Examples of Student Essays

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Below, please find examples of literary analysis essays that 3rd through 9th grade students have developed during class.  All examples have the elements required for strong analytic paragraphs/essays, which include a clear claim (green), which increases in complexity with age, relevant evidence (yellow) from the text, analysis (orange) logically presented to prove the claim, and an ending (red) which summarizes and eventually extends the argument.  Essays demonstrate sentence variety, strong vocabulary, and literary devices to enhance fluency and engagement. ​

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Formatting Key

     Green: Thesis

     Olive green: topic sentence

     Yellow: Information / Evidence

     Orange: Detailed Analysis

     Red: Ending

     Bold: Strong Vocabulary

     Underlined: literary device​

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3rd Grade

Prompt:  Based on reading Aesop’s fable about the mouse and the lion, describe the mouse’s personality traits and how they help him succeed.                  The mouse is brave and trustworthy and this helps him succeed by overcoming the challenge of facing the lion by making a promise to help the lion. 

          He was brave by not being scared by the lion and making a trade with him so he could save his life. In the story the mouse wimpers ,"Do not eat me. I meant no harm coming so near you. If you would only spare my life, O Lion, I will repay you!”This quote shows that the mouse was able to talk to the lion because he was fearless. This is significant because the mouse is a small creature and he can't fight the lion. He had to talk because it was his only option. Talking to someone who is big and strong is probably very scary, so the mouse showed his bravery by talking to the lion. 

          The mouse is trustworthy because he kept his promise and saved the lion. In the story it says ,“Hearing her loud groans, the Mouse promptly bounded over to rescue the lion.”This quote shows that the mouse helped the lion because he made a promise and that's a sign of trustworthiness. This is significant because he is a small creature and saved something that could hurt him. In this sentence it shows that the lion can rely on him. Because the mouse was trustworthy and brave, he saved the lion and himself. The author wanted us to learn that if you are smart then you can help others and yourself

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4th Grade

Prompt: Describe how Peter feels about Dribble in the first chapter of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

          In the book Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, Peter feels protective, attached, and proud because he has a turtle, Dribble. First, Peter feels protective. When Fudge tries to touch Dribble, Peter screams, "That's my turtle, get it? Mine! You don't touch him." This quote shows that Peter loves Dribble, and he's scared his brother will kill him. This is helpful because Peter is learning care and responsibility. Second, Peter feels attached. When Peter was walking home, he thought to himself, “I named my turtle Dribble while I was walking home.” This quote shows that he gave Dribble a name. This quote shows that Dribble feels like part of the family. This is helpful because Peter will be there when needed. Also, Dribble makes Peter feel elated. Last, Peter feels proud of Dribble. Peter says, “I won Dribble because I guessed there were 348 jelly beans in Mrs. Fargo's jar... My guess was closest.” This quote shows that Peter was lucky that he got the closest answer and that he got Dribble along with it. This is helpful because he believed in himself. In conclusion, Peter feels protective, attached and proud. The lesson is never give up.
 

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Prompt: How did people view Louis Braille

          When Louis Braille was younger, people thought he wasn’t that smart, but then they realized that he was a genius when he invented Braille, and when he died people admired him.

          When he was younger, people thought that Louis Braille wasn’t smart because he was blind, and when he was older, some people still thought negatively about him. The story explains, “Two hundred years ago, if you were blind, you became a beggar.” That means people thought that blind people were unable to get a job or money. That would also mean that there are not a lot of expectations for Louis and that would make him feel sad. Louis is determined and hard working because he didn’t let that deter him. The story states that when Louis was in school, there was a new director and, “This director didn’t like Louis’s dots.” This quote shows that he didn’t have a lot of faith in Louis and didn’t like the dots because they made the students too independent. Louis wasn’t appreciated by the director and there were still people that didn’t approve of his idea and judged him.

          Louis invented a way for blind people to read and write so people praised him. The story shows that when he was a teacher, “Students filled his classes, and he in turn filled them with hope and the promise that they each had something valuable to contribute to the world.” This quote proves that Louis is  inspiring, and is seen as a role model. He’s overcoming the public opinion about blind people. In conclusion, at the beginning of Louis Braille’s life, people thought he wasn’t smart and thought negatively about him, but at the end of his life, people were supportive, and even built a statue of him. This proves that blind people can do the same things as people with two working eyes. 

