There are different ways in which
you can structure your essay, in relation to the text(s) that you are studying
and writing about. You might choose to organise your essay in such a way that
its structure follows the structure of the text(s) you are studying. Alternatively,
you could choose to organise your analysis of the text(s) according to the
different themes that you are looking at, rather than going through it scene
by scene, line by line or chapter by chapter. The advantage of organising
it thematically is that that it can help you to be more focused in the way
you discuss the text. As a result you will be less likely to describe the
text and more likely to offer critical analysis. Ordering your work according
to key issues or themes also helps to show that you have a good knowledge
of the source material. The approach you choose to take might be determined
by what it is that you are doing in the essay. For example, if you were offering
a detailed close reading of a short poem or a particular scene from a play,
it would be entirely appropriate to go through it section by section and so
for the essay’s structure to mirror that of the primary text. An essay
looking at particular thematic concerns of the text would be best organised
thematically.
