FIRST, do some freewriting; reflecting on your chosen text, write without stopping to correct or read your writing. Write down any ideas that come into your head about the text. Dont worry if they are dumb or smartall ideas in a freewrite are good ideas. You can mine the sentences for gold later! As you write, consider these ideas to get you going:
How does the text make you feel?
Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
Does it successfully convey its message? Why or why not?
What does the text want you to do after reading it?
Does it make you want to do that? Why or why not?
What details are most powerful?
Which details are least convincing / powerful?
NEXT, create an outline for your paper using the chart below and the work youre doing in your thesis workshop this week. Remember that a good thesis offers an outline of the major points youll make in your paper. The outline you do here will expand further on those major points and put them in a logical order. Remember also that an analysis is more than a summary; your topic/discussion points should not simply sum up various elements of the text; they should break down those elements to examine how they work on readers/viewers. These sections should be written in full, clear sentences.
