There are several useful sites that help students analyze literature. Look at the questions and think about the answers using your readings for content.
Visit these links for information on the PROCESS of Literary Analysis:
Learn the practice of close reading, the first step in literary analysis.
Discusses how to analyze a passage of text to strengthen your discussion of the literature.
Guide to writing a critical analysis of a short story and a sample essay.
A slideshow from Purdue Owl introducing how to write a literary analysis.
Common Elements of Literature
Plot: the sequence of events that occur through a work to produce a coherent narrative or story.
Setting: the time and place in which a story takes place.
Protagonist: the main character of story, novel or a play.
Antagonist: a character in conflict with the protagonist.
Narrator: the voice telling the story or speaking to the audience.
Dialogue: spoken exchanges between characters in a dramatic or literary work, usually between two or more speakers.
Conflict: an issue in a narrative around which the whole story revolves.
Tone: a way of communicating information that conveys an attitude. Authors convey tone through a combination of word-choice, imagery, perspective, style, and subject matter.
Theme: the central idea or concept of a story.
For more literary elements, consult the links below.
A list of literary terms that can help you interpret, critique, and respond to a variety of different written works from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Lists, defines and provides examples of the many methods author's use to convey meaning in a story through setting, plot, perspective, style, theme, and character.
A website dedicated to literary devices with definitions and examples. Also includes grammatical terms and definitions of types of essays.
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