Literary Analysis
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Literary Analysis Paper
To begin: Sign up with your teacher the book of your choice[1] to read and then analyze.
At least TWO times during EACH chapter (either during or after each chapter), mark:
• where you think the author’s real life might be in a character or situation
• Where characters act selfishly or altruistically
• the author’s use of language that you like or dislike
• when you think you are being led to believe something
• where you see foreshadowing
• when you think something is a symbol of a greater point
• how the tone changes (either between characters or the overall tone of the descriptions)
• a scene that is awesome and changes the story
• where you see racial or gender stereotypes
• Where characters appear weak or powerful
• where a character gets help with their conflict
• where you have a question about what is going on and why
• where you have a huge reaction to something-plot twist, character’s action, etc.!!
Overall, really have a conversation with your book. You can use post-its or your own paper w/page numbers and ideas.
There will be two random spot checks of your notes so keep up with your notes.
Next-Proposal: Decide what literary criticism type you would like to use to analyze your book (you can combine two if you would like). Propose your idea to your teacher using specific examples from the novel. Here is a model to help:
After reading A Wrinkle in Time, I want to analyze the novel based on a feminist hero’s journey. Meg really goes through all steps in the hero’s journey from the three witches who act as her supernatural help to Meg’s road of trials to save her brother. She learns that she is a strong and powerful figure, in comparison to the beginning where she felt she was unworthy, This idea is quite a feminist theme, which I would also like to incorporate in my final paragraphs about what she learns and her return.
When reading the second time: Skim your novel the second time to find more evidence to back up your ideas.
Complete an outline with your main ideas and quotes for each section.
Rough draft.
Final copy.
Title of Your Book: Author: Date Published:
|Page # and part of quote that |Why you picked it |Page # and start of quote |Why you picked it |
|identifies it | | | |
|Pg. 31 “…he threw a loaf of bread in |Did he burn the bread so Katniss could | | |
|my direction.” (HungerGames) |have it-even if he knew he’s get hit for | | |
| |doing so?NICE! | | |
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Literary Criticism at a Glance
Psychological Criticism- the book is a reflection of the author’s life and experiences.
1. Where do you think the author’s real experiences are showing up in the book?
2. Is the story a camouflage for something that happened to the author and which is now displaced in this story? (roman a clef)
3. What fears or anxieties in characters appear to be reflections of the author?
4. If you want/have time: Read other works by the same author. What similar ideas, characters, tone, etc. do you see?
Example: William Golding’s experiences as a teacher in a boy’s prep school and his role as a soldier in WWII reflect how the boys in his novel Lord of the Flies become horrifically savage.
Psychoanalytic criticism characters in the book can be identified as one of Sigmund Freud’s stages of human development-id, ego and superego.
1. ID-Which characters act selfishly and childishly?
2. EGO-Which characters are a blend of selfish and altruistic actions?
3. SUPEREGO-Which characters act to help others only, rather than themselves?
Example: In The Hunger Games, Cato is an id character, only caring about winning, Katniss is an ego character, both focusing on herself and sacrificing herself for others, and Peeta is a superego who does only what is best for Katniss.
Rhetorical Criticism- how does work that narrator make his/her point? Ask yourself: “Is the narrator reliable in his telling of the story-is s/he trying to manipulate me?”
1. What are the aspects of the text that are more significant than others and why? (look for longer descriptions, more pages devoted to one scene, etc)
2. The story is told in a certain sequence of events that make it understandable to readers. However, are there ever breaks in coherence where you do not understand what is going on? Why would the narrator confuse you—does it reflect aspects of the characters in the story?
3. Point of View -What is point of view of the narrator? How does this technique affect the telling of the story? Does the narrator have a specific point s/he is trying to convince you of (for example-that s/he is good or bad? That other characters are good or bad? Why?)
Example: In A Northern Light, the narrator manipulates readers to like Mattie more when she focuses on writing (she is shown to think clearly and help others) and dislike Mattie when she thinks about marrying a local farmer (she is shown to be confused and petulant). Therefore, the narrator manipulates readers into wanting Mattie to choose becoming a writer over marriage.
Also-in The Kite Runner, Amir tries to convince readers (and himself) that he is justified in his actions, even though we can see that he has made many serious mistakes that have jeopardized others around him.
New Criticism-analyzing aspects of the text for themes and deeper meaning.
1. What is the setting of the text and how does that affect the story’s tone and theme?
2. Examine the actions and descriptions of each character in the text. How do they show themes?
3. What are objects and colors that seem to be repeated throughout the story? What might be an overall meaning for each that incorporates every time they are used?
4. What style is the author writing in-long, flowing descriptions, use of similes/metaphors/imagery, short choppy, etc. How does the style of the writing reflect the setting, characters or themes of the text?
See example about Speak on page 5.
Deconstruction-figure out how one scene reflects the entire novel.
1. Is there one scene that you think really shows the characters true ideas and emotions?
2. Is there a turning point scene for a character that reflects the whole of the novel?
Example: The first training room scene in The Hunger Games reflects what happens in the games.
Gendered Perspective Criticism -Examines the text in terms of its treatment of males and female roles.
1. How do you think the women/men in the text are portrayed in words and actions? What are men/women NOT doing? What differences between males and females are highlighted in the text?
2. Which characters appear to have power in the novel and which do not?
3. Do the actions of males/females appear to be stereotypical? When, males/females challenge stereotypes are they seen as positive or negative?
Example: In The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things, the male characters lose power as the female characters gain power until both have equal standing. This also happens in Speak.
