Literary Analysis

“What distinguishes literature from other forms of knowledge is that it cannot be understood unless we understand what it means to be human.” (J. Bronowski)

There are many ways to interpret, analyze, and evaluate literature. Perhaps you’ve already been asked to make an observation or take a position about a work of literature (whether a poem, short story, novel, play, or film) and examine such elements as plot, characters, theme, setting, conflict, structure, point of view, imagery, or symbolism. When you are asked by a teacher to write an interpretation, a critique, or a literary analysis, you are being asked to figure out what is going on in a work of literature. Much more complicated than merely summarizing a piece or writing a personal reaction to it, literary analysis requires that you read between the lines of a text and discover something meaningful there. Why does a specific image recur throughout a poem? How does a novel relate to a social issue facing the author at the time it was written? Do you recognize a pattern or perceive a problem with a character’s behavior in a play? How is the role of women significant in a movie? Answers to all of these questions can be determined only through critical thinking and the synthesis of your ideas.

· An interpretation—explains a text’s overall meaning or significance, explaining your reasoning for this interpretation with supporting evidence from the text.

· A critique—also called a critical response or a review, it provides your personal judgment about a text, supported by reasons and references to the work of art and often secondary sources.

· A formal analysis—different from a critique in that examines a work of art by breaking it down into various elements to discover how the parts interrelate to create meaning of effect.

· A cultural analysis—examines a work of art by relating it to the historical, social, cultural, or political situations in which it was written to show how the author was influenced by personal experiences, events, prevailing attitudes, or contemporary values.

How can I persuade readers that my view or interpretation is reasonable?

First, be sure that your view or interpretation asserts a debatable claim.

For instance, if you were to say that “Antigone is a play about a young woman who questions authority,” you wouldn’t be saying much beyond a summary. But if you said that, “Antigone’s punishment is well-deserved because she violates the laws of the king,” that is debatable. Another student could just as easily argue that Antigone’s punishment is not well-deserved and that she should be commended for respecting the higher laws of the gods over the laws of the king.

Because you are essentially arguing that your perspective is a valid one, you have to support it effectively with reasons, evidence from the piece (direct references to specific quotations, lines, passages, scenes, etc.), and—if required—secondary sources (articles and books written about the piece, which is otherwise known as the primary source).

What Can I Possibly Say About a Work of Literature that Hasn’t Been Said Before?

Because no two people interpret literature the same way, it is entirely possible that you could raise an issue, address a problem, or offer make a unique observation that moves beyond an obvious interpretation of the piece you’re examining. It is THIS type of analysis that you should strive for—the kind that makes literature more meaningful and rewarding for the rest of us!

There are Two Main Ways to Analyze a Work of Literature:

1. The Formal Approach: Examine one (or more) of the following elements and explain how it relates to the whole:

Plot Paradox

Character Oxymoron

Theme Hyperbole

Setting Allusion

Conflict Simile

Structure Metaphor

Point of View Alliteration

Genre Assonance

Style Onomatopoeia

Tone Personification

Imagery Rhythm

Symbolism Rhyme

Irony Figures of Speech

Narrator Foreshadowing

2. The Critical or Theoretical Approach: Analyze the work of literature by using one of the following critical frameworks or theoretical approaches:

New Critical Approach Psychoanalytical/Psychological Approach

Archetypal/Myth Critical Approach Feminist Approach

Structuralist Approach Black Feminist Approach

Post-Structuralist Approach Gender Studies Approach

Semiological Approach Morality Studies

Deconstructionist Approach Religious/Theological Studies

Reader-Response Critical Approach Language Studies

Historical Approach Law Studies

New Historical Approach

Marxist Approach

*If you have never heard of these scary-sounding approaches and have no idea what they are about, don’t panic! Try doing a basic Internet search on two or three that sound interesting to you, and see if they offer an interesting angle or lens through which you can view the work of literature you’re analyzing.

Why write about literature in school?

Because reading literature can sometimes be challenging or confusing, writing about it can help make sense of it and assist you in generating insights about your reading of it. As Lynn Troyka and Douglas Hesse note in their Quick Access Reference for Writers, literature “helps you understand other people, ideas, times, and places. It shows you how authors use language to stir the imaginations, emotions, and intellects of their readers” (89). Writing about literature is also a way to broaden your own understanding and to share your own reading experiences—whether they be frustrations or revelations—with other readers.

What Special Rules Do I Need to Know for Writing about Literature?

1. Be aware of the distinction between the author and the narrator/speaker.

The narrator tells the story and the speaker serves as the voice of a poem, but you must never assume that the author and the narrator/speaker are the same person, sharing the same values, beliefs, or perspective.

2. Use an author’s name correctly.

The first time you mention an author’s name, use the first and last name: “Kate Chopin.” For every other mention throughout the paper, use only the last name: “Chopin.”

3. Be aware of literary time.

The concept of “literary time” is often something that students overlook when writing about literature. Always use the present tense when describing or discussing a literary work—even when the author is no longer living. Once literature is penned, it is considered both “eternal” and “living.” This is why students and scholars alike use present tense to discuss works of literature. The only time you use past tense is when you are referring to the historical time frame in which a work was written. (“The Scarlet Letter was published in 1851.”)

EXAMPLES:

-In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne explores…(not explored)

-When Hester runs into Dimmesdale in the forest…(not ran)

-In her 1985 essay, Jane Tompkins argues that Hawthorne’s novel was admired in the

nineteenth century for reasons much different than it is admired today. (not

argued)

4. Underline or put into italics titles of longer works like books, magazines (journals), and movies. Use quotation marks around the titles of shorter works like short stories, essays, songs, and poems.

5. Assume that your audience shares a general knowledge of the work you’re

discussing (unless you’ve been asked to write a summary or report). Otherwise, you’ll fall into the trap of summarizing the work instead of reacting to it.

6. Use quotations. When writing about literature, refer to specific lines, scenes, or passages to support your main point. When quoting a few lines of poetry, use a slash (/) to separate lines. When quoting more than three lines of poetry or four lines of prose, indent the quotation one inch on either side instead of using quotation marks. TIP: NEVER leave a quotation by itself. It is your job to show why it was important enough to put in your paper. Introduce it, explain it, and show how it relates to your thesis.

7. Cite authors and page numbers within your essay for all quotations and for any secondary sources (books or articles written about your subject) that you may use to support your points or to provide background, and include an alphabetical list of Work(s) Cited as the last page of your paper. Use MLA style documentation.

8. BIGGEST TIP FOR SUCCESS: Read it at least twice.

The most important strategy for writing a good response to literature is to read the text more than once, the first time for enjoyment and the second or third time for “work”—to take notes, to underline or highlight important passages, to ask questions as you go along, to figure out what’s going on in the text. This second reading is often called a “close” or “critical” reading.