Step One – Reading, Observing, Reflecting, Thinking (1 ½ Weeks)
You will be given a full week to read your novel in class, and a few days beyond this to gather your thoughts. As you are reading, though, you must keep in mind that you will be doing a presentation on your novel, and the presentation will be THESIS BASED. Thus, you should be looking to develop an argument, and to gather evidence that supports that argument.
It is your job to discover what the novel “does” or “says” and how it “works” or “says it.” In deciding this:
- start by broadly considering two or three themes or motifs from the novel that you find interesting.
- then narrow your focus until you know precisely what it is that you wish to talk about.
- considerhow your idea relates to things like plot, character, setting, and the craft of writing.
Step Two – Developing a Thesis Statement (2 days)
Hammer out your thesis statement by coming up with an argument that is both provable with evidence from the novel, and debatable. As stated above, your thesis statement must make an argument about what your novel “does” or “says” and how it “works” or “says it.” Your thesis statement should look like this:
My novel shows that ______through the use of ______.
Or
Through the use of ______my novel shows that ______.
Before you tackle the thesis statement, we will again go over the finer details of thesis writing. I will review each thesis statement before you move on to the next step.
Step Three – Finding Evidence (4-5 Days)
Once your thesis is written, and your argument has been articulated, you will gather and organize direct evidence from the novel, which you will use to prove your thesis correct.
A. You will need to go through the book carefully and analyze:
1.events and circumstances (plot) to decide how they support your thesis.
2.characters andnarrative voice and the parts they play in supporting your thesis.
3.the ways in whichsettingand toneshed light on your thesis.
B. Consider the craft of writing and how it provides evidence for your thesis, looking at things like:
- word choice; literary devices; chapter divisions; syntax; point-of-view; etc.
C. Select at least five passages to be used as evidence in proving your thesis. You must be able to place your passages in a linear timeline (as the story is told) to express how your thesis is developed and reinforced as the novel progresses.
D. Select the passage best suited for a close reading that will allow you to unpack your thesis in detail with specific textual evidence, inference, and analysis.
Once you have considered the above, made observations, and taken notes on how your thesis is proven within the novel, synthesize your information. Discard information that does not support your thesis.
Step Four – Presentation Making (4-5 Days)
Consider how you are going to present your findings to the class. We will brainstorm some ideas and look at some examples. We will also review some tips on how to effectively present.
Your presentation must contain the following:
Thesis statement
5 quotations that work to prove your thesis.
A close reading of one passage that best demonstrates your thesis argument.
A clear explanation of how your thesis is developed (character, plot, setting, and craft of writing) in the novel.
Remember: Your goal, and your entire purpose, is to prove that your thesis is correct.