Critical Race Theory-examines how race is portrayed by writers. Focuses on the idea that in order to define the self, a character must also separate him/herself from others. Remember, race is a social construct, not biological.
1. Who is the protagonist in the novel? Is he/she white? What actions are taken by white characters as opposed to actions taken by characters of other races? What is each race allowed and not allowed to do?
2. Whose actions are seen as more positive and why? Who has more power?
3. Are other races portrayed as more primitive or closer to nature? How does this make them appear less civilized? How does this make them appear separate from others?
Example: In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huck Finn, the slave Jim is seen as inferior by everyone, but by the end of the journey, Huck realizes that Jim is his equal and has helped him enormously.
Hero’s Journey -examines the protagonist through his/her struggles in the story. (bildungsroman)
1. Call to adventure—a chance discovery that makes the hero want to follow or chase something irresistible. What the hero seeks is usually no more than a symbol of what he really finds.
2. Refusal of the call-The hero resists the previous temptation to the irresistible adventure.
3. Separation/Going into the unknown—The hero must venture forth from a world s/he has always known into a new place or experience.
4. Road of Trials- the adventures; the way is beset with dangers, loneliness and temptation.
5. Supernatural help-Higher forces help the hero in some way
6. Triumph-After encountering the many obstacles on his/her journey, the hero triumphs over difficulties and adversaries.
7. Atonement with the father/parent-The hero reconciles with a real or symbolic parent figure as part of his/her gaining of knowledge.
8. Reaching the point of knowing-The hero is not the same after descending into the unknown. Because of her/his adventures, the hero understands a new important idea about life.
9. Return-The full roundness of the hero’s journey requires that the hero return home with a new wisdom and the power to bestow knowledge to his/her world.
Example: Star Wars the movie-think about it! (actually almost every book has the protagonist go through a hero’s journey, FYI).
Example Essay Intro & First Body Paragraph
Scaling a Tall Tree Successfully
The way people feel is reflected in what they do. Not only does this affect the way one lives life, but also the way characters interact in novels. For example, in the book Speak, Melinda has a tree she is creating in art class; every time something happens to her, something also happens to the tree. Similarly, the tree in Melinda’s front yard represents what Melinda must endure in order to survive. In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson uses the symbolism of trees, diction and tone to reflect Melinda’s discovery that facing one’s struggles fosters growth and strength.
When Melinda gets to school at the start of her freshman year she is lost, and her tree drawings reflect her emotional state. Due to some unfortunate events that unfolded over the summer, she has no friends, people hate her, and she is treated cruelly. “When the pep rally ends, I’m accidentally knocked down three rows of bleachers” Melinda tells readers, the sarcastic tone in “accidentally” reflecting her negative emotional state, the detail of “three rows” highlighting the animosity of her peers (Anderson 21). Melinda’s artwork reflects these actions as “For a solid week after the pep rally, I’ve been painting water color trees that have been hit by lightening” (Anderson 35). Just as Melinda has been bullied by her peers, her trees have been hit by a terrifying natural force. The symbolism of lightening underscores the power and unpredictability of her attack, yet watercolors seem a softer medium, perhaps showing Melinda’s unwillingness to strongly confront her problems. Melinda’s treatment by others has been reflected in her depictions of trees.
Melinda’s peers are giving her a hard time and so are her grades, and so she expresses her frustration in her artwork...
Your Name:
Teacher:
Class:
Date:
Literary Analysis Rubric
Please staple to the topic of your paper.
9-10=A/A-
7-8=B/C
5-6=D/F –please redo!
Complexity of Ideas –your found an interesting new point to make about your book and developed it through the paper.
9-10 7-8 5-6
Use of evidence-the quotes you have chosen prove your point fully.
9-10 7-8 5-6
Analysis of evidence-your analysis of the evidence makes clear the point you made in your thesis and topic sentences
9-10 7-8 5-6
Writing sophisticated –your sentences were a variety of short and long, you incorporated at least three vocabulary words, and your phrasing changed (you didn’t always start your sentences in the same way). Your introduction was interesting, conclusion wrapped up the points and the paper, when read aloud, flows from one idea to the next.
9-10 7-8 5-6
Writing organized-you have a thesis that makes your point, topic sentences that support your thesis, evidence and analysis that supports each topic sentence and the paper overall makes sense from introduction through conclusion
9-10 7-8 5-6
GUM-You used proper grammar, punctuation, spelling and MLA format.
Words avoided: I (and variations) YOU (and variations), THINGS, STUFF, VERY.
9-10 7-8 5-6
Outline Literary Analysis Paper
Thesis: _______________________________________________________________________
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First Body Paragraph Topic Sentence: ______________________________________________
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Quote 1: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Quote 2: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Second Body Paragraph Topic Sentence: ______________________________________________
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Quote 1: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Quote 2: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Third Body Paragraph Topic Sentence: ______________________________________________
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Quote 1: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Quote 2: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Forth Body Paragraph Topic Sentence: ______________________________________________
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Quote 1: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Quote 2: ______________________________________________________________________
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Analysis of how quote makes your point: ___________________________________________
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Conclusion Go Beyond Point: ____________________________________________________
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[1] You must get permission from your teacher, and we would prefer this to be a book you have not already read.
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Handout revised by Sarah Ressler 2013. Many of the ideas and questions presented are derived from Dr. Anna Soter’s handouts in the OSU class Literary Theory and Young Adult Literature and Critical Race Theory from Toni Morrison’s Playing in the Dark).
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