Two Suggested Outlines
- Introduction
- Body Paragraphs about literary elements
- Body Paragraphs about secondary sources
- Conclusion
- Works Cited
~Or~
- Introduction
- Body Paragraphs
- Literary elements
- Secondary source information
- Conclusion
- Works Cited
Considerations for Various Body Paragraphs:An optional biographical paragraph about the author, if the information is interesting and relevant. It should do one or more of the following:
- Connect the author’s biography to the context of the story.
- Connect the author’s biography to the setting of the story.
- Connect the author’s biography to the characters in the story.
A plot summary paragraph. It should do the following:
- Assume that the audience has read the story. The purpose of the plot summary paragraph is to remind the audience of important details.
- Focus on the key events in the story.
- Identify elements of plot, such as conflict, complication, climax, and conclusion.
Paragraphs about individual literary elements should include specific references to the primary source, and possibly to one or more secondary source (the critics and their ideas). Paragraphs about individual literary critics may do any of the following:
- Significance of the Title
- Setting
- Point of View and/or Narration
- Characters (could have more than one paragraph, based on different characters)
- Imagery and/or Symbolism (could have more than one paragraph, based on different symbols)
- Tone and/or Atmosphere
- Special Topics (such as witchcraft in “Young Goodman Brown” or the Charles Schmid case or the dedication to Bob Dylan in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”)
Critics with interesting perspectives, including:
- Critics whose ideas align with your own
- Critics with whom you disagree
- Critics who agree with each other
- Critics who disagree with each other
- A gap in the critical conversation (What are the critics NOT discussing and why is it important and/or interesting?)
