Writing the Analytical Essay

The run-down:
1. Checking our assignment.
2. Brainstorming ideas.
3. Finding quotes.
4. Creating a thesis.
5. Establishing a structure.
6. Starting with what’s natural.
7. Filling in the details.
8. Compiling and Revising
 Check the Assignment:
Prompt: In a 3 page essay, address the following prompt: Apply
Hemingway’s Iceberg theory of writing to our reading of The
Sun Also Rises. Quote at least 3 examples of Hemingway’s
Iceberg style, explaining the effectiveness of his style and the
hidden meaning underneath the minimalist expression. In other
words, describe 3 different areas where Hemingway uses
understatement, and express an opinion on whether or not it is
effective. Exemplary papers will explore the strength of
Hemingway’s style, yet will offer a critique of the limits of the
minimalist style.
 Check the rubric:
A 10 has all the qualities of a 9, but is more mature in
style, strength of argument, and has no errors.

A 9 displays a strong grasp of Papa’s style and offers

relevant commentary on Hemingway’s use of
understatement. It also explores the limits of
understatement and what – potentially – is lost in the
brevity of verse. It has a clear thesis and the argument
is organized, makes sense, and cites the text. It has few
to no errors in punctuation, formatting (MLA), and is (at
least) 3 pages in length.
 So what we know so far:
• 3 pages
• At least 3 quotes
• We’re talking about minimalism and
understatement.
• We have to critique (show something
negative) about minimalism.
Now, we brainstorm.
 Qualities of Minimalist Style:
• Short, simple, declarative sentences.
• Terse dialogue.
• Lack of description.
• Rapid-fire dialogue.
• Eliminates extraneous details.
 Positives
• Engages reader by allowing
them to interpret the text.
• Allows for different
meanings, which appeals to
different reader’s
experiences.
• Easy to read /
straightforward.
• Allows for clever
understatement / pithy
remarks.
• Reader as participator in
story.
/ Negatives
• Can lead to
confusion because
of missing
information.
• Lack of description
can become boring.
• Lack of creative
language can make
prose bland.
Next, we add in quotes (only need 3).

Positive examples: Negative example:

• You’re not a moron. • I’m not joking you. I
You’re only a case never joke people. Joke
of arrested people and you make
development. enemies. That’s what I
(Harvey Stone, 51) always say. (Count M.,
65)
• Love you? I simply
turn all to jelly when
you touch me. (Lady
Brett Ashley, 34)
 Initial commentary:
• “You’re not a…”Clever, pithy statement creates engaging
dialogue. Engaging way to reveal Cohn’s true problem - using a
minor character to articulate what the major character is always
thinking.
• “Love you…” Shows, through indirect comment, Brett’s true
feelings. By not overstating feelings, we are left to add in our
own experience in falling in love.

• “I’m not joking…” Choppy, dry sentences. Dialogue sounds

forced, even a little cliché (“that’s what I always say.”). Also,
very ambiguous what author is implying. Should we sympathize
with the Count, who we barely know, or Brett, who we know well
and already have some kind of connection with?
 Slimming down those ideas into:

• Clever, pithy statements are engaging.

• Allows reader to add in true emotion.
• Ambiguous comments can lead to
confusion.
 Now, we write our thesis:
Hemingway’s use of understatement
creates pithy, clever moments that engage
the reader by allowing space for
interpretation. But, he does this at the cost
of misunderstanding and confusion, which
can lead to unintentional tension in the
text.
 Before we begin our actual writing, a
forethought from Strunk and White…

“Write in a way that comes

easily and naturally to you,
using words and phrases that
come readily to hand.”
And Anne Lamott…
For me and most of the other
writers I know, writing is not
rapturous. In fact, the only way I
can get anything written at all is to
write really, really bad first drafts.

The first draft is the child's draft,

where you let it all pour out and
then let it romp all over the place,
knowing that no one is going to
see it and that you can shape it
later.
 And next, we establish a structure.
I. Introduction
A. Broad introduction to my topic.
B. Relating to the prompt.
C. Big-time thesis, making bold claim.
II. Body Paragraph
A. What am I going to teach you today? (Purpose)
B. Here’s why what I have to say is so good. (Concrete Detail)
C. To help you understand. (Commentary)
D. To remind you of what I just said. OR To transition nicely. (Summary)
III. Body Paragraph
A. I’m going to elaborate on my point. OR Make a new point. (Purpose)
B. Here’s a genius insight. (Commentary)
C. Here’s some insurance, to prove I’m right. (Concrete Detail)
D. Here’s how that ties in. (Commentary)
E. To remind you of what I just said. OR To transition nicely. (Summary)
IV. Body Paragraph
A. Now, I’m going to offer the other side of the story. (Purpose)
B. Remember, this is what I’d already established. (Commentary)
C. But, now I want to explore this. (More Commentary)
D. Here’s an example. (Concrete Detail)
E. Let me explain what I mean. (Commentary)
F. Now, do you see how that works, too? (Commentary)
V. Conclusion
A. Although I just showed something different, I like what I first said.
B. Do you remember? Oh, I’ll tell you.
C. And, just to make you feel good, I’m going to end with a nice, round, fulfilling sentence.
 Then, we fill in the details with
concise, efficient language.
“Vigorous writing is concise. A
sentence should contain no
unnecessary words, a paragraph
no unnecessary sentences, for QuickTime™ and a

