"The Open Boat" (1897) by Stephen Crane
Analyzed by Holly Logsdon
Reading and Inventing
Before I started writing my essay, I carefully read and annotated "The Open Boat." I looked for literary devices, poetic language, and possible story themes. You may be tempted to skip this step, but it really helps to develop a sense of the story's deeper meaning and how the the author uses literary elements to communicate that message. As an example of close reading, below is an assortment of annotated pages.
After closely reading the text, I began Inventing. I explored possible themes and came up with a thesis statement. I had some difficulty with this step, and ultimately, it took several drafts of my essay before I got it right. Sometimes your thesis will develop more fully during the course of drafting and revising your essay. So come up with a "working" thesis and be open to changing it as your analysis unfolds. Below are my early attempts to develop a working thesis statement.
FinalizingFinalizingFinalizingDrafting
The next step is Drafting. Below are links to my first full draft, along with peer critiques that pointed out grammatical and stylistic errors and suggested I needed more analysis and less summary of the text. I made some adjustments before submitting the draft to my instructor.
"The Open Boat" Draft 1
Peer Review 1
Peer Review 2
My instructor had a few concerns, such as my thesis statement being too broad, the need for more textual evidence about characterization (which is a essential to my thesis statement), and too much summary. My instructor's feedback was vital in helping me see the strengths and weaknesses of my analysis, so I could transition into the Revising step. The images below are his suggestions for improving my essay.
"The Open Boat" Draft 1
Peer Review 1
Peer Review 2
My instructor had a few concerns, such as my thesis statement being too broad, the need for more textual evidence about characterization (which is a essential to my thesis statement), and too much summary. My instructor's feedback was vital in helping me see the strengths and weaknesses of my analysis, so I could transition into the Revising step. The images below are his suggestions for improving my essay.
Revising
After receiving feedback from my instructor, I began Revising my essay. I focused more on actual analysis, narrowed down my thesis statement, and explored Crane's characterization of the crew of "The Open Boat." Below is the second draft of my essay, followed by a checklist to identify whether I've made all the necessary updates for an effective literary analysis essay. NOTE: The checklist brought my attention to a few areas that still needed revision.
Finalizing
I like to think of Finalizing as decorating a cake. In the previous steps, you've found the perfect recipe, mixed the batter, baked the cake (and maybe had to start all over if you didn't like the results), cooled and frosted it. Now it's time to add the finishing touches and take pride in a job well done.
I proofread my essay, correcting typographical or grammatical errors and cutting unnecessary words. I checked that all quotations are properly cited using MLA format. Finally, I reviewed the checklist
one more time to see if my essay meets the goals of an effective literary analysis. My final essay has come a long way from the initial inventing and early drafting steps. It took several attempts before I discovered my real thesis statement, so don't be discouraged if you face similar setbacks. The challenges I've encountered will help me approach my next essay with greater confidence because I've learned how to develop an effective literary analysis.
Final essay on "The Open Boat"
I proofread my essay, correcting typographical or grammatical errors and cutting unnecessary words. I checked that all quotations are properly cited using MLA format. Finally, I reviewed the checklist
one more time to see if my essay meets the goals of an effective literary analysis. My final essay has come a long way from the initial inventing and early drafting steps. It took several attempts before I discovered my real thesis statement, so don't be discouraged if you face similar setbacks. The challenges I've encountered will help me approach my next essay with greater confidence because I've learned how to develop an effective literary analysis.
Final essay on "The Open Boat"