LITERARY ANALYSISLITERARY ANALYSIS

Ensures accuracy of Ensures accuracy of interpretationinterpretation

Protects against Protects against uncritical stock uncritical stock responsesresponses

Enables suspension Enables suspension of judgment until all of judgment until all aspects of the story aspects of the story are understoodare understood

The Basic Questions forThe Basic Questions for AAnalysisnalysis

Is this commercial or literary Is this commercial or literary fiction? fiction?

What happens, to whom, and What happens, to whom, and why?why?

What is the author’s purpose?What is the author’s purpose?

What is the theme?What is the theme?

Equation of Literary Equation of Literary ElementsElements

Plot +Plot + Setting +Setting +

Characterization +Characterization + Title +Title +

Point of view +Point of view + Symbolism =Symbolism =

________________________ THEMETHEME

Plot Analysis:Plot Analysis: 4 key elements of plot4 key elements of plot

Exposition

Complication

Climax

Denouement

PLOT

=

CONFLICT

Four Types of ConflictFour Types of Conflict

PersonPerson againstagainst PersonPerson

PersonPerson againstagainst SelfSelf

Person Person againstagainst EnvironmentEnvironment

Person Person againstagainst God God

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Questions to ask about Questions to ask about PlotPlot

What types of conflict occur and What types of conflict occur and why?why?

What truth does the conflict What truth does the conflict reveal about the characters?reveal about the characters?

Is any conflict left unresolved Is any conflict left unresolved and for what purpose? and for what purpose?

Analysis of Setting: Analysis of Setting: two main types of two main types of settingssettings

Natural Setting-may be hostile or friendly

Artificial Setting-reveals the character of those who create or inhabit it

Aspects of SettingAspects of Setting

DateDate Time of day or Time of day or

nightnight Amount of lightAmount of light Flora and faunaFlora and fauna SoundsSounds

Geographical Geographical locationlocation

WeatherWeather ClothingClothing SmellsSmells Other Other

descriptive descriptive elements elements

Questions to ask about Questions to ask about SettingSetting

Where and when is it?Where and when is it?

What effect does the author What effect does the author achieve by using this setting?achieve by using this setting?

What impact does it have on What impact does it have on the characters, the tone, and the characters, the tone, and the theme?the theme?

Character Analysis: Character Analysis: E.M. Forster’s three character E.M. Forster’s three character typestypes

Flat: Flat: • Whitney, the sailor in Whitney, the sailor in The Most The Most

Dangerous Game Dangerous Game Round: Round:

• the grandmother in the grandmother in A Good Man is Hard A Good Man is Hard to Findto Find

Stock: Stock: • Mr. Summers and many of the Mr. Summers and many of the

townspeople in townspeople in The LotteryThe Lottery

Characterization: Characterization: two other two other

classificationsclassifications

StaticStatic• No change from beginning to endNo change from beginning to end

– Mother in “Rocking Horse Winner”Mother in “Rocking Horse Winner”

DevelopingDeveloping• A distinct change occurs, usually A distinct change occurs, usually

marked by an epiphanymarked by an epiphany– Granny WeatherallGranny Weatherall

EPIPHANYEPIPHANY

Defined by James Joyce as Defined by James Joyce as a moment of spiritual insight a moment of spiritual insight

into life or into the character’s into life or into the character’s own circumstances.own circumstances.

Example--Example-- Why, you’re one of my babies. You’re Why, you’re one of my babies. You’re

one of my own children!one of my own children!----The grandmother in The grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to FindA Good Man is Hard to Find

Characterization :Characterization : Indicated in four Indicated in four waysways

Direct PresentationDirect Presentation 1. What the character says 1. What the character says 2. What the character does2. What the character does

Indirect PresentationIndirect Presentation 3. What other characters say about 3. What other characters say about

him/herhim/her 4. What the author says about him/her4. What the author says about him/her

Questions to ask about Questions to ask about CharacterCharacter

Who is the protagonist? Who is the protagonist? Antagonist?Antagonist?

Why do the characters act Why do the characters act as they do?as they do?

Are the characters Are the characters consistent?consistent?

Is there a change in Is there a change in behavior? Why?behavior? Why?

