How to Write an Essay for American Literature
A literature essay discusses various aspects of fiction so it requires a good understanding of the topic and proper knowledge of writing style. Most of the time these types of essays are assigned in educational institutes to enhance the students’ analytical skills and help them comprehend the complexity of the subject.
No matter if you are writing an essay on World, British or American literature, you will have to study the history, major events and society of that time to do justice with your topic. Moreover, perfect planning and execution is very important to write an effective essay on American literature.
Instructions
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1
First thing you need to do is to write down your thoughts while reading. Do not underestimate this rough work as this will really help you to construct a convincing argument. However, you do not need to write them in detail otherwise this process will affect your reading speed.
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After you are done with the reading/evaluation process, gather your notes and arrange them in a sequence. These will include all the observations, arguments and quotations. You will use this material in the main body of your essay.
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Now it is time to select a topic that you think is easy yet informative and unique for the readers. Check the list and if you have the option to choose the topic yourself then you can start working on topics like self-determination, freedom, capitalism etc. However, make sure you have enough data on the topic under discussion.
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Ask yourself what you want to achieve by writing this essay. This will help you to stay focused and you will be able to plan everything in much less time. Discuss with your teacher to cease any margin of confusion.
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Make a list of the points you want to discuss in your essay. Look for the evidence within the literature to make your case strong. You may include the actual piece of text but make sure it is relevant to your argument.
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Now start writing and divide your essay into three segments, the introduction, main body and conclusion. This division will not only help you to present your point of view correctly but your reader will also be able to go over all the points easily.
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In the introductory portion, you will define the topic and give brief explanation of your point of view. Remember, the basic purpose of this portion is to give your reader a basic idea about the essay.
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After giving the introduction, discuss your main points one by one. You should present just one argument in one paragraph and then move to next through well crafted transitional sentences.
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In the end, summarise your thesis in one or two paragraphs and repeat the key points of your essay.
