ENG112 Northern Virginia Community Dynasty TV Show Analysis Essay

ENG112 Northern Virginia Community Dynasty TV Show Analysis Essay

Several steps of the writing process will lead you to your finished product: a TV Show Analysis Essay.

You will create an outline for a 750-1000 word analysis essay on theme of gender in the family TV show you watched, submit the outline for my feedback, and develop the analysis essay.

Your essay will include a clear thesis and well developed key ideas with topic sentences and supporting examples. The essay will also follow the conventional organization of the following three elements:

Introduction: introduces the subject/s being analyzed and, in a thesis statement, states the reason for the analysis and the main ideas/claims that support that reason. Your thesis should be the last sentence in the introduction paragraph. Please underline your thesis.

Body: contains at least three body paragraphs that begin with topic sentences (supporting arguments) that prove your thesis. Each topic sentence should be a reason why your thesis is true.

Conclusion: summarizes the analysis and explains new understanding.

Suggestions to develop the body of the essay:

  • Analyze the characters’ representations of gender (summary does not belong in an analysis!).
  • The thesis and topic sentences should be the strongest, most analytical sentences in your essay.
  • Support each point with specific examples and details from the episodes you watched.
  • Relate each point of analysis back to the thesis.
  • Follow a clear organizational pattern.
  • Include transitional words and phrases to make your observations clear.


Sample thesis statement (Gilmore Girls)

Lorelai in Gilmore Girls fulfills the stereotypical gender role of the mother; however, she also goes against societal expectations by fulfilling the unconventional roles of father and peer.

  1. Write a detailed sentence outline for an analytical essay using information from your notes on the TV show you watched and from discussion in the TV Show Discussions.
  2. Please review the information on Outlines in Unit 2: Writing Resources for Unit 2. Make sure you use (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.MLA format. (All your papers must use this format.)
  3. This outline is a close analysis that will use specific supporting examples from the episodes you watched. You may also include quotes or paraphrases from the selected readings, as long as you cite them correctly. Note: I will not accept general summaries of the shows.
  4. Your sentence outline should:
    • Have a clear introduction, body and conclusion
    • Include the titles of the shows and the episodes (accurately cited according to MLA) (Note: show titles are underlined or italicized and episodes are within quotation marks)
    • Include a clear thesis statement in the Introduction (See sample thesis statement above).
    • Topic sentences for each body paragraph that make arguments that support the thesis
    • Provide, under the topic sentence, specific supporting examples from the episodes (and, optionally, quotes/paraphrases from the readings)
    • Include a conclusion that is related to the thesis