LiteraryAnalysisOutlineforwritingaboutTheme

IntroductionParagraph
AttentionGrabber
Background
OverallClaim/Thesis(Yourthesisshouldhavetheauthorsname,thetitleofthework,athemestatement,and

I.
A.
B.
C.

threeliterarydevicesyouwillbediscussinginyourpaper.)

II.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
III.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
IV.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
V.

BodyParagraphOne(LiteraryDeviceOne)
Claim
IntroductionofContextofEvidenceand/orDefineyourTerms
EvidencewithCitation
BreakdownofEvidence
ExplanationofSupportofClaim
ExplanationofSupportofThesis
ConcludingStatement
BodyParagraphTwo(LiteraryDeviceTwo)
Claim
IntroductionofContextofEvidenceand/orDefineyourTerms
EvidencewithCitation
BreakdownofEvidence
ExplanationofSupportofClaim
ExplanationofSupportofThesis
ConcludingStatement
BodyParagraphThree(LiteraryDeviceThree)
Claim
IntroductionofContextofEvidenceand/orDefineyourTerms
EvidencewithCitation
BreakdownofEvidence
ExplanationofSupportofClaim
ExplanationofSupportofThesis
ConcludingStatement
Conclusion
A. RestatementofThesis
B. Summarizethemainpointsmade
C. Discussthelastingimportance/consequences/takeaway/calltoaction
D. ConnectbacktoAttentionGrabber

ELAGSE910W1Writeargumentstosupportclaimsinananalysisofsubstantivetopicsortexts,usingvalidreasoningandrelevantandsufficient
evidence.
a.Introducepreciseclaim(s),distinguishtheclaim(s)fromalternateoropposingclaims,andcreateanorganizationthatestablishesclear
relationshipsamongclaim(s),counterclaims,reasons,andevidence.
b.Developclaim(s)andcounterclaimsfairly,supplyingevidenceforeachwhilepointingoutthestrengthsandlimitationsofbothina
mannerthatanticipatestheaudiencesknowledgelevelandconcerns.
c.Usewords,phrases,andclausestolinkthemajorsectionsofthetext,createcohesion,andclarifytherelationshipsbetweenclaim(s)and
reasons,betweenreasonsandevidence,andbetweenclaim(s)andcounterclaims.
d.Establishandmaintainanappropriatestyleandobjectivetone.
e.Provideaconcludingstatementorsectionthatfollowsfromandsupportstheargumentpresented.
ELAGSE910W4Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopment,organization,andstyleareappropriatetotask,purpose,and
audience.
ELAGSE910W5Developandstrengthenwritingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach,focusingon
addressingwhatismostsignificantforaspecificpurposeandaudience.
ELAGSE910W9Drawevidencefromliteraryorinformationaltextstosupportanalysis,reflection,andresearch.
a.Applygrades910ReadingStandardstoliteratureandnonfiction
ELAGSE910W10Writeroutinelyoverextendedtimeframes(timeforresearch,reflection,andrevision)andshortertimeframes(asinglesittingor
adayortwo)forarangeoftasks,purposes,andaudiences.

JeanPaulSartrewasaFrenchplaywrightwhocoinedthephraseHellisotherpeople,andanyonewho
haseverbeentrappedinaroomfullofpeopleoutofobligationknowshowtruethatstatementcanbe.Though
perhapsthatsaselfcenteredapproachtotakeregardinginteractingwithothers.

InOtherPeopleNeilGaimanaddressesthesameideawithademontorturingsoulsinhell.Thedemongoes
throughtheexpectedphysicaltorture,butthenswitchestomentaltorture.Heusesthemansrelationshipswith
otherpeopletogivehiminsightintohislife.

IntheshortstoryOtherPeoplefromFragileThings,NeilGaimanusesconflict,description,andsituational
ironytodiscusshowintrospectioncanbepainfulbutnecessary.
Initially,Gaimanmakesuseofisconflicttoengagethereaderanddiscussthetheme.

Conflictisusuallydefinedastheoverarchingproblemthatlastsformostofthestory.

