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• How to Write a Literary Analysis
• How to Make a Smoker Grill
• How to Make a Death Star Pumpkin

How to Write a Literary Analysis Posted: 24 Oct 2018 01:00 AM PDT A literary analysis is the process where you read a literary work very closely to figure out how the author gets their main points across. Start by taking notes on the text and reading it very carefully, then develop and outline your argument. Write the analysis according to your outline, and proofread it carefully before turning it in or sending it on. EditSteps EditTaking Notes and Developing Your Argument Write down ideas as you read through the text. The first time you read through your text, take notes on things that stand out, such as the main conflict, the characters' motivations, the tone, and the setting.[1] Mark pieces of the text that seem interesting or noteworthy. Does the author seem to be making a major statement in one section? Are they suddenly being more philosophical? Highlight or make a note about that section. For instance, one of the main quotes you see repeated from George Orwell's novel 1984 is "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." As it's the Party's (the country's only political party) main slogan, that keys you into the fact that it's going to be important to the story. It's a good idea to use a certain color highlighter to mark this statement every time it's made. This makes it easier to spot the statement so you can analyze where, when, and why Orwell is repeating the line. Note the literary devices the author uses. Literary devices are things the author uses to tell the story or make a point. They could include alliteration, imagery, metaphors, allusions, allegories, repetition, flashback, foreshadowing, or any number of other devices the author employs to write the story or poem.[2] For instance, imagery is how the author uses vivid language to help create mental pictures. It can set the tone of the work. Take this example from George Orwell's novel 1984, which is presented as the fourth paragraph in the novel: "Outside, even through the shut window-pane, the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere." Just from this short text, you get a sense of the harshness of the world, drained of color and very cold. Focus on the key themes the author seems to be expressing. Themes are the major ideas the author seems to be repeating throughout the text. They can be things like religion, government, good versus evil, authority, social structure, coming-of-age, war, education, or human rights, to name a few. Identify the themes as early as you can in your reading, as this makes it easier to annotate examples of the themes as you read.[3] In 1984, some of the main themes Orwell focuses on are war, authority, and social structure. Look at the form of the work. The form refers to how the text is constructed. In a long work, it can mean how the work is divided and whether it's in first-person or third-person. In a poem, look at the line breaks, the stanza arrangement, the shape of the poem, and even the negative space the writer uses. Think about why the author chose this particular form and how it helps present the ideas.[4] Think about how the form and content relate to each other. Then, consider how they might be in tension with each other. For example, a poem often contains less information than a novel, so the writer might use the form to draw attention to the unknown or unanswered questions. Consider the historical context of the work. No work is written in a vacuum, so the time period and location where the author is writing will affect the text. Research where the author lived, the time period the novel was written in, and what was going on at the time.[5] For instance, 1984 came out just after WWII in 1949, when fascism had threatened to take over the globe. However, equally important, Orwell had witnessed the problems of totalitarian regimes in places like Spain and wanted to warn against the advancement of totalitarianism in any form, from the political left or right.[6] Decide what the author's purpose is in writing the text. An author can have several purposes for writing a text. Your job is to identify at least one of them you can write about. Don't worry about what you choose, as long as you can back up what you think the purpose is with evidence from the text.[7] When identifying the author's purpose, examine the historical context of the novel, as well as the author's themes. You can also read other analyses and reviews of the text, as well as interviews of the author. For example, one of Orwell's main purposes in writing 1984 was to show how if citizens don't keep their government in check, it can lead to a totalitarian government where every movement and thought is scrutinized. Brainstorm about how the author shows their main purpose. Connect the notes you took on the text with what you consider to be one of the author's main purposes. Think about how the author is using these devices to make their point.[8] For instance, in the slogan "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength," you get a introduction to the author's purpose. It gives the reader a view of what's ahead: citizens in this society are required to swallow contradictory statements from the government without question, a concept known in the novel as "doublethink." Decide on your argument by focusing your topic. Focus on one element of the story that exemplifies what you think the main purpose is. Think about what stands out about that particular topic to you. Why does it seem important?