How do I write an introduction to an English literature essay?

For this answer I will be using the example question "Much American literature is based on the fantasy of the American Dream. Discuss." applied to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The first two sentences of your introduction should establish the basic information of your text/s, e.g. the author, date written and a brief plot summary. Then, you should construct a one-sentence thesis which explains what you will be arguing in your essay. Your thesis needs to do more than simply restate the question in connection with the text, e.g. "The Great Gatsby is based on the fantasy of the American Dream". It needs to demonstrate your personal take on the text. For example, "Jay Gatsby exemplifies the pioneer of the American Dream in The Great Gatbsy, however his inability to win Daisy and eventual death demonstrates that it is an unattainable fantasy." Finally, you should clearly lay out the topics you will be discussing in this essay, e.g. money, society and women. This will help you later when you come to structuring the main body of your essay.