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Mary Had a Literature Paper to
Write…
The Tri-County Writing Center Help Sheet for
English 102, 201, 202, 205, 206, 208, & 209
So you’ve got the task of writing a literary analysis paper on a poem, short story, or story
that you have read in class. You might be wondering, “What on Earth am I going to
write this paper about?” This handout’s sole purpose in life is to help you with that.
STEP ONE: BRAINSTORMING
Think about the texts you’d like to write about. When we say “like to write
about,” that doesn’t mean that you had to love the story. Pick a story that provoked you
in some way. Did Roger Chillingworth in the Scarlet Letter really make you angry? Did
you find your eyes tearing up in Langston Hughes’s Salvation? Did Faulkner’s A Rose
for Emily feel creepy? Grab on to that reaction that you had and write your paper with
that in mind. To write a good literary analysis, you should have some initial thoughts that
you’d like to build on.
STEP TWO: PICKING THE APPROACH
A “close-reading” of a work is always an approach worth attempting when
writing a literary analysis paper, but that involves picking apart the story to an insane
level. An easier way to approach a literary analysis is to pick a school of thought from
the categories of literary criticism. Once you’ve picked which type of criticism that
you’re interested in working with, finding sources for your paper will be a lot easier.
Here we’ve used “Mary Had a Little Lamb” as an example (the sources are fake), but you
can find more explanations of these types of criticism in your textbook, online, and by
consulting your teacher or a librarian.
A Quick-Capsule Review of the Main Types of Literary Criticism
Historical (what context the text was written in)
“In the early 20th Century, it was not uncommon for children working on farms to bring
small animals, such as cats and dogs, to school (Keenan 5). However, to bring a lamb
to school, as Mary did, was a bit of a taboo, hence the children’s laughter at Mary.”
Feminist/Gender (gender plays a large role in the text)
“The indicative phrase “white as snow” that evokes the image of the lamb as a symbol
of purity and innocence – this is the image that the author is trying to persuade the
reader to believe – that the young girls, such as Mary, are innocent and pure”
(Lateralus).
Psychological (looking at the mental health of characters, etc.)
“The fact that the children laughed at Mary may indicate that her bringing the lamb to
school was a small issue of a bigger problem. Mary felt that she was “ostracized from
the average school children… and needed external support” (Jones 4-6).
TCTC Tutoring Center
July, 2007
Prepared by Erin McCoy
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A Quick-Capsule Review of the Main Types of Literary Criticism, Cont’d
Mythological & Archetypal (comparing text to popular/current ideas)
According to Dr. Justin Chancellor, Sarah Hale wrote this poem to deify a young
woman, Mary Stewart, whose actions inspired the verse. “[Hale] was enchanted with
the idea of a girl who could command animal behavior,” and wanted to understand the
juxtaposition of a seemingly average little girl and her uncanny ability to charm
animals, much like the Dog Whisperer in our contemporary folklore (Chancellor 789).
Reader Response (what you believe the writer is saying)
While many people believe that the lines “…so the teacher turned it out / but still it
lingered near” (Carey) indicate that the lamb had a loyalty to Mary, this behavior of the
lamb could also signify that the lamb was in servitude to the “cruel governess-style”
behavior of Mary (D’Amor 99).
Deconstruction (taking the text apart/ against the usual interpretation)
If Mary “loves the lamb, you know,” then why does she purposefully take the lamb to a
place where she knows it is unwelcome, unwanted (Carey)? Someone who truly loves
their companion animal would not subject it to taunting school children or allow it to be
cast outside, watching it’s “person” through a window and bleating in pain (Ænima 8)
More Assistance
SOURCES
Now that you’ve seen examples of how to tackle different readings of a text, do realize
that nearly every point that you make within the main body of your paper needs to be
backed up by sources.
TITLE
Also, another good idea to try is to name your paper (title) after you’ve finished writing
it. Good literary criticism papers often rely on creative titles that are usually two lines
long, with a colon separating the initial thought (your title) with the explanation of the
work (your academic title). An example for the deconstructive approach to “Mary Had a
Little Lamb” could be: “Animal Cruelty: How Mary Had a Little Lackey” or something
along those lines. Be creative!
WORKS CITED
Make sure that everything you’ve cited in your paper has a corresponding match in your
works cited. Do NOT put a source in your works cited that you didn’t use. If you
looked at several sources but did not use them, you have the option of creating a “works
consulted page,” which looks just like a works cited page but is labeled “works
consulted.” This is NOT MANDATORY.
Good Luck & Happy Writing!
TCTC Tutoring Center
July, 2007
Prepared by Erin McCoy