Critical Analysis—120 points possible
Due:
This must be submitted to turnitin.com before it will be graded. Any information taken from book
websites such as Sparknotes will be checked in turnitin.com, and any sections that match the ideas
on these sites will be considered incomplete.
Your analysis should be a reflection of your own thinking and notes about the novel.
Must be typed, doubled-spaced, in MLA format, and submitted to turnitin.com
Must be thorough, clear, thoughtful, and free of grammar errors.
Your paper should be written in report form. This means introduction, body, and conclusion. Write
this report in complete sentences using transitions and transitional phrases to connect your ideas.
Use MLA format for the essay and include the following on the first page:
Your Name
Teacher’s Name
Class
Date
INTRODUCTION
Introduce the novel by A). explaining what period in literary history it was written B). giving facts
about the author’s life that directly relate to the novel or seem relative to his/her book and C). giving
a very brief summary of the novel. (Intro. is at least two paragraphs) For literary history period and
the author’s life, cite your sources and include a Works Cited page with this critical analysis. Your
book should also be on the Works Cited page in correct MLA format.
Be sure to use quotation marks for more than four words in a row from the original source and
paraphrase information as well. Paraphrased information must also include MLA citations.
BODY OF THE REPORT
Any analysis separates a novel into the parts or elements of which it is composed. Your critical
analysis will be written in paragraphs. (For example, you will need at least two paragraphs to fully
discuss “setting.”) Your responses to the elements must be documented by specific scenes in the
book and/or by direct quotations and page references. The more direct quotes from the novel you
have, the higher your grade.
In analysis, avoid general statements that are true of any work. Support each statement by using
specifics from the novel. I would suggest that you buy a copy of the novel and actively read, taking
notes in the margins. Since this sheet lists required details for this assignment, you have an idea of
what to look for as you read. A good writer reads critically. Use your marginal notes to challenge the
author’s opinions and assumptions; note relationships among ideas presented; and make personal
observations and inferences.
No analysis is complete without your personal response to it. You should be able to express an overall
reaction to a novel by making a clear statement about your personal understanding of and connection
to the book (This will be done in the conclusion.)
ELEMENTS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE BODY
A.
SETTING
1. Physical Environment
Describe the physical surroundings of your novel. The setting is the location of the story. Setting is
determined by the physical (either real or imaginary) site, the time period, and the general
environment of the story (lower class, high society, religious, etc.) What are the settings and times of
the novel? Do these change throughout the story? What reasons are there for the change? If actual
settings are used, are they factually correct?
How do the settings contribute to the mood (the atmosphere that surrounds the novel: sinister, gay,
morose-- the emotional response the writer is trying to evoke from the reader. What mood does
he/she want you to feel? How does the setting contribute to major ideas/themes in the novel?
2. Cultural Environment
We know the customs, values, and different behavior patterns of people are determined by the
culture they live in to a great extent. In what ways are the feelings and actions of the characters in
your novel caused or shaped by standards imposed by the culture as to what is acceptable or not
acceptable? Would they react differently in another time and place?
B. THEME OR PURPOSE
What is the author’s central message or purpose in writing the novel? Through her/his characters and
their actions and thoughts, the author is probably stating her/his views about life or some part of life
whether past, present, or future. If the author presents human experience well, we can gain insight
into our own nature and actions. What might the author be trying to tell us about life in your novel?
(example: In Hamlet, Shakespeare conveys that the completely normal confusions caused
by the clash of our rational and emotional selves ironically brand us as mentally unstable
or abnormal.
Name at least two themes and make sure that you cite specific lines and scenes to support your
thematic choices.
Examples of theme topics: (what is the author saying about the following? Ironic theme
statements show more complex thinking. See aforementioned Hamlet example.)
1. friendship
2. freedom
3. loss of innocence
4. fear
5. war
6. reality vs fantasy
7. spirituality
8. ambition/dreams of glory
9. conformity vs. nonconformity
10. family relations
11. failure
12. death
13. love/intimacy
14. hate
15. success
16. guilt
17. personal identity in hierarchies
18. living vs surviving
C. POINT-OF-VIEW-- 1st person, 3rd person omniscient, 3rd person limited omniscient (Manner in
which the author narrates his story)
Explain what person or point-of-view; give lines from the novel to show which point-of-view; explain
the reason why you think the author chose this point-of-view; explain why this choice was effective
for the author’s thematic purpose.
