Advanced Sample Analysis 1
- If you want to level up your writing, studying an advanced sample analysis is a game-changer.
- It’s not just about seeing what a good paragraph looks like, it’s about understanding how every sentence works together to build a sharp, focused argument.
- You get to see all the moving parts in action: how to introduce a claim, embed evidence smoothly, unpack the effect of a technique, and most importantly, how to link everything back to the author’s purpose.
Let's start off with a sample quote and examine how we can go from analyzing it to writing a full on PEEL paragraph!
Sample Quote:
“She paused at the threshold, light spilling like blood through cracked walls. You must decide before the dawn fails you.”
Step 1: Identify Stylistic Features
- Metaphor / Simile:
- “light spilling like blood”
- Effect: Conjures violent, unsettling imagery. It links the light (often a symbol of hope or clarity) to blood, suggesting danger, violence, or loss. It destabilizes the traditional association of light with safety.
- Imagery:
- “cracked walls”, “dawn fails”
- Effect: Vivid visual details create a crumbling, fragile environment. Suggests decay, instability, or the collapse of something once whole.
- Symbolism:
- “threshold”: Often symbolizes a moment of transition or decision.
- “dawn”: Typically represents hope, new beginnings, or clarity, here, its potential to "fail" implies that time is running out or that hope may vanish.
- Effect: The setting becomes metaphorical for a crucial turning point, a choice between renewal or ruin.
- Imperative voice:
- “You must decide”
- Effect: Directly addresses the reader or character, creating urgency and immediacy. It forces reflection or action and implicates the audience in the decision.
- Tone / Mood:
- Created through the blend of violent imagery and direct address.
- Effect: Foreboding, tense, urgent, a moment that feels both intimate and high-stakes.
- Diction:
- Words like “paused,” “threshold,” “spilling,” “cracked,” “fails” are all carefully chosen.
- Effect: They carry connotations of fragility, interruption, and danger, reinforcing the theme of vulnerability at a critical moment.
- Structure:
- The sentence split: a descriptive clause followed by a terse imperative (“You must decide before the dawn fails you.”)
- Effect: Builds a scene, then hits the reader with immediacy. The shift in rhythm heightens suspense.
Step 2: Put this into a PEEL Paragraph
P (Point):
- Start with a clear argument about what the writer is doing and why.
The writer uses violent imagery and a second-person voice to create a sense of urgency and unease as the character faces a pivotal decision.
E (Evidence):
- Introduce your quote to support your argument.
- You don’t need to plop it in, integrate it naturally.
This is shown in the simile “light spilling like blood through cracked walls” and the command, “You must decide before the dawn fails you.”
E (Explanation):
- Now explain how the technique works.
- Break it down:
- What’s the effect of the imagery?
- Why second person?
- The simile compares light to blood, evoking violence and vulnerability, which contrasts with the usual calmness of dawn. This choice of imagery foreshadows danger and suggests that the stakes are life or death. The “cracked walls” imply decay or instability, suggesting that the setting (and perhaps the character’s mental state) is on the verge of collapse.
- The second-person “you” directly implicates the reader (or the character), making the decision feel urgent and personal. It adds pressure and immediacy, as if time is slipping away.
L (Link):
- Tie it back to your overall argument or purpose.
- Why did the writer use these techniques?
Together, these techniques heighten the emotional tension and reinforce the theme of decisive action under pressure. The writer invites the reader to feel the weight of the choice, emphasizing the internal conflict and unstable environment the character must navigate.
Putting it all together: A Full PEEL Paragraph
The writer uses violent imagery and a second-person voice to create a sense of urgency and unease as the character faces a pivotal decision. This is shown in the simile “light spilling like blood through cracked walls” and the command, “You must decide before the dawn fails you.” The simile evokes a haunting image of light that isn’t comforting but instead threatening, suggesting that the daybreak brings not hope but potential harm. The “cracked walls” further symbolize instability, as if the setting is falling apart, mirroring the inner turmoil the character is experiencing. Meanwhile, the second-person address pulls the reader directly into the scene, creating a feeling of pressure and personal responsibility. The imperative “must decide” strips the character of hesitation, while “before the dawn fails you” suggests that even time, traditionally a neutral or hopeful force, is turning against them. Together, these choices build a suspenseful, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The writer is not simply building a scene, but crafting an emotional experience where the reader feels cornered, like the character. By fusing visceral imagery with a commanding tone, the writer effectively immerses us in the psychological intensity of the moment.
Write an analytical paragraph based on the following extract:
“We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories.”
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Using the PEEL structure (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link), write a paragraph analyzing how Atwood uses literary techniques to explore the theme of gender inequality. You should:
- Identify at least two techniques (e.g. metaphor, tone, structure, imagery, syntax)
- Explain the effect of each technique
- Link your analysis to Atwood’s purpose or message about power or oppression
- Aim to synthesize your analysis of techniques for a more cohesive response
Solution
Level 1
- Identifies a technique with little or no explanation
- No clear PEEL structure
- Misunderstands context or theme
Level 2
- Some attempt to explain a technique
- Purpose is unclear or poorly linked
- Structure is weak or inconsistent
Level 3
- Identifies at least one technique with basic explanation
- Some structure, but limited depth
- Makes some link to gender inequality
Level 4
- Identifies two techniques with accurate effect
- Clear PEEL structure
- Purpose is addressed; some cohesion
Level 5
- Explains techniques with clarity and relevance
- Well-developed PEEL paragraph
- Links techniques to Atwood’s feminist message
Level 6
- Thoughtful and focused analysis of multiple techniques
- Language is fluent and academic
- Consistent references to gender inequality and Atwood’s purpose
Level 7
- Sophisticated, cohesive argument that fully integrates analysis
- Techniques and effects are synthesized
- Purpose is clearly foregrounded and sustained
- Writing is precise and compelling
Sample Level 7 Response
Atwood exposes gender inequality through the metaphor of invisibility in the lines “We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print.” The metaphor suggests that women’s lives exist outside of dominant narratives, excluded, unrecorded, and erased by patriarchal systems. The “blank white spaces” imply silence and censorship, highlighting how women’s experiences are systematically ignored in official histories. This erasure is amplified by the repetition of “We lived”, which foregrounds the quiet endurance of marginalized women. The phrase “the gaps between the stories” reinforces the idea that women are confined to the margins, never central to the social or political discourse. Atwood’s choice of low modality in “it gave us more freedom” also adds irony; while the lack of visibility may offer privacy, it ultimately reflects how oppression disguises itself as autonomy. By combining metaphor, irony, and repetition, Atwood emphasizes that women are not only silenced but made invisible. Her feminist critique challenges the reader to consider how societal structures create gender-based exclusion and how that silence sustains systems of control.
