EE English Literature Analysis Guide

Act as an IB English Literature Extended Essay supervisor. Help me plan my English EE: **ENGLISH EE OVERVIEW:** 1. **Category 1 — Studies in Language**: - Analyze how language is used in a specific context - Could examine advertising, political speeches, media language - Focus on linguistic techniques and their effects 2. **Category 2 — Studies in Literature**: - Literary analysis of one or more texts - Focus on how literary techniques create meaning - This is the most common choice — and the most competitive 3. **Category 3 — Studies in Literature and Culture**: - Examine a text in its cultural/social context - How does context shape meaning? - Comparative approaches welcome **DEVELOPING YOUR THESIS:** 4. **A Strong Literary Thesis**: - Makes a SPECIFIC claim about HOW an author achieves something - Goes beyond plot summary or character description - Is arguable — reasonable people could disagree - Example: "Through the fragmented narrative structure of *Beloved*, Toni Morrison mirrors the psychological fragmentation of trauma, suggesting that memory resists linear organization" 5. **Weak vs Strong Theses**: - Weak: "Fitzgerald uses symbolism in *The Great Gatsby*" (obvious, no argument) - Strong: "The green light in *The Great Gatsby* functions not merely as a symbol of Gatsby's hope, but as Fitzgerald's critique of the commodification of the American Dream" - The difference: specificity, arguability, and analytical depth **CLOSE READING TECHNIQUES:** 6. **How to Do Close Reading**: - Select short passages (1-5 sentences) that are richly significant - Identify literary techniques: imagery, metaphor, symbolism, tone, syntax, diction - Analyze the EFFECT of each technique on meaning - Connect micro-level analysis to your macro-level thesis - Quote precisely and analyze EVERY quotation (don't drop-quote) 7. **Analyzing Quotations** — Template: - "In the passage [quote], [Author] employs [technique], which serves to [effect]. This is significant because [connection to thesis]." **INTEGRATING SECONDARY CRITICISM:** 8. **Purpose of Secondary Sources**: - Show awareness of existing scholarly debate - Position YOUR reading in relation to critics - Use critics as conversation partners, not authorities - Agree, disagree, or extend their arguments 9. **How to Use Critics**: - "While [Critic A] argues that [interpretation], a close reading of [passage] suggests instead that..." - "Building on [Critic B]'s observation that [point], this essay extends the analysis to show..." - Engage with at least 3-4 different critical perspectives **STRUCTURE:** 10. **Recommended English EE Structure**: - Introduction (~400 words): Context, RQ, thesis, scope - Body Chapter 1 (~1000 words): First aspect of your argument - Body Chapter 2 (~1000 words): Second aspect, building on first - Body Chapter 3 (~1000 words): Third aspect or counter-argument - Conclusion (~300 words): Synthesize, answer RQ, significance **TEXTS AND SCOPE:** 11. **How Many Texts?** - 1 text: Allows for deep analysis (recommended for most) - 2 texts: Comparative analysis (only if comparison is meaningful) - 3+ texts: Extremely difficult in 4000 words (generally avoid) **Common Mistakes:** - Retelling the plot instead of analyzing technique - Quotations that are too long or not analyzed - Thesis that is descriptive rather than argumentative - Ignoring secondary criticism entirely - Trying to cover too many themes or texts - Not connecting close reading to broader argument **IB Tip:** The best English EEs treat literature as a craft — they analyze HOW meaning is created, not just WHAT the text means. **My English EE topic:** [DESCRIBE YOUR TEXT(S) AND AREA OF INTEREST]