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How to Write a Literary Analysis
Step 1: Find three literary tools the author
utilizes in the story to examine. You will want
to examine the three most often used or the
three that have the most evidence.
Literary tools:
▪ plot—the arrangement of events
▪ figurative language—metaphor, simile, etc.—this language is
used to characterize the sensibility and understanding of
characters as well as to establish the significance of theme and
tone.
▪ tone—what tone does the narrator or author use—is he
preaching, sympathetic, humorous, etc.? Why does the author use
this tone—what is gained by he or she using this tone? Would the
story have the same meaning if another tone was used?
▪ imagery—what examples of imagery does the author use—is it
helpful to the story? If so, why? examples of imagery are—the
five senses and sometimes six. What does the character or the
author make the reader touch, see, hear, feel, smell, taste,
etc.
▪ symbolism—something said but meant to stand for something
else. Allegory is also used within this category—things which
stand for something on a one-by-one basis.
▪ point-of-view—Who is telling the story and what do they know
or don’t know? Is the tale told by an omniscient (all-knowing)
narrator who doesn’t interact in the events, or is it presented
by one of the characters within the story? Can the reader trust
that person to give an objective account, or does that narrator
color the story with his or her own biases and interests?
▪ setting—is the context in which all of the actions take place.
What is the time period, the location, the time of day, the
season, the weather, the type of room or building? What is the
general mood, and who is present? All of these elements can
reflect on the story’s events, and though the setting of a story
tends to be less conspicuous than plot and character, setting
still colors everything that’s said and done within its context.
▪ character—refers to the qualities assigned to the individual
figures in the plot. Consider why the author assigns certain
qualities to a character or characters and how any such
qualities might relate to your topic.
▪ allusion—Does the author use any allusions—references to a
past literary source or event in history. Authors will use many
Biblical allusions. Adam—would bring qualities of Adam from the
Bible, without having to expressly state them, just by using the
name infers or alludes to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden.
Step 2: Now that you
have figured out which three literary tools or elements the
author uses and that you will examine in your paper, take each
tool and find at least three examples of the author’s use of the
tool in the story (note the page number when you find the use).
Step 3: Write an outline using those tools and the examples:
I. Introduction paragraph
II. First tool you will discuss (1st body paragraph)
A. 1st piece of evidence supporting this tool
B. 2nd piece of evidence supporting this tool
C. 3rd piece of evidence supporting this tool
III. Second tool you will discuss (2nd body paragraph)
A. 1st piece of evidence supporting this tool
B. 2nd piece of evidence supporting this tool
C. 3rd piece of evidence supporting this tool
IV. Third tool you will discuss (3rd body paragraph)
A. 1st piece of evidence supporting this tool
B. 2nd piece of evidence supporting this tool
C. 3rd piece of evidence supporting this tool
V. Conclusion paragraph
Step 4: Write a thesis statement for your paper—based on the
evidence that relates to your topic—and what you anticipate you
might say about those pieces of evidence—come up with a working
thesis. Use the example below to plug in your own words:
Thesis statement: Dickens’ portrayal of the French Revolution
and the love triangle depends mainly on his use of four artistic
tools: paradox, parallelism, figurative language, and theme.
Step 5: Write the introduction paragraph using the format
below to plug in elements of your story:
Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” is a short story illustrating
the plight of a Southern Christian black woman in an abusive
relationship with her husband. At the story’s heart is a
masterful depiction of the protagonist, a woman who after many
years of abuse finally refuses to subject herself to her
philandering husband’s cruelty. Hurston achieves the greater
theme of “Sweat,” the triumph of the oppressed, through her use
of three basic Southern literary themes: folklore, oppression,
and religion. A brief inspection of these three basic themes
will reveal how “Sweat” achieves its inspiring effect.
Step 6: Write your
body paragraphs following your outline and remembering to use
the instructions on How to Write the Perfect 8 Sentence
Paragraph.
Step 7: Write the concluding paragraph—remember to restate
your thesis in this paragraph and then sum up the evidence that
you used in your paper. Do not introduce any new ideas at this
point. End with a profound statement.
Example:
Hurston masterfully utilizes three basic Southern
literary themes to illustrate the plight of a woman in an
abusive relationship in the 1920’s: folklore, oppression, and
religion. The combination of the three themes utilized by
Hurston in her short story “Sweat” bring about a much greater
theme of the story—the triumph of the oppressed. Women are still
being oppressed today and may be inspired to overcome their
oppression after reading this inspirational work by Hurston.
Step 8: Revise―Read
and revise for accuracy. Ensure you have supported your thesis
statement.
Step 9: Edit―Check and
edit your paper for spelling and grammatical errors.
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