Literary analysis outline template
Thesis: Place thesis statement here.
I.
Main idea one (use your wording to show clear tie from this main idea back to your thesis)
(topic sentence of what will be paragraph 2)
a. Generally state how literary moment one proves your main idea I.
i. State literary moment one. (You do nothing in this sentence except show us that
this event did really happen in the text by using a blend of summarized plot and
quoted word/ phrase)
ii. Specifically explain what literary moment one shows and how that ties to your
main idea.
b. Generally state literary moment two’s proving your main idea I.
i. Literary moment two (different part of the play or different evidence from the
same scene)
ii. Specific explanation of moment two’s proving main idea I.
II.
Main idea two (topic sentence of what will be paragraph 3)
a. General summarization of point you will make
i. Show evidence (Lit. moment 3)
ii. Explain to make your point
b. General summarization of point you will make
i.
Show evidence (Lit. moment 4)
ii.
Explain to make your point
III.
Main idea three (topic sentence of what will be paragraph 4)
a. General summarization of point you will make
i. Show evidence (Lit. moment 5)
ii. Explain to make your point
b. General summarization of point you will make
i.
Show evidence (Lit. moment 6)
ii.
Explain to make your point
Restated thesis (same idea, different words)(first sentence of concluding paragraph):
*You should have one complete sentence for each point in this outline: no more and no less.
*Quotes need to include in-text citations
Helpful Brainstorming Sheet
My chosen paper topic: __________________________________________
Book quote 1 (pg. #, line #):
Reason 1:
Book quote 2:
Book quote 1 (pg. #, line #):
Reason 2:
Book quote 2:
Book quote 1 (pg. #, line #):
Reason 3:
Book quote 2:
Other ideas/ quotes I like and might use:
Your turn:
Write your basic ideas here until you are ready to submit your essay outline (in this format) online
Thesis: ______________________________________________________________________________.
I.
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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b. _______________________________________________________________________.
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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II.
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a. _______________________________________________________________________.
i. _________________________________________________________________
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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b. _______________________________________________________________________.
i. _________________________________________________________________
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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III.
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a. _______________________________________________________________________.
i. _________________________________________________________________
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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b. _______________________________________________________________________.
i. _________________________________________________________________
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ii. _________________________________________________________________
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Restated thesis: ______________________________________________________________________.
Example of Sentence Outline: Student written
Thesis: The setting in H.G Wells’ Time Machine illustrates the theme of digression overtime.
I. The objects in the setting that the time traveler sees in future buildings show degeneration.
A. The setting descriptions of the inside of one of the future palaces insinuate wear and tear.
1. In the book, one palace has broken “stained-glass windows” in “many places” that are
left untreated (Wells 31).
2. The broken and unfixed architecture in the palace illustrates the sense of
degeneration.
B. Not only does the inside of the palace show declension but the décor of the palace as well.
1. The time traveler talks about old “Phoenician decorations” being “badly broken” and
“weather-worn” (Wells 30).
2. These untreated and deteriorating décor exclaims the natural decomposition of
possessions.
II. The absence of regular materials in the future showcases declension of regular everyday objects.
A. In the book, the time traveler explains that the future has no advance or even basic gadgets
that he can use of leisure or aid.
1. Before the time traveler ventures to the future, he assumes that the future will
“certainly be infinitely ahead” of his time “in all their appliances”, but he finds out that
his assumption was wrong (Wells 65).
2. H.G Wells uses this scene in the time traveler’s journey to the future to show the
absence of regular products, which illustrate the declination of luxuries in the future.
B. H.G. Wells also uses the deficiency of substances shown in the description of the setting in
the future to proclaim the idea of decomposition overtime.
1. As the time traveler searches for objects to help him in his struggles in the future, he
notices that he cannot find “nitrates of any kind” (Wells 80).
2. This absence of common compounds in the future setting suggests the theory of
deterioration.
III. The change in the setting as the time traveler progresses farther into the future shows the
decomposition of nature as well.
A. As the time traveler moves forward in time at a rapid pace, he saw the sun’s glow change.
1. The sun’s color turns from yellow to “red” and becomes “motionless upon the
horizon” unlike today (Wells 101).
2. The change in the sun’s appearance illustrates the decomposition of the star as time
passes on.
B. Critics also state that H.G. Wells showcases the idea of digression overtime.
1. One critic states that H.G. Wells lets his time traveler journey to see a “disturbing,
dying Earth” (Pierce 1).
2. The critic’s statement about the future setting showcases the idea of a decaying
world that H.G. Wells pushes the reader to understand in his book.
Restatement: In H.G. Wells’ Time Machine, the scenery describes the idea of declension overtime.
Wells, H.G. The Time Machine. New York: Random House Inc., 2003.
Pierce, Lonna. "The Time Machine." School Library Journal 60.1 (2014): 55. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 14 Mar. 2014.