Establish your topic. Once you have determined what piece of literature you will be analyzing, ask questions about it. Probing deeper into the meaning of the text is the primary purpose of the interpretive essay. Therefore, your first task will involve attempting to see the patterns or themes within the text that reveal clues into the deeper meaning. Perhaps the author uses irony or some other literary device throughout the work that reveals what that deeper meaning is. Make a list of all the possible symbols and clues and use these for later content in your essay. This is a process that an article on the University of North Carolina website refers to as "demystifying the process."
Establish your thesis. Once you have discerned the deeper meaning of the text, you need to make a working statement that will set the stage for the rest of your paper. Your thesis statement lays out your interpretation of the literature and sets the stage for the rest of your paper, which will provide the supporting evidence to support the thesis.
Create an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and stay on track throughout the essay. A good interpretive essay will include a thesis statement, introduction, essay body and a conclusion. The body of the essay should make three to five arguments in support of your thesis. These are the evidence that you provide to indicate that your interpretation is correct.
Cite additional evidence to support your thesis throughout the body of your essay. Ideally, an interpretive essay contains analysis that is mostly your own, but using the work of other scholars is a way to validate your own thesis. One of the best ways to gather this additional material is to simply conduct a search using your school's academic database search engine. You may be able to access this type of material through a public library also.
Conclude your paper by reiterating your thesis statement and tying all the evidence together. A strong conclusion will summarize the content of the entire paper in just one or two sentences and finish the paper