument of a speech or composition. 
- Transitions: Words and phrases that create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

- copies of Literary Analysis Notes (LW-8-1-2_Literary Analysis Notes) for each student
- a board, large screen, or easel with a large drawing pad to put up examples, student responses
- a pad of large sheets of chart paper, several sheets for each group
- a set of markers for each group
- copies for each student of the short story “The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner. The Saturday Review of Literature, 1941. http://my.hrw.com/support/hos/hostpdf/host_text_103.pdf 
- copies for each student of Writing Transitions from Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/574/ 

- Practice the process of analyzing a story as much as possible throughout the lesson. Observe the work that each student does as they work independently to identify the story elements so that you can help those who are struggling.
- Visit each group to address concerns and offer assistance as they strive to agree upon the primary plot points and a thesis statement.
- Determine instances of both strength and weakness by going through the gathered first drafts.
- Ask the class to choose the best opening paragraph, the best way to present the evidence, and the best conclusion during the discussion when groups are reviewing the drafts. Then, talk about why these choices are productive.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement 
W: The purpose of this student activity is to practice literary analysis to be ready to write an analysis of an independent reading book at the end of the unit. 
H: As they examine the narrative and create and edit a group analysis, students actively engage in group discussions. 
E: To give each person the group's support, students analyze the story collectively in groups. They combine their knowledge to create the drafts, and they assess the strength of their analysis by contrasting their work with that of others. 
R: Following a review of their peers' work, students can make changes to their group analysis. 
E: Students compare their ideas with those of other group members and then with those of other groups on multiple occasions when working in their groups. After reading through each other's analyses and getting feedback on their initial drafts, the groups edit their analyses. 
T: Students have class discussions and small-group discussions. Individual attention-seeking students can schedule a separate meeting with the instructor. 
O: Building on the last lesson, this one gets students ready to use the literary analysis method in their reading. This lesson uses an iterative approach where students can revise their work and receive feedback on their drafts of it. 

Main Question: What is the process for writing a literary analysis?

"Today, we'll practice analyzing a literary work. In a group composition, you will finally document your analysis. You will all use the knowledge you have gained to write an analysis of a book or story you have already read in the upcoming lesson."

Inform students that they will read "The Dinner Party," a 1941 short story and that they should apply the same methodology as they did for "The Three Little Pigs." This time, they will complete the analysis's initial step independently. Tell them the story out loud while you do it (you could even use a big screen). "In the previous lesson, we discussed 'The Three Little Pigs.' We discussed the theme, plotted the story, determined the setting, and listed and detailed the key characters. For "The Dinner Party," you will follow the same procedure." Give students the Literary Analysis Notes (LW-8-1-2_Literary Analysis Notes) and give them ten to fifteen minutes to:

Determine the primary characters and a salient feature of each, drawing from the text's evidence. Observant, quick-witted, and composed Mrs. Wynnes, an opinionated colonel, an American naturalist, and a determined, spirited young girl are some examples of possible student responses.

Graph the plot. (Some potential student responses: exposition: an Indian dinner party in a room with a veranda; rising action: the naturalist notices a cobra in the room and examines it, discovering it is under the table. He asks everyone to remain motionless while he counts to 300, and they comply. The colonel and a young girl argue about whether women can exercise self-control in a crisis. Mrs. W. places a bowl of milk outside the open dining room doors; Climax: the cobra emerges from beneath the table and moves toward the milk; Falling action: the naturalist asks Mrs. W. how she knew there was a cobra in the room, and they shut the doors against it. Mr. W. concludes that the colonel was correct; Resolution: she responds that it was crawling across her foot, so she knew.)

Identify the setting (for example, in India, a large dining room with doors opening onto a veranda during a large dinner party).

Determine a theme and write a thesis statement. (Some potential student responses: Generalizations are risky; gender has no bearing on one's ability to exercise self-control in an emergency; the best way to handle a crisis is to remain calm.)

Move around the classroom while the students are writing, offering assistance where necessary. If students finish early, go over their work and give prompt feedback. Say, "Now you will get into groups and discuss your findings," when the students have finished. Discuss any differences that may exist." Once the groups have reached a consensus, assign one group to present each element.

After the presentation, have the groups choose a thesis statement that can be applied to the story's analysis. (Examples: The plot's progression depends on the setting/ Mrs. Wynnes's self-control shapes the plot / The story's plot is dictated by the American naturalist's acute observational abilities.)

Once they've decided on a thesis statement, ask them to enumerate the evidence that supports it. Remind them that they most likely need a new thesis statement if they are unable to locate sufficient evidence. Ask them to come see you if they run into any issues.

As soon as they are prepared, have each group give a presentation that includes a thesis statement and a list of references. (Everyone in the group should take part in the unofficial presentation.) Next, find out which thesis statement they believe to be the strongest. Discuss it once more, focusing on its strong points.

"You will now collaborate as a group to write an analysis. You can use the thesis statement and supporting details that we just covered as a good example, or you can choose a different one; just make sure to discuss it with me before you start writing." As long as you are positive that each group is working toward a feasible goal, it doesn't matter if they all employ the same thesis and supporting data or if they don't. Before students move on to the next section, give your approval to all thesis statements to avoid wasting their time.

Identify the key elements that they must cover in their analysis. The following italicized phrases need to be written out for the class to see. Students can use the remaining text to clarify what needs to be included in each section of the paper.