[9] For example, maybe you decide that you want to focus on how imagery sets up the tone for the novel 1984. Why is that important? Without that imagery, the novel would be very different, and Orwell would have had difficulty setting up a believable world for the reader. EditOutlining the Paper Write a thesis statement. The thesis statement is the main idea of your paper. You want to cover your basic argument to let your readers know what you plan to argue. For a literary analysis, you should connect the main idea or theme of the work to a specific way the author shows it.[10] For example, you might write, "In 1984, Orwell's use of imagery to establish a bleak and dreary world is key to bringing home his theme that totalitarianism is something to be avoided at all costs." Organize your argument from start to finish. How you organize your essay is up to you. One typical method is to go through the book in order, providing your evidence starting at the beginning of the book and moving towards the end.[11] Alternatively, it may make sense to you to begin with a historical introduction to the work to provide context. Another method is to present your most important part of the argument first and work down from there. Set up your main ideas or paragraphs. Write down a Roman numeral for each main idea you want to cover in your essay, as well as your introduction and conclusion. Next to the Roman numeral, jot down that main idea in a shortened form.[12] For instance, you might write: I. Introduction II. Provide background information and historical context for 1984 III. Introduce the author's main theme IV. Establish how imagery helps create the theme V. Conclusion Add the main points you want to cover in each paragraph. Under each Roman numeral, use letters and then Arabic numerals to go into more detail about what you want to cover in each section. You can be very specific or just cover the basics. However, the more specific you are, the easier it will be to write your essay.[13] Your detailed outline might look something like this: I. Introduction A. Introduce work, including author, title, and date B. Thesis: In 1984, Orwell's use of imagery to establish a bleak and dreary world is key to bringing home his theme that totalitarianism is something to be avoided at all costs. II. Provide background information and historical context for 1984 A. Discuss World War II B. Bring up Orwell's experiences in Spain 1. Experiences of fascism influenced work 2. Feared totalitarianism on the right and left C. Coined phrase "cold war" III. Introduce the author's main theme A. Warning against totalitarianism 1. Party in complete control 2. No privacy, even for thoughts 3. Orwell thought this was the logical conclusion of a complete totalitarianism IV. Establish how imagery helps create the theme A. Book begins with bleak, colorless imagery, sets up tone B. Description of urban decay creates a feeling of the world falling apart B. Contrasting imagery when Winston has experiences with Julia, re-establishes purpose of main imagery V. Conclusion EditWriting Your Essay Introduce each main topic with a couple of introductory sentences. With each point you make, provide a short introduction to it at the beginning of the paragraph. This just establishes what the idea is. It can also connect the idea to the rest of your text.[14] For instance, you might write, "From the very beginning of the novel, Orwell establishes that this world is bleak and dreary, one that no one would want to live in." When writing a literary analysis, you must draw your argument out through the whole essay. That means that with each paragraph you add, you need to connect it to the main thesis of the essay. Doing so helps your reader see the overall point you're making. Backup your points with quotes from the text. When you're writing a literary analysis, you must show your reader where you found the evidence in the text. That means, when you make an assertion about the text, you need to add a quote or paraphrase the text to back up what you're saying.[15] Go over your annotations to find good quotes. Then, explain what the quote means and how it supports your point. Make sure your analysis of the quote takes up at least as much space as the quote itself. For example, you might add, "From the very beginning of the novel, Orwell establishes that this world is bleak and dreary, one that no one would want to live in; he writes: 'Outside, even through the shut window-pane, the world looked cold. Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere.'" Don't forget to provide proper citations for the text. Analyze how your evidence backs up the main point you're making. With this step, you need to answer why the point you're making is important. Show the reader that the evidence you provide relates to your main argument.[16] For example, to complete the paragraph after the quote you provided, you might write the following: This world is harsh to inhabitants, "cold" and foreboding, without even color to break up the monotony. A bright, sunny day doesn't even provide a reprieve from this bleakness, and Orwell uses passages like these to establish that this world could be the future, a harsh reality with no escape into fantasy or pleasantries. Write your introduction. If you haven't already, fill in your introduction. Part of your introduction should be your main thesis, but you should also introduce the main points you want to make throughout the essay, as well as the work itself.