Collect any notes you compiled while reading. These will include, but are not limited to, your analysis and thoughts, paraphrased ideas and quotations. Use this material later to write the body of your paper.
Choose from the list of provided topics or, if none were provided, choose your own topic. Consider such topics as democracy and self-determination, capitalism and the free-market economy, or liberty and freedom as they relate to your reading. American literature often deals with these founding ideas and philosophies of America.
Discuss any and all ideas with your American literature teacher. Giving voice to your thoughts and essay plans helps clarify your message and confirms you are addressing and analyzing your topic correctly.
Write your introduction, ending it with the thesis statement, a clear definition of what your paper will explain. According to Purdue University's Online Writing Lab, "It is essential that this statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment." The more concise your thesis statement is, the more concise your writing will be.
Define the key ideas that will help build the overall point of your paper---your thesis statement. Devote a paragraph to each idea, backing up these points and filling the paragraph with the notes and analysis collected from your reading.
Write smooth transitions connecting each paragraph. Purdue University's Online Writing Lab explains, "Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay's argument, and the structure will collapse."
End your paper with a conclusion, which should act as a summary for your essay, reference your thesis statement and repeat the key ideas of your essay. Tie all of your thoughts and ideas together, hammering home your argument.