Literary Commentary and Essay Writing Tips

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Explain the title. In what way is it suitable to the story?

What is the predominant element in the story plot, theme, character, setting?
Who is the single main character about whom the story centers?
What sort of conflict confronts the leading character or characters?
a. external?
b. internal?
How is the conflict resolved?
How does the author handle characterization?
a. by description?
b. conversation of the characters?
c. actions of the characters?
d. combination of these methods?
Who tells the story? What point of view is used?
a. first person?
b. omniscient?
Where does the primary action take place?
What is the time setting for the action? Period of history? Season? Time of day?
How much time does the story cover?
a. a few minutes?
b. a lifetime?
c. how long?
How does the story get started? What is the initial incident?
Briefly describe the rising action of the story.
What is the high point, or climax, of the story?
Discuss the failing action or close of the story.
Does this story create any special mood?
Is this story realistic or true to life? Explain your answers by giving examples.
Are the events or incidents of the plot presented in flashback or in chronological order?
Was the selection written as a short story or is it a condensation or excerpt? Is it taken from a
collection of stories?
What is the general theme of the story? What is the underlying theme? Can you name any
other stories with a similar theme?
Did you identify with any of the characters?
Does this story contain any of the following elements?
a. symbolism?
b. incongruity?
c. suspense?
d. surprise ending?
e. irony?
f. satire?
Was there a villain in the story? A hero? A dynamic character?
Can you find any examples of figurative language?
a. simile?
b. metaphor?
c. personification?
Does the story contain a single effect or impression for the reader? If so, what?
Name one major personality trait of each leading character, and tell how the author makes
the reader conscious of this trait.
Does the story have a moral? If not, what do you think the purpose of the author was?

The Excerpt Commentary

Step 1. Read the passage carefully at least 2 times.

Step 2. Identify the whole and the part.

a. Try to identify the nature of the whole: what kind of work?
-Fiction? Non-fiction? Type, purpose, audience?
b. Try to assess the function of THIS part.
-What is this excerpt doing on its own? What about in the whole (if the whole
is known)?
Step 3. Go through your CLOSE READING questions:
WHO
TO WHOM?
WHAT? WHY?
WHERE? WHY?
HOW?
PATTERNS?
TENSION?
SO WHAT?

is speaking? Narrator or character description of either

audience or character description, treatment by the
speaker
Situation, purpose
Setting, purpose
Tone, style, diction
Structure, form, repetition
Contrasts, conflicts, ironies
Dominant effect of the above; the implications; the
importance

Step 4. Organizing your close reading questions.

Ask this so what question for each answer you came up with above. If you
find a particular repetition in your answers to this question, that is your dominant
effect and should be the focus of your essay.
Step 5. The implications of your dominant effect.
Again ask the so what question, but this time about your dominant effect.
In other words, I have just decided that 3 particular techniques are being used in
this excerpt creating a particular effect. How does that effect inform a reading of the
text as a whole?

Step 6. Composing the commentary.

Use steps 4 and 5 to create your thesis statement. Select relevant details of
evidence to support your argument and to include in your commentary. Your
commentary does not need to have such an extreme point of tension as an essay,
however it should still be focused and precise. Be sure to include no detail without
relating it to your thesis and that details specific effect and place in the whole.
Organize your commentary in any way that suits your argument, but let the
passage and your thesis statement guide you in shaping your commentary. There is
no one formula.
Caveat: This is an exploration and not a Watch me, Mom! display of all you know,
so make sure that you remain focused.
Consider These Thesis Formats:
Note how in each example, the thesis statement addresses 3 things: the specific
literary techniques used, the dominant/direct effects of the techniques, and the
larger implications/importance.
*[Author] uses literary techniques X, Y, and Z in this excerpt from [the work] in
order to [fill in the blank]. The implications of this are.
Or
*This excerpt from [the work] [implies and contributes. to the whole] through its
use of [fill in the blank], which is created by the authors use of literary techniques X,
Y, and Z.
Or
*[Author] uses literary techniques X and Y to [fill in the blank] and literary
technique Z to [fill in the blank], both of which inform/imply/contribute to
[particular theme of the whole work].
Example from Kafka: (Though this thesis does not pertain necessarily to a specific
excerpt from The Metamorphosis, but rather the whole, it should give you a sense of
the format of the thesis.)
In The Metamorphosis, Kafka creates a dream-like atmosphere for both his protagonist and
the reader through constant references to individual characters dreams, a distorted sense of
time, progressively hazy imagery, and a use of symbolism reminiscent of Interpretation of
Dreams. By creating this dream-like atmosphere Kafka is not only able to address the
constant dream-like haze through which Gregor has been living his life, both pre-and posttransformation, but also, in true expressionistic form, he enables the reader to feel and
experience the dream as well.