[17] Try to draw your reader in with your introduction. You could write: Imagine a world where every facial expression, every movement, every word you say is endlessly scrutinized by an overreaching government. Anyone who breaks the rules or steps out of line is punished harshly. If it sounds like a bleak reality that no one would want to live in, that was entirely George Orwell's point in writing the novel 1984, a book that creates a picture of a dystopian future where citizens are controlled by a totalitarian government. In 1984, Orwell's use of imagery to establish a bleak and dreary world is key to bringing home his theme that totalitarianism is something to be avoided at all costs. This point was driven home for him by his time spent in Spain under fascism, as well as political climate of the time, which was World War II." Create your conclusion. In the conclusion, you need to draw your argument back together and tie it up neatly for your reader. That way, they can see how everything fits together.[18] For example, you might write: For Orwell, the fact that the world could be headed towards totalitarianism was disastrous. That fate, no matter whether it came from the right or left, was something every citizen should fight against. In his novel, Orwell shows the logical conclusion of a world controlled by totalitarianism, and it's through the literary device of imagery that he draws the reader into that world. Once the reader experiences that dreary world, they will want no part of a government that could thrust them into that harsh reality. EditPolishing Your Essay Make sure your argument makes sense from beginning to end. Try to read through your essay as if you had never read the text you're analyzing. Can you follow the argument with just the assertions, evidence, and analysis you've provided? If you can't, try going back through and filling in any blanks. You can also ask a friend to read through it to see if they can follow it. Take out phrases like "I think" or "In my opinion." When you're first writing a literary essay, you may be timid about your analysis. Most everyone is! However, when you present your argument, leave out these phrases. It weakens your argument, and signals to the reader you're not confident in what you're doing.[19] Proofread your essay by reading it out loud. Watch for any mistakes your spellcheck catches, but you should also check it yourself. Reading it out loud helps you slow down and catch more mistakes in the text.[20] For instance, you may notice words that are wrong or places where the sentence structure sounds a little funky. Let someone else proofread it. It always helps to have another set of eyes when proofreading. Ask a friend, parent, or classmate to go over your essay to see if they catch any grammatical mistakes. EditTips Be sure you have a clear understanding of the essay assignment before writing your analysis. Always to follow the teacher's instructions and guidelines. EditRelated wikiHows Write a Language Analysis EditSources and Citations EditQuick Summary Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

How to Make a Smoker Grill Posted: 23 Oct 2018 05:00 PM PDT Most barbecue lovers will agree that there is no better taste than meat slow cooked in a smoker. While there are numerous smoking options available on the market, purchasing a smoker can be costly. However, you can learn how to smoke on a charcoal or gas grill in a few steps by building a basic wood smoker that can work just as well as most purchased varieties. EditSteps EditPreparing a Charcoal Grill Soak of smoking chips in cold water. Fill a large bucket full of cold water. Then, pour in worth of wood smoking chips, making sure they're completely submerged. Wait for 1 hour before placing them in the smoking grill later on.[1] There are many different types of wood chips that you can buy. Each lend a distinct flavor to the smoke. Mesquite chips are especially good with beef. Maple chips are great for vegetables, cheese, and steak. Apple wood chips go great with poultry and fish. If you have the time, an overnight soak will yield the best results for flavor. Remove the large grill grate and grill lid, then open the vents. To convert your grill into a smoker, remove the large grilling grate and the grilling lid. Most charcoal grills will have 2 grill gates, 1 large grate in the middle and a smaller one below. Remove the larger. Then, open the vents on the grill as wide as they'll go.[2] Place 4 to 5 large handfuls of charcoal on 1 side of the grill. To prepare the smoking process, you'll need to divide the lower grill grate into distinct sections. Choose 1 half of the grate and lump 4 to 5 handful of charcoal into it. Try to keep them bunched up.[3] Heat the charcoal with an electric starter iron. Place an electric starter iron on the charcoals. Then, plug the device in. The iron will begin to heat the charcoal up. This process should take approximately 8 to 10 minutes.[4] You can tell if the charcoal's heated when you can hear the coals crackle and can see smoke rising from the mound. Once you see smoke, remove the starting iron from the charcoals and unplug it. If you don't own an electric starter iron, you can light paper under the charcoals or use firestarters to heat it instead. Fill a foil drip pan with water and place it in the grill. Fill a foil drip pan approximately 1/4 full of water, and set it on the other side of the grill, beside the heated coals.[5] Close the grill and let these components heat for around 20 minutes. Although the charcoal will provide enough smoke to cook your food, it's best to add some water to improve the flavor of the smoke and regulate the temperature. If some of the charcoals have slid to the other side of the lower grate, push them away with tongs to make room for the water. Remove the soaking wood chips and layer them on the charcoals. Open the grill and cover the heated charcoals with the soaked wood chips. Cover the charcoals completely, but leave some wood chips for later. Then, place the large grate back on the grill.