Analysis of Point of View: four Analysis of Point of View: four typestypes

OmniscientOmniscient• Third person narrator knows Third person narrator knows

everythingeverything– “ “The Destructors”The Destructors”

Third-person limitedThird-person limited• Third person speaks from viewpoint Third person speaks from viewpoint

of one characterof one character– ““Roman Fever”Roman Fever”

• Stream of consciousness is includedStream of consciousness is included– “ “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

Point of ViewPoint of View

First PersonFirst Person• The author speaks as one of the The author speaks as one of the

characterscharacters– The boy Spangler in The boy Spangler in Child by TigerChild by Tiger

ObjectiveObjective• Events are recorded as they are seen Events are recorded as they are seen

as if by a video cameraas if by a video camera– The LotteryThe Lottery

Questions to ask about Questions to ask about Point of ViewPoint of View

Who is telling the story?Who is telling the story? What are the advantages? What are the advantages?

limitations?limitations? How does the narrator’s personality How does the narrator’s personality

affect the interpretation?affect the interpretation? What has author gained by using What has author gained by using

this point of view?this point of view? Is the selected point of view used Is the selected point of view used

consistently?consistently?

Analysis of SymbolismAnalysis of Symbolism

SymbolismSymbolism• The use of The use of

one object one object to represent to represent or suggest or suggest anotheranother

Types of SymbolismTypes of Symbolism

NamesNames• Faith in “Young Goodman Brown”Faith in “Young Goodman Brown”• Granny WeatherallGranny Weatherall• Lack of names as in “Rocking Horse Winner” Lack of names as in “Rocking Horse Winner”

Objects Objects (including colors and textures)(including colors and textures)• The house in “The Destructors”The house in “The Destructors”• The rocking horseThe rocking horse• Clothes and other aspects of settingClothes and other aspects of setting• GooseberriesGooseberries

ActionsActions• Goodman Brown sitting and refusing to continueGoodman Brown sitting and refusing to continue• The lotteryThe lottery• WeatherWeather

– The snowstorm in “Child by Tiger”The snowstorm in “Child by Tiger”

SymbolismSymbolism

Any symbolic interpretation Any symbolic interpretation must grow directly out of the must grow directly out of the tones and connotations found tones and connotations found in a close literal reading of in a close literal reading of the story. One must be able the story. One must be able to defend one’s opinions with to defend one’s opinions with references to the text.references to the text.

Analysis of TitleAnalysis of Title

What clues about the author’s What clues about the author’s intent does the title provide?intent does the title provide?

Often a major symbol is named or Often a major symbol is named or an allusion is made an allusion is made • ““Gooseberries”Gooseberries”• ““Child by Tiger”Child by Tiger”

Sometimes there is a play on wordsSometimes there is a play on words• ““The Most Dangerous Game”The Most Dangerous Game”• ““The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

Theme: Theme: The sum of the equation of The sum of the equation of literary literary elementselements

A mathematical metaphor from p. 207, A mathematical metaphor from p. 207, Perrine’s Perrine’s LiteratureLiterature::

Careless readers often think Careless readers often think they understand a story they understand a story

when in actuality they have when in actuality they have misunderstood it. misunderstood it.

They understand the events They understand the events but not but not what the events add up towhat the events add up to. .

Or, in adding up the events, Or, in adding up the events, they arrive at they arrive at an erroneous totalan erroneous total..

Equation of Literary Equation of Literary ElementsElements

Plot +Plot + Setting +Setting +

Characterization +Characterization + Title +Title +

Point of view +Point of view + Symbolism =Symbolism =

________________________ THEMETHEME

Theme:Theme: Important points to Important points to

rememberremember

Not all stories have a significant Not all stories have a significant themetheme• The purpose of most commercial fiction The purpose of most commercial fiction

is to entertainis to entertain The theme “accounts for all the The theme “accounts for all the

major details of the story”major details of the story” ““There is no There is no oneone way of stating the way of stating the

theme of a story”theme of a story” The theme should not be stated as The theme should not be stated as

a cliché a cliché

Questions to ask about Questions to ask about ThemeTheme

What truth is the author What truth is the author

trying to convey in this story?trying to convey in this story?

Has artistic unity been Has artistic unity been achieved?achieved?