the same reason that a drawing

TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

should have no unnecessary

lines and a machine no
unnecessary parts.”
 Introductory Paragraph:
Ernest Hemingway’s life mimicked the adventures found
A. Broad introduction to my topic.
in his novels. He lived big although he wrote, in a sense, very
small. Henry James commented on Hemingway’s life and writing
by saying, “Giants of his sort are truly modest; there is much
more behind Hemingway's form than people know.”
Perhaps Hemingway’s size and depth of experience gave him
B. Relating
the confidence toa sparse,
to write in the prompt.
understated style.
Hemingway’s use of understatement creates pithy, clever
moments that engage the reader by allowing space for
interpretation. But, he does this at the cost of misunderstanding
C.Thesis,
and confusion, whichmaking bold claim.
can lead to unintentional tension in the
text.
 Body 1:
Hemingway’s use of the catchy, pithy, understated comment
engages A.
the reader
Whatinamthe text. His creativity
I going to teachis you
revealed through the brevity
today?
of verse, and when executed properly, his remarks are catchy and
(Purpose)
memorable sound-bites.
Harvey, while talking/interrogating Cohn comments, “You’re not a
B. Here’s why what I have to say is so good.
moron. You’re only a case of arrested development.” (51)
(Concrete Detail)
While this comment may have been lost on Cohn, the reader fully
understands Harvey’s biting remark. And although this example is an
C. ToHemingway’s
explicit insult, help you understand.
iceberg style is revealed through his choice
in character. (Commentary)
He chooses Harvey, not Jake, to articulate an idea Jake
thinks throughout the novel. For Hemingway, Jake is too timid to voice
this opinion outright, but through an indirect comment from Harvey,
Hemingway validates the reader’s suspicion that Cohn is socially
underdeveloped.
This example of indirect character commentary is also mimicked in
• To transition nicely.
Hemingway’s usage of indirect comments, directly from the character.
(Summary)
 Body 2
A. I’m going
Hemingway’s icebergtoiselaborate on my
shown clearly point.
through the understated,
(Purpose) held between characters.
reserved, tense conversations
B.
When presenting Here’s
Brett andaJake’s
genius insight. Hemingway often skirts explicit
relationship,
language, and allows the reader to grasp, through intonation, the character’s true
(Commentary)
feelings.
When Brett
C. Ashley says, “Love
Here’s some you? I simplyto
insurance, turn all to I’m
prove jelly right.
when you touch
me,” (34) she does not explicitly
(Concrete answer Jake’s straightforward question.
Detail)
Instead,D.
she brings the reader
Here’s howinto
thatherties
feelings,
in. giving us a sense - a feeling -
of her tempestuous emotions. Hemingway’s rhetorical question, “Love you?”
(Commentary)
speaks volumes more than a “Yes,” or “Of course.”
Our imagination
E. fills
To in the gapsyou
remind andof
wewhat
are able to align
I just said.ourselves with Brett’s
emotions by interpreting them from our own experience. This is a masterful
(Summary)
example of understatement’s potency. Here, less is more.
 Body 3
A.Although Hemingway’s
Now, I’m goingusetoofoffer
understatement, indirect
the other side of character
the story.
commentary, and subtle commentary is mostly successful. But, there are
(Purpose)
moments when his style is found wanting.
B. Remember, this is what I’d already established.
(Commentary)
Hemingway’s
C. scarcity of detail
But, now can lead
I want to dry prose
to explore this.and Hemingway’s “iceberg”
ambiguity can lead to unintended
(More tension for the reader.
Commentary)
During Jake
D. and Brett’s
Here’sconversation
an example. with Count Mippopolous, the Count says,
“I’m not joking you. I never joke people. Joke people and you make enemies.
(Concrete Detail)
That’s what I always say.” (65)
The cliché, “that’s what I always say,” ends the sentence without the pomp and
E. prose.
rigor of strong Let And
me explain what I comment,
with the Count’s mean. the reader becomes torn.
(Commentary)
Do we now side with the Count, who obviously presents sage advice? Or do we
stay loyal to Brett, a character we have known longer and sympathize with. This
unintentional tension creates an issue of fidelity for the reader.
While Hemingway’s minimalist prose often serves his purpose well, it is not without
F. Now, do you see how that works, too?
it’s occasional weaknesses.
 Conclusion
A.Much like an iceberg,
Although I just Hemingway’s infrequent surface
showed something breaches
different, I in
style arelike
greatly
what outweighed by his frequent submerged, subtle prosaic
I first said.
victories.
Papa’s prose allows readers to interact with the text in an individual way, as
each reader brings his or her own experiences, reading them into Hemingway’s
literary framework. Papa gives us the skeleton, and we provide the blood,
B. Do you remember? Oh, I’ll tell you.
muscle, and flesh to fill the gaps in his prose.

Perhaps Hemingway’s size lent him confidence, and perhaps his confidence
C. to
allowed him And,
trust just to make
the reader you
to grasp the feel good,part
underwater I’mofgoing to
the iceberg.
end
Or, maybe with
Papa simplya nice,
wantedround, fulfilling sentence.
us to imagine/write what he felt went better
unsaid.
 Now, we compile.

And then, we revise.

 The summary:
1. Checking our assignment.
2. Brainstorming ideas.
3. Finding quotes.
4. Creating a thesis.
5. Establishing a structure.
6. Starting with what’s natural.
7. Filling in the details.
8. Compiling and Revising
Fin.