Writing Workshop: Day 3

1. Writing Workshop: Day 3 Literary Analysis Paper: AXES Paragraphs Starting Your Outline

2. A Guide to AXES Paragraphs

3. AXES • Assertion • eXample • Explanation • Significance

4. Assertion • Assertion: The assertion (AKA “topic sentence”) states the specific point that you will be making in the paragraph; • The assertion connects the paragraph to your thesis/claim by linking the specific point of the paragraph back to a central concern of the claim.

5. Assertion • Assertions must be arguable, points that you are making. Therefore, any statement that begins, “The author says . . .” or “Book Title is about . . .” is not an assertion; it is a summary statement, evidence that might be useful later in the paragraph or elsewhere, but not an effective lead.

6. eXample • Examples are the evidence that supports your assertions. When analyzing a text, an example must be a direct quote from the text. Other kinds of arguments might rely on examples, data, quotes, experience, etc. as evidence. • Quotes should be introduced and the context for the quote should be briefly given.

7. Explanation • Explanations clarify how and why the evidence relates to your assertion and to your central claim. • Explanations explain what the quote means.

8. Significance • Answers “So what?” about your point by explaining why the point made in the paragraph is important in light of your thesis. Providing significance is crucial to making an argument that says something, has a purpose, or is interesting.

9. SAMPLE AXES • I side with Mama and Maggie in this argument because I don’t think Dee deserves the quilts. For example, Dee leaves home for a long period of time and when she comes back she wants to take the family’s valuable heirlooms: “‘That’s it!’ She said. ‘I knew there was something I wanted to ask you if I could have”(10) and “‘Mama’ Wangero said sweet as a bird, ‘can I have these old quilts’” (11). I feel like Dee is acting kind towards her mother because she wants something. Also, I feel like she only visited her family because she wanted their heirlooms to use as decoration. These quotes show that Dee is selfish and stubborn. She does not deserve the quilts because of her attitude toward her family.

10. SAMPLE AXES • Assertion: • I side with Mama and Maggie in this argument because I don’t think Dee deserves the quilts.

11. SAMPLE AXES • eXample: • For example, Dee leaves home for a long period of time and when she comes back she wants to take the family’s valuable heirlooms: “‘That’s it!’ She said. ‘I knew there was something I wanted to ask you if I could have”(10) and “‘Mama’ Wangero said sweet as a bird, ‘can I have these old quilts’” (11).

12. SAMPLE AXES • Explanation: • I feel like Dee is acting kind towards her mother because she wants something. Also, I feel like she only visited her family because she wanted their heirlooms to use as decoration. These quotes show that Dee is selfish and stubborn. She does not deserve the quilts because of her attitude toward her family.

13. SAMPLE AXES • Significance: • These quotes show that Dee is selfish and stubborn. She does not deserve the quilts because of her attitude toward her family.