Interpretive Essay Outline

LIT 100 Milestone Two: Outline Worksheet

Refer back to the Milestone One Thesis Statement Worksheet.

1. Introduction

Introduce your chosen text (or texts if you selected poems) and explain why you chose the text(s). Summarize the author’s overall intended message or draw connections between the author’s time period, culture, etc., and the text as a whole. Craft a thesis statement that clearly states your position and argument.

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Example:
The story I connected to the most was “The Tell-Tale Heart,” written by Edgar Allen Poe. The reason I chose this text is because it discusses guilt, as well as the issue of madness. Both of these emotions are felt in current society. One emotion is more general, while the other emotion speaks about the torments of psychological madness. This text reveals this experience though the use of symbols, tone, and setting. Edgar Allan Poe reveals the theme of guilt and madness, two common emotions in today’s society, through his story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by using symbols, tone and setting.

Note: You may choose to focus more on the impact of the author’s time period and culture on the text, but this example is an idea of what your introduction may look like.

Body Paragraphs

Each body paragraph must contain one supporting argument (for a total of three) and begin with a topic sentence that makes the connection between the thesis statement and the body paragraph clear. Then, you must provide evidence from the text that supports the topic sentence.

2. Body Paragraph/Supporting Argument #1

Topic Sentence/Idea: What is the main information that will be discussed in this paragraph? How does this information relate to the major themes in the text?

You may provide a general statement and develop it into a topic sentence later,
OR
You may draft a topic sentence here in your outline.

Example:
I am going to discuss the topic of symbols in this paragraph, as it relates to the major themes (madness and guilt) in the story.

OR

Poe’s story reveals the issues of madness and guilt in society through multiple symbols found in the text.

Supporting Points: What evidence from the text will you use to support your topic sentence? You should provide 2–3 points.

You may use point form for your outline and develop your arguments into paragraphs before submitting your essay

Example:
· The vulture’s eye as a symbol of madness and guilt
· The heart as a symbol of guilt and increasing madness
–“Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and
quicker, and louder and louder every instant.”

3. Transition Sentence

Effective transitions create a logical flow from paragraph to paragraph, making it easier for your reader to follow your message. For the purpose of this outline, you may provide your initial thoughts for your transition sentences, then refine your transitions as you develop your interpretive essay.

Transition from Body Paragraph #1 on symbols to Body Paragraph #2 on tone

Example:
I will create an ending sentence that says something like symbols are not the only way that cultural meaning becomes apparent in the story. Tone also creates the meaning of guilt and madness.

4. Body Paragraph/Supporting Argument #2

Topic Sentence/Idea: What is the main information that will be discussed in this paragraph? How does this information relate to the major themes in the text?

This is an example of a general topic sentence to be used as a starting point

Example:
Guilt and madness are present in the tone of “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Supporting Points: What evidence from the text will you use to support your topic sentence? You should provide 2–3 points.

Example:
· The narrator presents an attitude/tone about madness in the beginning of the paper.
–“TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—
not destroyed—not dulled them.”
· Bedroom scene presents a tone of horror and madness.
— “And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened
it—oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head.”

5. Transition Sentence:

Example:
Like the other paragraph, I will end with a statement saying something like the tone of this story also relates to setting in connection to madness and guilt.

6. Body Paragraph/Supporting Argument #3:

Topic Sentence/Idea: What is the main information that will be discussed in this paragraph? How does this information relate to the major themes in the text?

Example:
The last literary element that reveals madness and guilt is that of setting in the “Tell-Tale Heart.”

Supporting Points: What evidence from the text will you use to support your topic sentence? You should provide 2–3 points.

As demonstrated in this example, supporting arguments can be general discussion, or direct lines from the text

Example:
· Unknown location—We are unaware of the place in this story and it gives a sense of uneasiness. This helps to highlight the madness of the scenes. It is in a random bedroom.
· The ending scene brings about the feeling of guilt in connection to the scene. “I foamed—I raved—I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—louder!”

6. Transition Sentence:

The last transition statement will be a brief summary of all body paragraphs, and a transition to the conclusion.

Example:
For this transition, I will state that the symbols, tone, and setting all contribute to a larger cultural issue present in the short story.

7. Conclusion

Your conclusion should summarize your overall argument and expand on that interpretation, leaving the reader inspired or reflective. The conclusion to your interpretive essay must address each of the following:

· Restate your thesis, summarizing your overall interpretation of the text
· Apply your argument to a larger context
· Explain how culture could impact interpretations of the text
· Explain how the text could impact culture
· Discuss the relationship between this piece of literature and identity. Use the term “identity” in your conclusion to best make this connection.

As you can see, a conclusion is much more than just a summary of an essay. Keep these points in mind as you draft a conclusion in this outline.

This is just a start; your conclusion will likely evolve as you develop your arguments. For this outline the goal is to get a few main ideas drafted.

Example:
Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” discusses the issues of guilt and madness that often occur when someone does something distinctly wrong in society. While the topic of murder is extreme in connection to cultural identity, most people have done something wrong in society and have felt a major uneasiness in connection to their wrongdoings. As such, this story may be discussing a very dramatic form of identity (guilt and descent into madness), but also an emotion that is felt at a basic level. My argument is important, because I am talking about an issue that reveals social ills and wrongdoings that are in today’s society. The issue of murder and insanity are issues that we face as a society constantly. Literature helps us to think about these social wrongs and how these stories can reflect horrors that we may not think about in the real world.