[6] The charcoals, wood chips, and water should be between both grates. Close the lid again. EditPreparing a Gas Grill Submerge of wood chips in cold water. Purchase a large bag of smoking chips weighing at least . Then, pour them all into a large bucket full of cold water making sure that they're completely covered. Let them soak for at least 1 hour.[7] Apple wood chips are designed for poultry and fish. Mesquite chips are known for the complimentary taste they lend beef. Maple chips work best for accompaniments like cheese and vegetables. Take off the grill grate and adjust the vents. A gas grill only has one primary grate propping the food up from the flame. Remove this grate entirely and place it to the side. Then, open up the vents as wide as you can. This will allow air to circulate as we heat the grill later.[8] Wrap the soaked wood chips in a foil bag. Once the chips have been soaking for at least an hour, pour them into a foil bag. Make sure the bag is sealed, then pierce the top several times. Place this bag of wood chips directly on top of the burner.[9] Place a foil drip pan filled with water into the grill, then heat it for 20 minutes. Fill a foil drip pan approximately 1/4 full with water. Then, decide which side of the gas grill you are going to ignite the flame under. Place this foil pan on the other side. Ignite the flame and close the lid, letting the chips and water heat up for around 20 minutes.[10] EditSmoking the Meat Prepare chicken, sausage, brisket, or fish. Smoking works best for tough pieces of meat that don't cook quickly.[11] Lay your meat out on a flat surface and sprinkle it with a pinch of salt, pepper, and any other spices you'd like. If your meat is just out of the freezer, you will need to let the meat defrost first before smoking. If you're working with raw chicken, do not let any other foods touch a surface raw chicken has touched. Sausage usually comes pre-spiced so you don't need to worry about adding anything else unless you'd like to. Brisket benefits from a proper glaze or rub to enhance the smoky flavor. Fish is generally a tender or lighter meat so it cooks faster. However, go light on the spices. Fish has plenty of taste on its own. But if you want to add flavor, use table sauces like tartar or dill after the fish is done smoking. Check the heat of the grill is in the to range. Most grills, whether they're charcoal or gas, will contain internal thermometers. Before you begin smoking the meat, ensure the interior is hot enough to do so. Generally, the temperature needs to be between to .[12] If your grill is too hot, the temperature will decrease with time. If it's too cold, add more chips or charcoal, or increase the temperature on the gas knob. Place the meat over the water pan and close the lid. With a pair of tongs, lift the meat onto the grill. Place it over the pan of water, no matter whether your grill is charcoal or gas. If your grill isn't very large, you may need to smoke the meat in several batches.[13] Once all the meat is on the grill, put the lid back on tight. Closing the lid will lock in the smoke, letting your meat absorb all the flavor. Close the grill vents fully for a full smoke or halfway for a light smoke. The vents on top and below a grill help expunge the smoke building up inside. If this is your first time smoking food, rotate the vents so that they're half open. The less smoke you let out of the grill, the smokier your food will be.[14] Let the meat smoke for 30 minutes to 6 hours. The length of time it takes to smoke meat greatly varies. If you're cooking several different types of meat, think ahead so that you're cooking the longer meats first and the shorter meats later. Chicken should take approximately 30-45 minutes per to cook. Sausage can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to properly cook. Brisket takes longer than other meats, usually somewhere between 4-6 hours depending on how smoky you like the meat. Most fish take around 2 hours to cook. Add a handful of wet wood chips on top of the pile every 30 minutes. More wood chips will add more fuel to the grill. For a charcoal grill, add a handful of saturated wood chips over the charcoals every 30 minutes. For a gas grill, remove the foil bag with a pair of tongs. Remove the old chips carefully and fill the bag with new ones.[15] The more wood chips you add, the more smoky the meat will be. Insert a meat thermometer after the smoking time has elapsed. An experienced smoker will be able to eyeball when their meat is ready. However, if this is your first time smoking, it is best to err on the side of caution. Pierce the meat at its thickest point with a meat thermometer and take a note of the temperature to see if it's ready. Chicken should read at least internally. A thoroughly cooked sausage will internally read around . A well done brisket will have an internal temperature of . Different types of fish will take different times to smoke. However, as a general rule of thumb, make sure the internal temperature reads . EditVideo EditTips The meat's thickness and size will determine how long you need to smoke it. Most roasts and whole chickens, for example, take approximately 5 hours to fully smoke, while smaller steaks, fish, and other meat generally require less time. Check the internal grill temperature as indicated in the last step, but you can also use a meat thermometer to determine if the meat is fully cooked. There are a number of different styles of hardwood smoking chips available on the market. Popular styles include oak, maple, and cherry wood. Each will lend a slightly different flavor, so experiment with each variety to find what works best for your tastes. EditThings You'll Need Kettle-style charcoal grill or gas grill Natural lump charcoal Gas canisters Electric starter iron Drip pan of hardwood smoking chips Large plastic bucket Water Tongs Meat thermometer EditRelated wikiHows Buy an Indoor Grill Smoke or Barbecue Meat Using a Weber Grill EditSources and Citations Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

