Literary Argumentation

thesis

expresses an interpretation of a literary text and requires a defense

interpretation

explanation of something not obvious or not meaning the same thing to everyone

line of reasoning

the logical sequence of claims that work together to defend the overarching thesis statement.

claim

a statement that requires defense with evidence from the text.

textual evidence

evidence from a text (fiction or nonfiction) that you can use to illustrate your ideas and support your arguments

commentary

a series of notes clarifying or explaining the logical relationship between the overarching thesis statement and the claims/evidence within the body of an essay

coherence

A principle demanding that the parts of any composition be arranged so that the meaning of the whole may be immediately clear and intelligible.