A.N.T.
Literary Analysis Introductions
To write a successful introduction, follow the A.N.T. technique!
A = Attention-Getter
N = Necessary Information
T = Thesis (a.k.a. Claim)
A = Attention-Getter: The first sentence or two should be an attention-getter. There
are many ways to write an attention-getter:
• Ask a question
• Use a relevant quote from the story itself or from somewhere else
• Use a fact or statistic
• Use an anecdote (a short story that illustrates a point)
N = Necessary Information: Necessary information for a literary analysis includes:
1. Author's full name
2. Title of the story
3. Brief plot summary or introduction to the story (no more than a few sentences)
T = Thesis: The last sentence of your introduction should be your thesis. The thesis
is what you are trying to "prove" in your essay. It is the guiding statement for the rest
of the paragraphs and should focus on some specific aspect of the story such as a trait
of one of the characters, the theme, the setting, or a literary element like irony,
foreshadowing, or repetition.
Model introduction using A.N.T.
Model from a student's paper on a story called "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe
Murder! Is this a right way to get back at someone? (attention-getter) Montresor
believes it is in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." (necessary
information--author's name & title of the story) In the story, Montresor tells the
reader that he was insulted by Fortunato. It is because of this insult that Montresor has
vowed revenge. He lures Fortunato into his family's catacombs and then Montresor
chains Fortunato to a wall of granite and buries him alive. (necessary information-summary) Montressor murders Foftunado because of his excessive desire to seek
revenge. (thesis)
Source: LA Connor School District