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5th Grade

Prompt: Based on the excerpt from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, explain how the narrator feels about adults. Format: a single body paragraph with 3 quotes.

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          “The Little Prince” by Antonie de Saint-Exupéry is about a kid who draws a picture of a boa constrictor which adults cannot understand, but then he meets a six inch tall alien who understands him. The narrator in the story thinks grown-ups are biased, absurdly boring, and lack creativity.   When describing grown-ups, the narrator states, “When you tell [adults] that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, ‘What games do they love best? Do they collect butterflies ?’ Instead, they demand: ‘How old are they? . . .How much money do their parents make?’”This quote shows that adults cannot ask creative questions. They are boring and they love to ask questions about status. Next, the author believes that adults are biased. When describing an astronomer at a space conference, the narrator declared, ”He was dressed in Turkish [fashion] and so nobody would believe what he said. Grown-ups are like that …”This proves that adults don't accept people who are different from them, and they are insanely judgemental. Additionally, if you were judgemental your kids wouldn't be able to make a single friend because you would be a terrible influence!  Finally, the narrator says adults are awfully boring.When the narrator showed grown-ups his picture, he stated, “The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar.” This proves that adults ARE NOT creative and only care about boring academic subjects. This is harmful to all adults because it will suppress their creativity and  make life devilishly boring. Also, adults won't have any personality, which means they'll have one friend (who’s a ghost) and they WILL NOT try ANYTHING new. They'll miss out on any opportunities for success or friendship and they will have NO emotions. They will also be sad just like a kitty cat (no offense to kitty cats.) In conclusion, the narrator in the story thinks adults are extremely biased, judgemental and dry as dust! This story shows that to have success in life, you need to not be aridly boring.

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6th Grade 

Prompt: In Aesop’s fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, explain the grasshopper’s point of view​​​

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1st 6th-grade example: 

          Aesop is a famous writer from 2,500 years ago whose short stories are still read today. In one of his fables, The Ant and the Grasshopper,  a Grasshopper frolics all summer. The grasshopper’s irresponsible attitude resulted in him having to beg for food in Winter. The GrassHopper is blithe and adamant against completing any work that he doesn’t feel is suitable to him which leads to his offending other people.  

          In this fable, the grasshopper is very blithe. The grasshopper sees an ant working hard to collect food for the winter, the grasshopper says, “I watched the ant scurry back and forth gathering food – insects,  flies, grains of wheat – anything she could  find, never once stopping to admire the glorious day or relax in the rays.”The grasshopper doesn’t acknowledge the fact that the ant is working hard because he is thinking about being chill, carefree and calm. As he watches the ant, the first thing he notices is that the ant isn’t taking a moment to relax. He didn’t notice she was working hard.This shows that he is blithe because when he saw the ant, he didn’t commend her hard-working actions; he was confused and almost disturbed by it. This attitude will offend people because he doesn’t understand the hard work of those who aren’t carefree. When he makes comments about people doing their jobs, the comments will offend people and they think the grasshopper doesn’t commend their work.  

          The grasshopper is adamant against completing any work that isn't suitable to him. The grasshopper watches the ant and then comments, “Take it easy there, Ant! I don’t understand why you’re working so hard. The day is long! Food is plentiful. Come and rest awhile, and listen to my latest melody.” The grasshopper is strongly opinionated against completing work he doesn’t want to do, like a toddler not wanting to eat vegetables.. He doesn’t know why people work hard to do arduous tasks and not sit back, relax and have fun. Even though the Ant and the Grasshopper both work hard (GH sings and Ant collects food), he doesn't acknowledge that working for food is going to be more helpful in the end. People will eventually think less of him because he doesn’t work as courageously as others do and shames people who do work that hard.

