The key ingredient is a strong, original thesis. A good thesis must go further than declaring what the theme of the novel is or offering some kind of structural breakdown of its literary devices (including plot, character, etc.). The best thesis statements make an informed suggestion about what some part of the text (typically a specific, interesting representation or description of something), does for another larger goal (i.e. the concept of utopia, the treatment of children, social justice, etc.). However, this is just a very basic formula. As said before in class, every text is different, and every reading of that text differs from person to person.
A valid thesis is one that is not just based on subjective opinion; it must have evidence for a strong claim, and that claim must be one that other readers may be able to disagree with and argue against, given their own reading of the text and interpretation of evidence.
The following are questions that may help you develop your close reading and argument. These are meant to help you assess your evidence and solidify your thesis; you do not have to answer all of them.
What are the key terms or other significant vocabulary here, and how are they used? How are they important? Is key information omitted from or elided in the passage? Why is that information omitted or elided? Is the passage written in the present or the past tense? Why is that the case? Does the passage record any dialogue? How does that dialogue relate to the larger passage from which it comes? How does imagery (if any) function in the passage? How does this imagery relate to the larger meaning(s) of the passage? If you are working on a repeated phrase, is it used the same way each time or does it change in context? How? If you are working on a single defining phrase, how does it help to illuminate the character who uses it? Are their particular resonant or revealing words in the phrase? When does the character use it? What prompts that use?
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