character analysis : Sarai – when we make it by Elisabet Velasquez compare it to Juliet takes a breath by gabby rivera

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS. Failure to adhere to the requirements will decrease your final grade.

• MINIMUM 4 pages (6 pages maximum)

• Must include a works cited page

• 1 Primary Source

• 2 Secondary Sources (minimum)

• MLA format

• Includes MLA Heading and Works Cited Page

• 12 point Times New Roman font

• double spaced | NO space between paragraphs

• Paper has a title “Elaine from Brownsville Bred Character Analysis Essay,” or a creative title of my own. (Note: Your title should not be in quotation marks.)

• Paper has been submitted as a PDF or Word Doc on Blackboard. Paper has been carefully proofread.

• Quotes have been checked for formatting.

• EVERY SINGLE QUOTE IN THE PAPER HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO OWN WRITING.

Character Analysis

Select ONE character and write a character analysis essay. You will focus on ONE character and then compare her to another character from another story. 

• Pequena – We Are Not From Here

• Sarai – When We Make It 

• Juliet – Juliet Takes a Breath

The character analysis essay can be easily divided into three parts. Exploring the character from these three perspectives will help you write an exemplary essay. A strong character analysis will:

1. evaluate character’s traits / identify the type of character / describe the character

2. Identify their role in the story

3. discuss the conflicts they experience in the story, particularly in regards to the character’s place in it.

Essay Format / Outline

Introduction (1/2 page) 

• Begin the paper with a general statement about the novel.

• Introduce the character you are analyzing. 

• Transition into thesis statement.

• Thesis statement is the final sentence in the introduction paragraph.

Body Paragraphs (3 – 4 pages) for example (you will probably need MORE than 3 body paragraphs). This is just an EXAMPLE on how to structure your essay.

• BP 1: Evaluate character’s traits / identify the type of character / describe the character

• BP 2: Identify their role in the story

• BP 3: Discuss the conflicts they experience in the story, particularly in regards to the character’s place in it.

• BP 4: Compare/Contrast them to another character from any other reading from the semester

• BP 5: Connect character and/or plot to the 4 wounds of Latinx  (see reading in Course Materials)

• BP 6: How does YOUR character defy the myth of the latin woman? 

Other body paragraphs may also include discussion re: the heroine’s journey, themes, symbolisms, stereotypes.

Conclusion (1/2 page)

• The conclusion begins with a restated (not copied) thesis.

• DO NOT bring up any new points 

• DO NOT include quotes

• The paper ends with a thought-provoking statement. 

The purpose of a literary/character analysis essay is to carefully examine and sometimes evaluate a work of literature or an aspect (character) of a work of literature. This will require you to break the subject down into its component parts. Examining the different elements of a piece of literature will help you better appreciate and understand the work of literature as a whole.

REMEMBER: Writing ultimately boils down to the development of an idea. Your objective in writing a literary analysis essay is to convince the person reading your essay that you have supported the idea you are developing.

Therefore, your essay must have a THESIS (central idea), it must have several body paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central idea, and everything in it must be directly related to your THESIS and must contribute to the reader’s understanding of that central idea. 

These three principles are listed again below:

1. Your essay must cover the topic you are writing about.

2. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development.

3. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s understanding of the central idea.

THE ELEMENTS OF A SOLID ESSAY

1. The Thesis Statement. This  tells your reader what to expect: it is a restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay — the point you are trying to make. Typically, the thesis statement falls at the end of your introductory paragraph.

2. The Introduction. The introduction to your literary analysis essay should try to capture your reader‟s interest. To bring immediate focus to your subject, you may want to use a quotation, a provocative question, a brief anecdote, a startling statement, or a combination of these.

3. The Body of the Essay and the Importance of Topic Sentences The term regularly used for the development of the central idea of a literary analysis essay is the body. 

1. In this section you present the paragraphs (at least 3 paragraphs for a 500-750 word essay) that support your thesis statement. Good literary analysis essays contain an explanation of your ideas and evidence from the text (short story, poem, play) that supports those ideas.

2. Textual evidence consists of summary, paraphrase, specific details, and direct quotations. 

3. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence (usually the first sentence of the paragraph) which states one of the topics associated with your thesis, combined with some assertion about how the topic will support the central idea. 

4. The purpose of the topic sentence is twofold: 1. To relate the details of the paragraph to your thesis statement. 2. To tie the details of the paragraph together.

The Conclusion Your literary analysis essay should have a concluding paragraph that gives your essay a sense of completeness and lets your readers know that they have come to the end of your paper. Your concluding paragraph might restate the thesis in different words, summarize the main points you have made, or make a relevant comment about the literary work you are analyzing, but from a different perspective. Do not introduce a new topic in your conclusion.