Literary Introduction Samples
The “Skinny” on Writing Awesome Literary Analysis Introductions
INTRODUCTION: Remember the old adage, “You never have a second chance to make a good first impression.” A good introduction will usually include the following components:
1. HOOK: Should capture the reader’s attention and draw her into the topic. Here are some effective approaches:
• use a startling quote or shocking statistic that relates to the main idea of your essay
• ask a provocative question or make a provocative statement
• give an incident or anecdote (brief story) that relates to the topic
• set a detailed scene
• refute a commonly held “truth”; ie. “It is good to die for one’s country.”
• state a series of facts
• a brief personal narrative
• a famous quotation; ie. John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
Sample Hook 1 : “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive” is an adage whose truth is as relevant today as it was when it was first coined. Simply put, lies beget lies. Who hasn’t been in a situation in which one convenient lie creates a sequence of other inconvenient half-truths and deceptions? Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible, creates such a situation. . . . .
Sample Hook 2: So what do the Salem witch trials and the Patriot Act have in common? They are both examples of what happens when a society allows fear and a need for security to supercede individual freedom. Arthur Miller, in his play The Crucible, . . . .
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The amount of information the writer gives in this section of the introduction will be contingent upon what the reader needs to know. If the literary piece deals with a particular historical period or event, sometimes it’s appropriate to give a little background information. Here are some possible approaches:
3. INTRODUCE AUTHOR AND TITLE OF WORK
4. THESIS: After you’ve transitioned from the presenting of the controversy, clearly, succinctly and directly state your claim. The thesis should establish or foreshadow the order of the ideas to be presented in the essay body.
Literary Introduction Samples
1. Neighbors discover they are twins separated at birth. A soldier moves from his position seconds before a deadly grenade explodes there. George Washington himself is said to have been saved from death in the French and Indian War when a bullet struck his bible which was hidden inside the pocket of his shirt. While talk shows thrive on this type of discussion, the odds of such a coincidence actually happening are infinitesimally small. As a result, if it is to reflect life accurately, a novel should limit nonsensical improbabilities. Charles Dickens, an author renown for his realistic depiction of poverty in Victorian England, is considered to be one of the world’s first literary Realists. His novel, A Tale of Two Cities, is an exciting story of the French Revolution that brings to light many of the social problems inherent in both British and French society. Unfortunately, however, in this work Dickens incorporates a number of implausible coincidences that flaw the novel’s structure, lend an almost ridiculous air and detract from the social criticism.
2. Aristotle defined tragedy as a work in which the protagonist, a person of “high estate,”must fall from power and from happiness because of his own personal flaw or weakness. This character must be a noble, well-respected person whose downfall is caused directly by his weakness, or his tragic flaw. Although it seems as though a tragedy would be fairly easy to distinguish from other plays, many dramatic critics argue as to whether certain Shakespearean tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth, are indeed tragedies in the true sense of the definition. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar has long been considered a tragedy; however, it clearly does not appear to meet the requirements Aristotle established. Critics disagree over who is the tragic hero: Brutus or Caesar? Although both men meet tragic ends and are at times somewhat heroic, neither character meets the criteria for a true tragic hero.
3. The evil queen of Snow White, the evil step-mother of Cinderella, the big bad wolf of Little Red Riding Hood----such frightful, hateful fairy tale characters have induced absolute fear in the hearts of children for centuries with their deceptive trickery, magical potions, and vicious desire for revenge. These figures are utterly stereotypical and one-dimensional, but somehow they always manage to entrance us as well as horrify us each time we hear their story. In 1904, however, a playwright and author named J.M. Barrie did something exceptional: he decided to change the cardboard villain. He wrote the play Peter Pan, the story of the boy who would not grow up. Thus began a most enchanting adventure through western culture. What makes Barrie’s fairy tale unique to others is its psychological complexity and presentation of the intricacies of the human psyche. Contrary to the traditionally flat villainous characters of other fairy tales, the character of Captain James Hook in Peter Pan is multi-dimensional and reveals much about our very human fears of growing old.
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