The grasshopper does not admire other people's jobs and is only focused on his. He speaks of himself in a higher manner, offends people and discourages their work and in the end the hate goes back to him. The moral of the story is that when you aren’t kind towards people they will think lowly of you. The result is that you will lose friends and become lonely

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2nd example: ​​​​​​​

         Everyone has a different idea of hard work. In Aesop’s fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, both the ant and the grasshopper think that they worked the hardest at whatever they did. The grasshopper believes that entertainment is equally as important as collecting food, that everyone should be kind and generous to each other, and that he is entitled to some of the ant’s food because he worked hard providing entertainment that motivated the ant. 

          The grasshopper feels that entertainment is just as important as food. The grasshopper explains, “We each have our own talents, I had thought as I watched others doing their own work. Sure, singing is more fun than lugging heavy food, but we both did what we could.” The grasshopper believes that everyone has a different skill set, and that the entertainment he provides is just as important as the food gathered by the ant. The grasshopper presumes that everyone who contributes what they can will still get a fair share of any benefits that are the outcome of the work that they did. The grasshopper also assumes that he is entitled to some of the ant’s food. In the story, the grasshopper “recalled how [the ant] would sway to my music as he carried whatever he found back to his nest with his friends.” The grasshopper thinks the music that the grasshopper provided motivated the ant to keep gathering food, so the grasshopper wants some form of payment for that entertainment. The grasshopper feels like the ant is being hypocritical because the ant refuses to give food and acts like entertainment is not important, when in reality, the ant benefited from the entertainment that the grasshopper provided.

          The grasshopper expects everyone to be kind and helpful, like he was by providing entertainment.  When the ant refused to give the grasshopper food, he “ wondered how someone could be so unkind. I promised myself I would always help others, unlike this ant.” The grasshopper feels that the ant is harsh and inconsiderate because he refuses to give the grasshopper the food he deserves for providing entertainment that the ant benefited from. Because of this, the grasshopper also has an outlook that everyone should be kind to benefit society. The grasshopper thinks that he is the better person because he shared the talents that he had with everyone, unlike the ant who only gathered food for himself. He thinks that kindness means being dedicated to helping others by doing what is possible. In conclusion, the grasshopper feels like he equally contributed to finding food, that he deserves some of the food, and that everyone should be kind and generous. The lesson of the story is that being a kind person will result in others liking you and will make the world a better place.​​

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8th Grade

Prompt: Identify a literary device Macklemore uses to convey a message in his rap, Wing$.

Format: Single-body paragraph essay.

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          Through the use of imagery in the rap Wing$, by Macklemore, the author portrays his bliss as a young child receiving a popularized item he truly desired and feeling unstoppable, but eventually realizing what he wears doesn’t define him, and that huge companies, when fueled by the extreme desire for profit, can overpraise items. After Macklemore tried playing basketball with his new shoes on, he hollered, “I touched the net, momma I touched the net, this is the best day of my life.” This quote shows the exhilaration and empowered feeling he feels after purchasing a praised product. The child feels like he can do anything he desires, and he thinks that he is going to be able to succeed in what he loves only because he has his shoes. Macklemore admits, “On the court I wasn't the best, but my kicks were like the pros.” This quote shows that although he couldn’t compete with his peers skill-wise, he still felt confident because his shoes made him feel just as special. Macklemore later reflects and comments, “See it consumed my thoughts…/ Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk.”  This quote shows precisely that his opinions and common sense were being restricted by persuasive advertising. He feels that he is no longer thinking independently; he is too worried about appearing cool, and constantly looking up to par that he no longer had his own sensational style. This is significant as it demonstrates how advertising can draw people of any age into purchasing something they didn’t need. Especially at a young age, these thoughts may lead to overspending and poor financial choices later in life. He may also have more self-doubt, and over time, his connections with his friends might dim if he blindly believes stereotypes. Macklemore’s realization will help him be more cautious and think for himself, avoiding further disappointment and tricks. Additionally, Macklemore will rely on others less, leading to him being more open-minded and analyzing concepts for himself. As he explores new concepts, he may learn more about others, making other people feel acknowledged and valued, therefore increasing his connection with them. Macklemore describes the feeling of only letting himself be driven by the encouraging, consumerism-fueled words he was being fed, and letting himself believe that he needs popular items to succeed. He warns readers how easy it is to fall for the alluring trap to buy products just to feel fulfilled.

