Nonfiction Analysis
Overview
You should have completed the reading for your nonfiction book of choice. Now, you will be analyzing the text.
This is NOT a summary. A summary does not require you to analyze. Analyzing means you are studying or
examining something closely to help you explain, interpret, or discover something about it. There are several
approaches you can take to this assignment, but all of them will need to be completed in essay form with a focus
on organization and grammar.
**Due date is Friday, May 8th**
So…what are your options?
1.
You can analyze the author’s writing style. This would be a good option if you really enjoyed your book OR
really didn’t enjoy it. The reason for that is probably because the author’s writing style
either interested you a lot or made you hate reading the book. If you choose this
option, your essay would be explaining your thoughts on the writing style (which can
include word choice/diction, tone, figurative language, description, etc.) and then
backing it up with quotes from the text to support your stance. I should have a clear
idea of your opinion of the writing in your book after reading this essay.
2.
You can analyze the content of your book. This would be a good option if the topic of your book was
particularly interesting to you. What new ideas did it raise? What significant points were
presented? How will the information you learned have an impact on you? Remember,
this is not a summary; it is you interpreting what you’ve read and explaining what
you discovered through your reading. You should use quotes from the text where
appropriate. I should feel enlightened after reading this essay.
3.
You can analyze the stance of your author. This would be a good option if your author presented an
opinionated viewpoint throughout your book. (It would be an even better option if
you disagreed with that viewpoint.) Based on the support he/she gives in the text, do
you agree or disagree with the author’s perspective? You will need to use quotes to
show the author’s opinion but also have clear support for your own perspective. I
should see very plainly whether you agree with the author or disagree with him/her
after reading this essay.
No matter which option you choose, your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis). In other words,
YOU NEED TO HAVE A POINT. Throughout your essay, I should see a mix of quotes from the book as well as your
own commentary. You must write in multiple paragraphs and organize appropriately (beginning, middle, and end).
Please read over your work carefully for grammar errors, as this will affect your grade. Do your very best work!
This will be good preparation for high school and the essays they will expect you to write there. 
Reminder: Quotes should be in quotation marks AND be followed by a page number in parenthesis!
Example for #1
While reading Tuesdays with Morrie, I appreciated the writing style because Albom's vivid description helped me create a mental
image of Morrie's rapid deterioration. For example, "he had a large reclining chair set up with pillows, blankets, and specially cut pieces of
foam rubber that held his feet and gave support to his withered legs" (56). Albom also says, "I entered, pushing a smile onto my face. He wore
a yellow, pajama-like top, and a blanket covered him from the chest down. The lump of his form was so withered that I almost thought there
was something missing. He was as small as a child" (183). The descriptive voice allows me to visualize the progression of ALS and how it affects
those who battle the disease.
Throughout the novel, Morrie uses figurative language, such as aphorisms, that have a great impact on the reader. His aphorisms
teach meaningful life lessons in beautifully written, simple sentences. A few of my favorite include, "love always wins" (40) and "once you learn
how to die, you learn how to live" (82). His words speak a truth that rings clear to the audience.
When I could not quite identify with Morrie's situation, he put things into perspective by making comparisons. His words are
powerful when he says, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things
they think are important. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community
around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning" (43).
Example for #2
In our day-to-day lives, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily duties. Life often becomes routine and we fail to
embrace the beauty of it. Morrie Schwarts, the protagonist in Tuesdays with Morrie, argues that “most of us all walk around as if we’re
sleepwalking. We really don’t experience the world fully, because we’re half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do” (83).
As I read these words, I realized that I am guilty of just that. I take life for granted and, instead of living it to the fullest, I am not embracing the
journey as I should be.
He goes on to say that, “The things you spend so much time on- all this work you have to do- might not seem as important. You
might have to make room for more spiritual things” (84). I often find myself so caught up in my TV, cell phone, and computer. Even though
these things are entertaining, they are not necessarily enhancing the fullness of my life experiences. I need to spend more time with my family
and friends. As Morrie says, “Without love, we are birds with broken wings” (92). I should embrace these people and love them truly because
family and friends aren’t just about love but also “knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that.
Not money. Not fame” (92).
Example for #3
In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie is presented as a man who knows how to truly live. From the very start, Mitch Albom discusses
Morrie's love of life, his energy, and his optimism. He gets involved in the lives of others and makes his family, friends, and students his priority.
By contrast, Mitch does not seem to possess these same traits. At the beginning of the novel, he admits that his focus was only on success. He
says, "I buried myself in accomplishments, because with accomplishments, I believed I could control things, I could squeeze in every last piece
of happiness before I got sick and died..." (17). I completely disagree with his stance on this. Accomplishments are not what bring happiness or
contentment in life. Mitch worked himself to death but still was unfulfilled. He put his relationship with Janine to the side and didn't keep his
promise to her to one day start a family. Lucky for him, she decided to stay with him despite his workaholic tendencies. Mitch lost touch with
many people in his life because his didn't value relationships.
Later in the text, when Mitch goes to see Morrie for the first time, he sees Morrie waiting for him outside his house. Instead of being
excited to meet up with his old professor, Mitch sank down in his seat and continued with his work. He explains, "I did what I had become best
at doing: I tended to my work, even while my dying professor waited on his front lawn" (27). This is another example of how his priorities were
not right. Instead of being preoccupied with his phone conversation, he should have rushed to greet the man who had once meant so much to
him. I could never imagine making work the most important thing in my life, not when there are so many relationships that give life more
meaning than a job ever could. I am glad Mitch allowed Morrie to change his viewpoint as the book went on.