quick reference, and see Writing a Paragraph and Writing a Multi-Paragraph
Paper in Chapter 2, Writing, for detailed explanation and examples],
• include details from specific works to support general statements in the topic
or thesis sentence,
• enclose all direct quotations in quotation marks,
• paraphrase long passages when citing from the author’s works [see Chapter 32,
Paraphrase],
• show evidence of research, including documentation, particularly in a long
or complicated paper [see Chapter 34, Research Paper, for information on
documentation],
• follow a rather formal writing style, including the use of third-person point of
view [see point of view in the Glossary],
• use the present tense to discuss the work but the past tense to discuss the
literary or historical period or author’s background,
• conclude with a general statement about the author supported by the content
of the paper [see conclusion in the Glossary].PRoCESS
Use the following process to develop a literary analysis of an author.
STEP 1: Prewriting—Reading the Author
In order to write an analysis, the primary—and forever ongoing—demand is for a
careful reading and thorough understanding of the author’s work. If you have not
read all of it, then be certain that you have read at least all representative works. In
many cases, more than one reading may be necessary.
STEP 2: Prewriting—Doing Necessary Research
A lengthy paper may call for not only your own analysis but also that of others. Be
sure you understand what is expected of you. If research is part of the job, be thor-
ough in your examination of others’ evaluations. Your paper could, in fact, analyze
contrasting reactions to the author.
[If research is part of your task, see Chapter 34, Research Paper, for an explanation
of the research process, particularly note-taking and documentation. In addition, see
chapters 32 and 33 (Paraphrase and Précis), respectively.]
STEP 3: Prewriting—Narrowing the Subject
Writing a literary analysis of an author requires a thoughtful narrowing of the sub-
ject. You cannot say everything there is to say about any author in a short paper,
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