Five Ways of Looking At a Thesis (By Eric Simpson)

1.

A thesis says something a little strange.

A: By telling the story of Westley and Buttercup's triumph over evil, The Princess Bride
affirms the power of true love.
B: Although the main plot of The Princess Bride rests on the natural power of true love, an
examination of the way that fighting sticks (baseball bats, tree branches, and swords) link
the frame story to the romance plot suggests that the grandson is being trained in true love,
which is not natural but socialized.
Both of these statements, I would contend, are perfectly correct. Only the second one says
something, well, weird. Weird is good. Sentence A encourages the paper to produce precisely
the evidence that everybody always talks about in The Princess Bride; sentence B ensures
that the paper will talk about something new.
Women are oppressed in Maria. Frankenstein warns society against taking science too far.
The creature starts out good and becomes bad because of society. Yup. How can you make
those things unusual or interesting?
Many good papers start by pointing out something that seems not to make sense and then
making sense of it.

2.

A thesis creates an argument that builds from one point to the next.
A: The Rules and Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey both tell women how to act.
B: By looking at The Rules, a modern conduct book for women, we can see how Jane
Austen's Northanger Abbey is itself like a conduct book, questioning the rules for social
success in her society and offering a new model.
This applies mostly to comparison/contrast papers. If the components of your argument can
be rearranged without changing the thesis, your thesis has a problem.

3.

A thesis fits comfortably into the Magic Thesis Sentence (MTS).

The MTS:
By looking at _____, we can see _____, which most readers don't see; this is important
because _____.
Try it out with the above examples. I think it will please you.

4.

A thesis says something about the text(s) you discuss exclusively.

Back to the first example:

A: By telling the story of Westley and Buttercup's triumph over evil, The Princess Bride
affirms the power of true love.
B: Although the main plot of The Princess Bride rests on the natural power of true love, an
examination of the way that fighting sticks (baseball bats, tree branches, and swords) link
the frame story to the romance plot suggests that the grandson is being trained in true love,
which is not natural but socialized.
Try substituting other works:
A: By telling the story of Darcy and Elizabeth's triumph over evil, Pride and Prejudice
affirms the power of true love.
Sure. Bad sign.
B: Although the main plot of Pride and Prejudice rests on the natural power of true love, an
examination of the way that fighting sticks (baseball bats, tree branches, and swords) link
the frame story to the romance plot suggests that the grandson is being trained in true love,
which is not natural but socialized.
Um, nope. Good sign.
5.

A thesis makes a lot of information irrelevant.

One more time (so sue me, I like this example):
A: By telling the story of Westley and Buttercup's triumph over evil, The Princess Bride
affirms the power of true love.
A plot summary of The Princess Bride would support this thesis. Bad sign. A strong thesis
excludes most of the text in order to make a specific claim.
B: Although the main plot of The Princess Bride rests on the natural power of true love, an
examination of the way that fighting sticks (baseball bats, tree branches, and swords) link
the frame story to the romance plot suggests that the grandson is being trained in true love,
which is not natural but socialized.
This excludes most of the text. Good sign. Your reader knows precisely which parts of it
you'll be talking about and why.

IB Commentary and Essay Editing

Peer Review

1. What is the thesis?

2. What literary techniques does the commentary address?
3. Is the commentary organized into main points? If so, what are they?
4. What support and examples does the commentary provide for each point?
5. What points of support might you have used to make this argument that the writer
did not use?
6. Are paragraphs organized logically, each with a topic sentence?
7. Do sentences flow naturally from one another?
8. Are the language, terms, and arguments used precise and specific? Explain.
9. Does the writer address the larger implications of hi/her thesis? What are they?
10. Is the conclusion effective? Explain
11. What does the commentary do especially well?
12. What is the weakest part of the commentary?