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L ITERARY A NALYSIS USING THE H ERO C YCLE
As a final assessment of your knowledge of the Fantasy or Science Fiction novel that you read with your LRC group, you will be completing an analysis of the novel using the Hero Cycle. To successfully complete this project, you need to be able to:
1.
Define a list of common literary terms and then use each of these terms in your analysis of the novel.
2.
Analyze a piece of fantasy or science fiction literature, identifying each step of the hero’s journey in the novel.
3.
Use direct, text-based details to support your analysis of the novel.
4.
Follow the steps of the writing process to produce and publish a clear, adequately developed, logically written analysis of a piece of fiction with minimal errors in conventions.
5.
Present the final published product with an organized graphic display.
S TEP O NE : L ITERARY T ERMS (20 PTS ) - Use the glossary in the back of your Reading and Writing
Guide to define the following literary terms. Write the definitions in your Daily work composition book. Label the entry, “Literary Terms”. THIS SHOULD BE DONE AS VOCAB #8 & HERO
CYCLE NOTES
Analyze
Antagonist
Character
Climax
Conflict
Exposition
Falling Action
Foreshadow
Imagery
Mood
Point of View
Predict
Protagonist
Rising Action
Setting
Theme
Super Qualities
The Quest
Threshold to Adventure
The Test
Help from a friend
Darkest Hour
Lost in Space
Resurrection
Restitution/Resolution
S TEP T WO : C AST OF C HARACTERS (10 PTS ) - Identify the 10 most essential characters in the novel. Provide the character’s full name and any distinguishing qualities. These descriptions are short phrases, only 5-10 words. A typed version must be included in the final project.
Example: Harry Potter - Protagonist, Hero, and a British, Teenage Wizard
S TEP T HREE : H ERO C YCLE A NALYSIS (45 PTS ) – Analyze your LRC novel using the hero cycle. For each step of the hero cycle, identify moments in the protagonist’s journey that reveal that she/he is a true hero. To create a detailed analysis of each step, you must complete each of the items provided in the checklist. (See Back Page Checklist)
S TEP F OUR : A UTHOR ’ S S TUDY (25 PTS ) – Research your Author’s background. Write a short biography of the author and include an explanation of how their life shaped or influenced their choices in writing. Include a list of 5 other books by the author with their year of publication and a bibliography (you may use Easy Bib.com to help you format this)

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: _________________________ D
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ANUARY
19, 2011
C HECKLIST R UBRIC FOR THE H ERO C YCLE A NALYSIS
S
UMMARY OF THE
E
XPOSITION

2-3 sentences that summarize the origin/exposition of the hero.
 Use the literary term setting in the summary. Underline the term.
 Use the literary term point of view (first person or third person) of the story.
S TEP 1: A NALYSIS OF S UPER Q UALITIES
 A topic sentence defining the term super qualities.
 Identify and explain at least two super qualities of the hero.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (with page number citation) to support the analysis.
 Use the literary term exposition in the analysis. Underline the term.
 Use the literary term protagonist in the analysis. Underline the term.
Example: Super Qualities: Super qualities are traits that make the hero unique from other characters in a story. The super qualities of a hero are often revealed in the exposition of a story along with the origin of the protagonist. For example, the protagonist of The Sorcerer’s
Stone, Harry Potter, is known as “The Boy Who Lived” pg ___. This nickname reveals that
Harry has the power to survive an attack by the most powerful wizard of all, Lord Voldemort.
Though he was just a baby at the time, Harry Potter survived Voldemort’s curse which killed his family, leaving him with only a jagged scar on his forehead.
S
TEP
2: A
NALYSIS OF
T
HE
Q
UEST
 A topic sentence defining The Quest.
 Identify and explain the central quest of the hero in the story.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the explanation.
 Use the literary term conflict in the analysis. Underline the term.
 Identify the type of conflict that the hero’s quest represents and explain your answer.
(Writer’s Guide page _______)
 Use the literary term Threshold to Adventure in the analysis. Underline the term. Provide an example from this section of the story.
S TEP 3: A NALYSIS OF T HE T ESTS

A topic sentence defining The Tests.

Identify and explain at least two tests faced by the hero

Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the explanation.

Use the literary term rising action in the analysis. Underline the term.

Use the literary term foreshadow or predict in the analysis. Underline the term. Provide an example from this section of the story.
S TEP 4: A NALYSIS OF H ELP F ROM A F RIEND .
 A topic sentence defining Help From a Friend.
 Identify a friend who helped the hero and explain how that character helped.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the explanation.
 Use the literary term character in the analysis. Underline the term.
 Use either the literary term foreshadow or predict in the analysis. Underline the term.

S TEP 5: A NALYSIS OF L OST IN S PACE
 A topic sentence defining Lost in Space.
 Use imagery to describe the scene in a way that appeals to the senses.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the description.
 Explain how the hero entered this space and if others tried but failed, why they failed.
 Use the literary term setting in the analysis. Underline the term.
S TEP 6: A NALYSIS OF T HE D ARKEST H OUR

A topic sentence defining The Darkest Hour.

Identify and explain Darkest Hour faced by the hero

Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the explanation.

Use the literary term mood in the analysis. Underline the term.

Use the literary term climax in the analysis. Underline the term.
S TEP 7: A NALYSIS OF T HE R ESURRECTION
 A topic sentence defining The Resurrection.
 2-3 sentences that summarize the resurrection of the hero.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the summary.
 Use the literary term antagonist in the analysis. Underline the term.
S TEP 8: A NALYSIS OF T HE R ESTITUTION
 A topic sentence defining The Restitution.
 2-3 sentences that summarize the hero’s restitution.
 Provide at least one text-based detail (page number citation) to support the summary.

Use the literary term falling action in the analysis. Underline the term.
R ESOLUTION

2-3 sentences that summarize the resolution of the hero’s journey.

Briefly explain one theme of the story by answering the question, “What does the protagonist learn about being a hero course of the story?”

Use the term theme in the explanation.
E
ACH CHECKED BOX IS WORTH
1
PT
.
T
OTAL SCORE FOR
S
TEP
3
IS
45
PTS
.
Step 1: Term Definition: ___________/20
Step 2: Cast of Characters: ___________/10
Step 3: Hero Cycle Analysis: ___________/45
Step 4: Author’s Study: ___________/25
Final Score = ___________/100