How to write a critical literature essay?
The first thing to remember when writing about literature is that literature is a lot more than the story it tells. Good literature has a lot going on between the lines, good literature aims to stir emotions, awaken conscience, and very rarely spring up a revolt. Therefore, to summarize a text when asked to critically appreciate is a BAD IDEA!
The purpose of a critical appreciation is to bring out and discuss the not-so-in-your-face themes of the text, in short to demonstrate what is the purpose of the text. When reading a piece of literature it is best to analyze the ongoings, form your own opinion and then think about how the themes in the texts are linked with the world in a larger way. All this well help you see what the text aims to achieve and how it implements literary themes and action to achieve it. And this is the purpose of writing a critical review of a text – to analyze how and to what extend the text to able to achieve its purpose.
As an assignment help provider, here we’ve sketched the basic structure a critical piece about literature ought to follow:
How to write a critical literature essay?
Introduction
Let’s start with introducing the text. Ideally, you start with talking about the text title, it’s author, the time it was written in, what type of literature it falls into etc. With that you also write a thesis statement, i.e, the point of your analysis. it could be about the strengths and weaknesses of the text or about a certain theme of the text.
Introductions are important in the same way the beginning of a novel is important, it should excite the reader to read on, make them curious about what’s in store. So, make sure you write an electrifying introduction.
Summary
This section is all about the summary of your analysis, not the summary of the text. You spell out the basic points that you are going to be arguing about or discussing. Make sure the summary is precise and to the point, it need not be a rant that goes on and on.
Analysis
This is the main body of your essay, also the longest part. In this section you make the argument to prove your thesis. You should try to evaluate the author’s point of view, style and language of writing, what is he/she trying to convey and how successful is he/she. You also talk about how the characters are developed and if they stand for anything. Basically you discuss the themes, the characters, the literary style of the author, but the focus is your particular argument. Make sure you don’t digress from it.
Another thing you need to keep in mind while making your argument to substantiate it with examples from the text. You can use quotes from the text or use other accepted thesis about the text. Whatever you use, make sure you get the words right.
One tip that can help you in this section is that you have to assume that the reader knows what’s happening the the text, so you don’t have to go into that. What the reader wants to know from you is why it is happening and what’s your take on it.
Since this is the most crucial part of your essay, make sure you work out your argument well and in a structured manner. Let your argument unfold into the perfect ending.
Conclusion
Speaking of the perfect ending, we come to the last part of your thesis – the conclusion. This is where you sum up your argument and bring it to a close. Make sure you take a clear stand here. Again don’t summarize your argument but state why you stand with one side of the debate.
