1000 words book analysis, due 48 hours
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ENGL101CWeek1-ModesofLiteraryAnalysis.pptxModes of literary analysis
ENGL 101 – Sarah Brown
What is literature?
“Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it but molds it to its purpose.” –Oscar Wilde
Literature may depict examples of culture and attitudes of the time; it may also alter the culture itself
LITERARY GENRES
BY LENGTH:
Short Story: 3,000-10,000 words
Novella: 17,000-40,000 words
Novel: 40,000+ words
BY STYLE:
Realist
Fantasy
Fable
Satire
Picaresque
Gothic
Mystery
Science fiction
STARTING STORY ANALYSIS: TIPS FROM Norton Anthology
Find a story/passage that truly engages you
Locate some aspect of it that especially interests you: the nature of characters, the language, the conflict, how it reflects the values of its time and place
Familiarize yourself with the language of criticism
DON’T only summarize the plot
Determine your interpretation; find secondary sources which agree with you or help provide evidence
Theme
The theme of a story is the underlying message which the author is trying to convey to the reader. They often try to comment on human nature or society.
Some popular story themes include:
the difficult nature of love
cultural conflict
isolation or loneliness in society
the dangers of power
the loss of innocence
KEY analysis TERMS
Theme: what do we think the “point”/overall message of the story is?
Setting: how does the place/time period/social situation inform the theme?
Plot: how does the series of events build suspense/intrigue about the characters or theme?
Character: are we learning about main characters using internal monologue vs. dialogue? What does this choice reveal about how much we can learn about them?
KEY ANALYSIS TERMS, ConTINUED
Point-of-View: how close or distant are we to the characters?
Symbolism: which repetitive symbols/images, for what effect?
Genre: what does the genre tell us about what the author is trying to achieve?
Learning to Determine Symbolism
What qualities does the colour red have? Which emotions or feelings are associated with this colour?
Authorial Intent
What do we believe the author was trying to say (about culture, about human nature) while writing this story?
First step (after understanding plot): determine your interpretation of the theme
Is there a ‘wrong’ way to interpret literature?
Theme is interpreted by scholars and their interpretations can be vastly different and creative, although their opinion may differ from the author’s original intent.
Still, interpretation must be well-researched, use fitting citations from the text, and create a compelling and believable argument.
Analysis practice
Choose a storyline (a fable or the story of a book or movie) and begin to analyze the elements of fiction which make up the story.
What is the plot of the story?
Who are the characters?
What is the setting? (Place/time/social situation)
Is there any symbolism? Do certain things, words, or characters represent meaning associated with the theme?