How to Make a Death Star Pumpkin Posted: 23 Oct 2018 09:00 AM PDT If it's going to be a Star Wars kind of Halloween or costume party, you can't party properly without a Death Star pumpkin. While carving a Death Star into a pumpkin may take some time, you will be the talk of the neighborhood with this bad boy shining in your window. EditSteps EditPreparing For Carving Select your pumpkin. Consider going for the larger sized pumpkin for a more dramatic effect. Gut the pumpkin. Approach this step as you would when carving any other pumpkin. Slice off the top using a sharp knife and remove the insides and seeds of the pumpkin. Gather supplies. Pick up a store-bought pumpkin light bright kit that will allow you to illuminate the pumpkin with small colored (or clear) lights that illuminate off the candle or battery operated flashlight. Get typical pumpkin carving tools including sharp knives in different sizes and a small shovel that you can use for scraping the insides of the pumpkin. Also, a clay loop tool (available at most craft stores) will be vital to creating the lines. Find a sewing tape measure. The tape measure will be a very important part to making this design work so make sure you don't leave this supply out. You should also grab a pencil to trace lines on the pumpkin. EditCarving the Death Star Create the middle part of the star. Wrap your tape measure around the middle of the pumpkin and mark your lines. Use the clay loop tool to gouge out the center circle around the middle of the pumpkin. Don't cut all the way through the pumpkin skin, but make an impression around the center. Design the horizontal lines on the pumpkin. Use your tape measure to mark lines along the pumpkin veins. You will need to create specific measurements all the way around the pumpkin. Keep measurements in proportion to the size of the pumpkin. For example, a 77-pound pumpkin you could make a 2 ½ inch mark above and below the middle impression you just made around the pumpkin center. Create the laser circle. Choose a space between the veins and the upper part of the pumpkin for the laser circle/hole. The circle should be at least an inch above the horizontal line. Consider using a teacup bottom to trace the circle. Use a knife to create an indent around the perimeter of the circle to mark it in place. Place a hole in the middle of the circle with a pencil mark and then use a small knife to dig a larger hole (but not much bigger than a pen tip). Carve horizontal lines around the entire pumpkin. You made pencil marks earlier to use as your guide. Use a thin clay loop tool or knife to gouge out the horizontal lines. Follow the pencil markings to keep lines symmetrical. As you cut the lines, avoid cutting into the laser circle. You will need that circle to be surrounded with clean lines. Re-emphasize the centerline of the Death Star. Use the flat clay loop tool to go over the line, deepening and smoothing the line. Widen the fourth horizontal lines using your clay loop tool. Depending on the pumpkin size you may want to re-assess where to create this wider line. Don't make it as wide as the middle line, but wider than the rest. Carve out boxes. Make small vertical cuts every around the pumpkin. Start at the top and work your way around and then downward. Make sure the vertical lines are parallel to the pumpkin veins too. Avoid carving boxes over the laser circle. Deepen box lines after you've created the initial vertical lines using the clay loop tool. Again, you don't want the box lines to be as thick as the midline but large enough to be seen from a distance. Customize the Death Star by carving out different sized geometric rectangular shapes throughout the pumpkin. Use the clay loop tool as you will need to remove the pumpkin flesh to distinguish the rectangles from the rest of the pumpkin. Carve out the laser circle. If you have a round drill bit you can use that to create a smooth surface. Otherwise, carve the circle with the clay loop tool. Hollow out the laser circle and create a smaller circle that goes all the way through the pumpkin. The center circle you created earlier will be your guide. Be careful not to make this circle too large, but large enough so light can shine through. Add finishing touches. These small touches will make all the difference in the world so don't skip this step. Pepper the exterior of the pumpkin with the pumpkin light brites. Once the candle or flashlight has been lit inside the light will illuminate the light brights so select places that you want to sparkle or shine. Add a flashlight or candle inside the pumpkin. If you plan to leave the pumpkin unattended, opt for a battery operated flashlight or battery-powered candle for safety. Finished. EditPrintable Pumpkin Carving Template To use this template, print it out and tape it to your pumpkin wherever it fits best. Try to pick a surface that is relatively free of blemishes, if possible. Then, use a sharp, narrow implement like a toothpick to poke holes through the paper and create a guide that will help you carve your pumpkin. Printable Death Star Pumpkin Template EditVideo EditTips If you make a mistake carving (and perhaps carve too much), keep a tube of glue stick handy. You can always put the pumpkin back together with the glue. Consider using a different colored bulb to illuminate the pumpkin. For an extra eerie effect, try a purple or green bulb. EditSources and Citations http://www.fantasypumpkins.com/carving-the-deathstar.htm

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