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Prompt:How is the theme of moral superiority portrayed in The Most Dangerous Game

          In the short story, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, the theme of moral superiority is depicted through General Zaroff’s biased view of the world and emphasized through his inhumane actions and impulsive language, showing that hierarchy is pernicious to society. 

          One way General Zaroff displays his prejudices is through his actions, illustrated by his aggressive nature towards hunters on his island including Rainsford. In the story, the General boasts about his training school disclosing, “I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They're from the Spanish bark San Lucar that had the bad luck to go on the rocks out there. A very inferior lot, I regret to say. Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle." He raised his hand, and Ivan, who served as waiter, brought thick Turkish coffee. Rainsford, with an effort, held his tongue in check.” (122) The general notifies Rainsford that his school takes place in the cellar, which is usually under the main floors of a house. This symbolizes the General's perspective on his place in society’s hierarchy because he is placing people who he considers unworthy and inferior physically below him. Additionally, when the general raises his hand and Ivan brings him food it shows how he thinks of people of certain races like Ivan as inferior and believes that they should devote themselves to care for him. In Zaroff’s mind, if a person does not meet his social requirements for worth, the general believes he has the right to use them to his advantage because they are below him and do not serve any other purpose in life than to serve others. Also, when Rainsford decides to "hold his tongue" in regard to speaking his own opinion and offending the General it is clear how great the general’s actions influence Rainsford’s decisions. He fears the general will have a negative reaction to his opinion about Zaroff's cruel actions. Namely, Rainsford does not want to threaten his reputation even more. The General’s aggressive actions and behavior are having a directly negative effect on Ransfords actions and thoughts, preventing him from speaking his mind and being true to himself. 

***remainder excluded for brevity

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8th Grade:

Prompt: Explain how the opening passage of The Westing Game helps the reader understand Turtle’s personality. Word limit: 300.

     The opening passage in The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin reveals that Turtle is arrogant and vain, which makes her more likely to experience gullibility, likely resulting in allowing others to easily take advantage of her. When she approached some people talking, one thought,  ”Touch her precious pigtails, even by accident, she’ll kick you in the shins, the brat.” Turtle is notorious in her neighborhood for her vanity and retaliatory nature. She appears self-absorbed. However, her behavior is merely a facade to hide the fact that her mother views her as abnormal compared to her lovely sister, Angela. By acting violent and cruel towards others, she has become infamous, and hopes her mother will notice that she has become the exact antithesis of what her mother demands from a daughter. Unfortunately, this hinders Turtle in that she has achieved notoriety in her neighborhood, which presents the image that she is spoiled and self-obsessed. People feel wary of her and are cautious to start relationships with her. This limits her growth, isolates her, and drags her further down the hall of self-loathing without support from others. In order to keep up her facade of egotism, she accepts dares rather naively and is susceptible to gullibility. Her perceived arrogance leads to others being discouraged from starting friendships with her because she has an unpleasant reputation. She creates a mask for others and herself to hide her pain, but it provides her no joy, and she only receives a deep pain that originates from the absence of love and aspiration to gain infamy, until the mask eclipses Turtle, and the girl she once was is lost to years of pain.  

Word count:  289

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8th Grade:

Prompt: What does Rashad's art indicate about his racial views or understanding of racism?​​

          In the book All American Boys by Jason Reynolds, Rashad is a 16-year-old artist unjustly attacked by a police officer due to his race. His experience of racially-driven police brutality motivates him to change his art to no longer reflect that he views himself abnormally compared to white people. As the story progresses, he discovers his self-worth through art, which opens up his mind, and helps him recover from his attack.