It is important to include the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph, which should serve as an introduction to the remainder of the discussion. Give the reader a preview of what to expect by including the short story's title, the author's name, and some background information.

The body of the paper will consist of multiple paragraphs that will present the evidence in support of the thesis statement. The thesis will determine how the evidence is arranged.

For example, if the analysis's main focus is on how the American naturalist's keen observation drives the plot, the opening paragraph of the evidence could discuss how this ability influences the rising action, specifically his first take on Mrs. Wynnes and his realization that the bowl of milk indicates the presence of a cobra.

The evidence in the next paragraph could show how his ability heightens the action as he looks around the room and discovers that the cobra is under the table, forcing him to hold the others motionless until the cobra emerges, which will create the climax.

The story's initial conflict about self-control could be resolved in the final paragraph(s) of evidence by connecting the naturalist's observation of the opening argument to his question to Mrs. Wynnes about how she became aware of the cobra's presence in the room.

Even though the analysis's final paragraph only consists of two sentences, it still needs to restate the thesis statement. A well-written conclusion should be the goal of the last paragraph. The other guests and readers would have assumed that the story merely provided a clear illustration of a man's composure in a dire situation if the naturalist had not questioned Mrs. Wynnes about how she knew the cobra was there. His perceptive query flips the narrative and illustrates a woman's silent, steely self-control.)

Remind students that there should be two or more main points of evidence supporting the thesis statement in the body of the analysis, along with an explanation of the significance of each point. Keep in mind that the amount of evidence supporting a given thesis will determine how many paragraphs are needed in an analysis. Additionally, let them know that every piece of evidence they provide must bolster the thesis.

Before the groups begin, make sure to assign tasks to each student. This will lessen the chance of one person in the group doing all the work. Each student may be in charge of one of the paragraphs, depending on the size of the groups. Make sure everyone is contributing by going around the room while the groups are working. Help the group divide up the assignments if you notice that one student is doing all of the work. After they are completed, gather the drafts and offer feedback. Determine the drafts that need significant revision and which ones are strong. If necessary, go over weak points with the entire class.

Instruct each group to edit their paper in light of your suggestions. To improve the flow between sentences and paragraphs, now would be a good time to have a quick lesson on transitions. "Consider the transitions you have used to connect your sentences and paragraphs as you edit your papers. Your paper will flow better with the use of transitional words and phrases." Ask students to share any transitions they have used in their papers, if at all possible. Distribute copies of Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) vocabulary and expressions, which can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/574/.

Upon conducting a peer review, say, "Now that every group has produced an analysis of 'The Dinner Party,' it is appropriate to exchange essays and allow other groups to peruse them. Decide which paper has the best introduction, the best evidence presentation, and the best conclusion as we read the essays from each group. We'll talk about the papers you think work best once you've read them all." After this unit, distribute copies of the sample rubric for a literary analysis paper. Inform them that their final analyses will be assessed using this rubric, and demonstrate its application to determine which group drafts contain the strongest sections. Plan the review so that every group gets a chance to read every analysis. When they're done, talk about which essays have strong writing. Lastly, ask the groups to edit and gather their drafts so you can assess their understanding of what makes a quality analysis. If required, review.

Instruct students to bring a previously read novel or short story to the following class.

Language Skills Mini-Lesson

Spend ten minutes using "The Dinner Party" to demonstrate how to properly use a dash to denote a break in thought. Ensure that every student has a copy of the story, or has it displayed for the class to read. "Let's quickly review some instances from "The Dinner Party" where the writer appropriately used dashes to indicate a break in ideas before we wrapped up this lesson. As you can see, Mona Gardner employed a lot of dashes in "The Dinner Party."

"Let's examine the illustration from the opening paragraph. Which idea does the dash highlight?" (Dashes surround the list of diners.)

"Now locate the three dash examples from the sixth paragraph. In the sentences, which ideas do they distinguish from the others? Record your responses in written form." After making sure the students have written their responses, assign them to a partner meeting. Give students a few minutes to brainstorm and compose. After that, invite students to present their responses to the class.

"The use of dashes is consistent throughout all three sentences. In the first example, 'milk in a bowl means only one thing in India.' The author then employs a dash to suggest that she will now go into detail about the "one thing"—"bait for a snake." The dash creates a break, which helps to emphasize the way the milk is used.

"Look at the final sentence in the sixth paragraph now. After scanning the space, the character hasn't been able to find any snakes. 'There's only one place left—' reads the sentence. Next, the dash gets us ready to discover where the "one place" is—"under the table." Once more, take note of how the dash breaks the image and highlights the unexpected possibility that there is a snake under the table.

"In these sentences, I'm writing, please correctly insert a dash."

1. As soon as he cracked open the box, he realized he had just received the greatest gift ever a basketball!
2. Shana questioned who would do such a thing and for what reason.
3. In the United States, developing alternative energy any energy source that doesn't rely on fossil fuels has taken precedence.
4. If he could go whenever he wanted he'd change his clothes first.

Gather the students' dashed sentences to wrap up the class.

Please remind students to bring a previously read novel or short story to class the following day.

Extension:

For review, you can work with students who might find it challenging to write a draft in a group setting. Use the same story, but pick a different thesis statement; after that, have them compile a list of pertinent references and edit a draft of the paper.