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How to Write an Introduction for a Literary Research Paper

A literary research paper is generally a paper that is analyzing some type of literature or a particular piece of literature, such as a novel or poem. Generally, you will only focus on one particular aspect of the literature, like the theme or a certain character's development. One of the most important parts of writing the literary research paper is the introduction. In the introduction, you introduce the literature you are writing about, what your main arguments are and your thesis statement.

Instructions

- 1
  State the literary work that is the subject of your literary research paper. Mention the author's name as well.
- 2
  Explain the basic topic of your research paper. For example, you might be discussing a particular theme and how it is demonstrated throughout the work.
- 3
  Talk about why the subject you have chosen is significant and worth discussing at greater length. For example, the subject you are discussing may affect the literary work in a profound way.
- 4
  Give a brief overview of the main arguments that you will use to defend what you are discussing. For example, you might use three main examples from the text to demonstrate the theme you are discussing.
- 5
  Include your thesis statement at the end of the introduction. The thesis statement should sum up the purpose of your literary research paper and the argument you are making, such as the existence or significance of a theme, in one sentence.

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