Anexternalconflict,problemoutsideofthemaincharacter,ispresentbecausethemaincharacterisinhelland
facingademonthattortureshim.

Ontheotherhand,itsoonchangestothemanfacinghisownsins.

Whenthemansayshewasheartbrokenwhenhiswifelefthim,thedemonchallengeshim,andthemanis
forcedtolookawayandreplyIthought,nowshellneverknowIvebeensleepingwithhersister(1056).

Thisshowsthattheproblemfortheprotagonistisnotonlythatheisinhell,butalsothebehaviorthatgothim
there.

Thisconnectstotheideathatreflectingonlifecanbepainfulbecausethemancantevenlookatthedemon
whenheconfesseshisrealfeelings.

Byconfessingthoughtheprotagonistisabletobegintochangeforthebetterandthereadercanbeginto
understandhownecessaryintrospectioncanbe.

AnotherliterarydevicethatGaimanusestoestablishthatreflectioncanhurtbutisworthwhileis
description.
Descriptioniswhentheauthoruseswordstohelptheaudienceimaginewhatishappening.

Thestoryaddressesphysicalpainfirst,butitisntuntilthedemonstartstorturingthemanmentallythat
itconnectswiththetheme.

Gaimanstates,Thedemontookaparthislife,momentbymoment,instanttoawfulinstant.Itlasteda
hundredyear,perhaps,orathousand[]Hecrouchedonthefloor,[]rocking,gently,hiseyesclosed,and
hetoldthestoryofhislife,reexperiencingitashetoldit,frombirthtodeath,changingnothing,leaving
nothingout,facingeverything.Heopenedhisheart(106).

Thedemonshowsthemanallhismistakescompletelyandrepeatedlyuntilthereisachangeofheart.

Thedescriptionofthemancurledupandrockingbackandforthonthefloorshowsthatthemain
characterisinpainashewatcheshislifeplayout.

However,italsoshowshowthisreviewisworthdoingbecausethemanspainstopsonceheseesthe
truthofhislifeandfaceshismistakes.

ThisthensetsthestagefortheunexpectedendingandthefinalliterarydeviceGaimanusestomakethe
themeclear.

ThemostpowerfuldeviceutilizedinOtherPeoplemightbesituationalirony.Situationalironyis
whentheauthorprovidesanendingthattheaudiencedidnotexpect.

Theendingsays,Slowly,hestoodup.Hewasalone.Atthefarendoftheroom,therewasterrorinthemans
face,andarrogance,andpride.Theman,whoworeexpensiveclothestookseveralhesitantstepsintotheroom,
andthenstopped.Whenhesawtheman,heunderstood.Timeisfluidhere,hetoldthenewarrival.(107)

Theheinthequoteisthetorturedmanwhoarrivedinhellatthebeginningofthestory.

Thismannoticesthatthedemonthatwasoncewithhimisgone.

Thenanewarrogantlookingmanjoinshim.

Theaudienceknowsthatthelastwordsareexactlythesameastheopening.

Bydoingthis,theauthorsignalstothereaderthatthemaincharacterisnowademon.

Thisisatwistendingbecausetheaudiencedoesnotexpectthevictimtobecometorturer.

Thisuseofsituationalironysupportstheideathatintrospectioncanbepainfulbutnecessarybecauseitshows
thateventhoughthemaincharacterhassufferedinexamininghismistakesinlife,hestillseesenoughvaluein
theexaminationtohelpsomeoneelsedoit.

GaimansOtherPeopleisaninterestingtextinthatitexploreshowsoulsearchingmightmighthurtat
first,butcanleadtoagreaterunderstandingoftheself.

NeilGaimansuseofinternalconflict,description,andsituationalironymakeitclearthattheprocess
canbesorewardingthatitmakespeoplewanttosharetheexperience.

Inthestory,sufferingleadtotheprotagonisthavingabetterunderstandingofhimselfandthewaylife
shouldbelived.

GaimanseemstotakeJeanPaulSartresideathathellisotherpeopleandturnitonitssidetomake
allreaderswonderwhetherornotweourselvesarenotthehellinotherpeopleslives.