          ​Rashad’s original racial view was defined by the media; black people were inferior to white people and were incapable of having normal lives. Rashad explains why he held onto these stereotypes when he says, ”Maybe I was fascinated by the fact that it seemed like white families, at least in comics, lived simple, easy lives.”  Rashad’s favorite comic book is about a normal average white family, which he believes is much different than his own black family. Rashad had internalized stereotypes that white people live easier lives than non-white people and that non-white people are abnormal. Because of this, he felt a sense of diminished self-worth due to never seeing himself, a black man, portrayed as worthy of recognition or even portrayed at all in the media.  He was spoon-fed the image of a perfect white family his whole life through society and the media, making him believe that whites are normal. Black people were invisible to the media and this led him to believe that he was not worthy of recognition, and that black people weren’t either. 

          As the story develops, Rashad, through his art, discovers his self-worth and that black people deserve recognition. He explains his artwork to a nurse, ”Anyway, all of us looking at the scene see the person who has the hand put through his chest. The dude with his heart torn out. It’s impossible to ignore him. He has a face. He deserves a face.” Rashad originally drew only generic white families that he saw in his comic books, encased in a peephole. But later, Rashad grows more confident and draws black people, though his subjects have no features, reflecting his lack of self-worth. But through his art, Rashad relives his traumatic experience of being attacked and that shows how much stronger he is than the world and media are trying to tell him. Once Rashad sees past the lies and stereotypes he had been subject to his whole life, and he realizes that he is powerful, he starts drawing black his subjects with faces and features. His empowerment led to the realization that other black people are probably struggling like him, caught in the bonds of racism, so Rashad tries to spread the message of empowerment and equality through his art. Rashad was evidently affected by black people’s lack of representation in the media, and something as simple as a comic book could affect his self-worth. Rashad is able to break free of the stereotypes he’s been fed, but most people aren’t able to, and it is an example of dereliction of duty on the media’s part for continuing to perpetuate a false narrative, which is the antithesis of what media’s purpose is; revealing the truth and providing entertainment for all.

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9th Grade:

Prompt: Explain Holden's defense mechanisms.

          Accepting the responsibilities that come as one matures can be difficult. However, acceptance is vital to developing fully as an adult. In the first chapter of the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden, is a teenager who fears growing beyond his juvenile innocence. To prevent having to mature, he purposefully fails out of school and distances himself from his friends and family. His actions make him appear haughty, thus keeping others from understanding his vulnerabilities. Holden hides his authentic self behind a barrier of juvenile arrogance to protect himself from others' perceptions of him, which allows him to preserve his innocence. 

          ​Holden adopts an immature image that makes others expect less of him, preventing him from maturing. In an effort to insight disappointment, he ignores his “frequent warnings to start applying [him]self” and nonchalantly explains “but I didn’t do it. So I got the ax.”  He allows himself to fail out of school. Holden behaves as though he does not care about succeeding in school, which lowers his parent's expectations for him because they won’t pressure him to do well. He also acts like school is unimportant by saying “But I didn’t do it”, as though it as simple as whether or not to stop and get coffee in the morning.  This ignorant behavior stunts his emotional advancements because it prevents him from having to take on responsibility, thus enabling him to stop working and deny opportunities. Ceasing all work efforts can lead to numerous devastating familial scenarios that keep Holden from progressing in his personal life.

          Holden maintains  a distance between himself and everyone else to keep their judgement from affecting him, allowing himself to evade growing. He does not want to appear attached to others, so Holden expresses judgment towards them by claiming “that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father.”  Holden’s apparent perception of his parents allows him to keep an emotional distance from them. His complaining has a tone of superiority that allows him to function as though he does not care. These insolent words prevent him from having to grow as an individual because he speaks as though he is emotionless and reckless. His mindset could not only stunt the growth of his relationships, but the maturity and responsibility that Holden will one day have to face. Ultimately, his snobbish words are used as an emotional barrier between himself and other’s which significantly lowered their expectations of him.  

          Holden’s biggest fear is that if he is honest with other’s then they will dislike him for who he truly is.  Holden distances himself from other’s because he believes that when they inevitably judge him that it will hurt less if there is a barrier between them. The fear of judgement is one that most teenagers have, but a part of maturing is learning to overcome that fear and be authentic despite it. The value of being authentic is that one can be happy with oneself. If one cannot be authentic, then it will prevent them from growing and it will keep them stuck living in their past innocence which becomes ignorance. 

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