Literary Analysis
The reason we’re all here
What Is Literary Analysis?
 It’s literary.
 It’s an analysis.
 It’s- --an argument that analyzes literature!
“Literary”?
 Usually, a literary analysis will involve a discussion
of a text as writing, thus the term literary, which
means “having to do with letters.”
 This will involve the use of certain concepts that are
very specifically associated with literature.
What Is an Analysis?
 An analysis of a literary work may
discuss:
 How the various components of an
individual work relate to each other.
 How two separate literary works deal
with similar concepts or forms.
 How concepts and forms in literary
works relate to larger aesthetic,
political, social, economic, or
religious contexts.
How is Literary Analysis an Argument?
 When writing a literary analysis, you will focus on
specific attribute(s) of the text(s).
 When discussing these attributes, you will want to
make sure that you are making a specific, arguable
point (thesis) about these attributes.
 You will defend this point with reasons and
evidence drawn from the text.
Overview of Literary Analysis
 When writing a literary
analysis:
 Be
familiar with literary
terms.
 Analyze specific items.
 Make an a argument.
 Consult instructors and
tutors for help when needed.
Important Literary Concepts
 The Basics
 Plot
 Setting
 Narration/point of
view
 Characterization
 Symbol
 Metaphor
 Genre
 Irony/ambiguity
• Other key concepts
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Historical context
Social, political,
economic contexts
Ideology
Multiple voices
Various critical
orientations
Literary theory
Literary Theory?
 There are different “lenses” someone can use to look
at a piece of art, literature, or even culture.
 Each school of theory, or “school of criticism,” has
certain assumptions that can impact meaning.
Examples of Schools of Literary Criticism
 Feminist criticism
 Marxist criticism
 Psychoanalytic criticism
 New criticism/structuralism
 Postcolonialism
 Modernism
 Postmodernism
 Gender/queer criticism
What Goes Into a Literary Analysis?
 Introduction
 Author’s
name, title of piece
 Thesis
 Analysis of specific literary tools (typically three)
 Text
evidence
 Commentary that explains how the quotes are
used/what makes them valuable
 Conclusion
 Restatement of thesis
 Summary of evidence
 Ending statement
Introduction
 Author’s name and title of the text
 One or two sentences paraphrasing the story and
leading up to the thesis
 Thesis
 Three literary tools you’ll be using to support your
argument
Thesis Statement
 Can also be known as “claim” or “argument”
 This is the driving force behind your paper
 Your thesis statement should be:
Debatable
 A fresh idea/opinion supported by evidence from the text
 Not immediately obvious
 Suggesting a particular way of looking at the text
 Your thesis statement should not be:
 A statement of fact
 Unsupportable
 An overfamiliar cliché

Which is the Best Thesis Statement?
 Moby-Dick is about the
problem of evil.
 Moby-Dick is boring and
pointless.
 The use of “whiteness” in
Moby-Dick illustrates the
uncertainty about the
meaning of life that Ishmael
expresses throughout the
novel.
 Moby-Dick is about a big,
white whale.
Example Introduction 1
The first paragraph of Alberto Alvaro Rios’ short story “The
Secret Lion” presents a twelve-year-old boy’s view of growing
up –everything changes. As the narrator informs the reader,
when the magician pulls a tablecloth out from under a pile of
dishes, children are amazed at the “stay-the-same part,” while
adults focus only on the tablecloth itself (42). Adults have the
benefit of experience and know the trick will work as long as
the technique is correct. When people “grow up,” they gain this
experience and knowledge but lose their innocence and sense
of wonder. In other words, the price paid for growing up is a
permanent state of loss. This tradeoff is central to “The Secret
Lion.” The key symbols in the story reinforce its main theme:
change is inevitable and always accompanied by a sense of loss.
Example Introduction 2
The setting of John Updike’s story “A & P” is crucial to the
reader’s understanding of Sammy’s decision to quit his job.
Even though Sammy knows that his quitting will make life
more difficult for him, he instinctively insists upon
rejecting what the A & P represents in the story. When he
rings up a “No Sale” and “saunter(s)” out of the store,
Sammy leaves behind not only a job but the rigid state of
mind associated with the A & P. Although Sammy is the
central character in the story, Updike seems to invest as
much effort in describing the setting as he does Sammy.
The title, after all, is not “Youthful Rebellion” or “Sammy
Quits,” but “A & P.” The setting is the antagonist of the
story and plays a role that is as important as Sammy’s.
How Do I Support a Thesis Statement?
 Examples from the text:
 Direct
quotations
 Summaries of scenes
 Paraphrased pieces of the text
 Historical and social context/schools of
literary criticism
Schaffer It!
 The Jane Schaffer paragraph is
a specific structure used to
write paragraphs
 Ratio of 1:2 – for every piece of
evidence, you should have two
sentences of commentary
The Schaffer Paragraph
 Topic Sentence
 Detail (evidence)
 Commentary
 Commentary
 Detail (evidence)
 Commentary
 Commentary
 Concluding sentence
Example
Green: Commentary
Red: Evidence
The narrator shows how cruel and unfeeling he is when he
meets Sonny’s friend on the street. Adopting a sarcastic
tone, the narrator questions the friend’s motives: “You
come all the way down here to just tell me about Sonny?”
We can see in this tone that the narrator doubts that the
friend truly cares for Sonny. The narrator also swears at the
friend, saying, “You’re pretty goddamn smart, I bet,” and
offers him no sympathy for his “sad story,” declaring that
he wishes the friend had a pistol so he could kill himself
(49).
Example, cont.
These reactions to the friend show the narrator’s anger
at the situation Sonny is in, but also convey a stark
lack of compassion for those less fortunate than
himself. In fact, the narrator’s anger seems to fuel his
lack of compassion. In the flashback scene, we find out
that the narrator has been angry with Sonny before,
for when the narrator visits Sonny in his Greenwich
Village apartment, he tells Sonny that he “might just as
well be dead as live the way he was living” (62). These
scenes depict the narrator’s warped personality; his
anger and fear have made him cruel, almost sadistic.
How do I add commentary?
 If focusing on diction, consider: what is the
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connotation? How does the word more accurately
reflect the author’s message?
What is not stated in the quote, but implied?
How might this connect to (foreshadow, reflect on,
etc.) another passage?
Analyze the cause and effect relationships
Analyze how characters interact with one another when
speaking
How does it connect directly to the author’s message?
In Conclusion
 Synthesize, don’t summarize! Show
your reader how everything you’ve
used combines to prove your
argument – don’t just restate
everything you already did.
 Don’t bring in new ideas.
 Make a graceful exit: don’t be
aggressive, or leave your reader
hanging.
 Explain why your argument is
essential to looking at this specific
text.