First person-Observer, Participant (I, we me, us)
Story narrated from “I” point-of-view
Third person omniscient-- (he, she, they, them)
story reveals thoughts of many characters; story shifts easily from character to character, scene to
scene without one character having to connect all of these elements
Third person limited omniscient-- (he, she, they, them)
But the action is limited to the physical and mental angle of one character.
D. CHARACTER
Identify the antagonists and the protagonists and explain the complexity of their relationships.
Protagonist--Central or main character; causes or is center of most action
Antagonist--character representing the force which is opposed to the hero or protagonist
The antagonist may not necessarily be a person as in:
Nature vs. man (survival)
Society vs. man
Man vs. God
Man vs. himself
Foils--characters in a story who contrast with the main characters, usually to highlight one of the
main characters’ attributes.
E. CONFLICT
What are the opposing forces in the novel (the struggle) and how do you know these are the
struggles?
(Example: In Edgar Allan, the conflict is centered around a white family who adopts a black child.)
Nature vs. (wo)man (survival)
Society vs. (wo)man
(Wo)Man vs. God
(Wo)Man vs. her/himself
F. STYLE
The author’s means of presenting the action, revealing the characters, and of suggesting the theme is
her/his style. Style is the sum of literary techniques an author uses to make the novel believable,
meaningful, and/or engaging.
Examples of techniques:
1. Imagery-creating a vivid mental picture with sensory details (name specific type such as
sensual, religious, animalistic, pastoral, urban, etc.)
2. Tone-the attitude the author may take toward his subject or characters: sympathetic,
unfeeling, sarcastic, etc… (note major shifts and be specific about types of tones)
3. Diction (specific types?)-words the author uses may tell something about his characters
(example, the staccato dialogue of the Harlem vernacular in The Contender “... gonna hang in
forever, gonna climb, man, gonna keep climbing, you can’t knock me out, nobody ever gonna
knock me out, you wanna stop me you better kill me.”
4. Pathos-attempt on the part of the author to evoke pity or deep sympathy in his readers
5. Foreshadowing-scenes presenting an indication or suggestion beforehand that something is
going to happen
6. Irony-a statement or situation saying one thing while meaning the exact opposite (purpose
usually to criticize or highlight conflict)
7. Satire-wit, irony, sarcasm used expose a vice or folly (foolishness)
8. Symbol- literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight,
and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in
the literal translation alone. Symbol is using an object or action that means something more
than its literal meaning.
9. Motif- any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body
of literature. Using a motif refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary
work.
10. Allusion-a reference to a mythological, literary, historical, or Biblical person, place, or thing
e.g. He met his Waterloo.
11. Hyperbole—a deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration; may be used for
serious or comic effect
12. Understatement—(Meiosis) is the opposite of hyperbole. It is a kind of irony, which
deliberately represents something as much less than it really is, e.g., I could probably manage
to survive on $2,000,000 per year.
13. Figurative Language—metaphor, simile, personification, synecdoche
Name at least three techniques which reveal your author’s style, giving sufficient
examples for each; explain how the techniques support the theme(s).
CONCLUSION
Reflect upon your feelings about this book. Do you believe that the author’s themes are true? Do
his/her themes have any significance or importance for our world? What did you learn from this book
that applies to you and your world directly? Whom would you recommend this book to and why.
Reading and Writing Standards
Go beyond the obvious and convey information thoroughly and clearly.
1.
Reread (“fondle details”) to infer/interpret/draw ironic and insightful conclusions (thesis ideas).
2.
Identify and resolve conflicting views encountered in different texts OR within a single text.
3.
Solve complex problems (prompts) with no obvious answers.
4.
Support arguments with well-explained evidence. (Introduce, Reproduce, Explain)
5.
AP Lit specific: Move beyond “diction, imagery, and syntax” in analyses.
AP Literary Analysis Scoring Scale
8-9=Significant understanding; well-developed; organized; stylistically mature
9=100-97%
8=96-90%
6-7=some insights; not as precise or developed as 8-9; generally well-written with some lapses in structure,
sentence structure, or word choice
7=89-86%
6=85-80%
5= adequate understanding of question but obvious or literal; writing may be formulaic or underdeveloped in
parts; acceptable writing style but fairly simple
5=79-75%
3-4=relies on paraphrase or summary rather than complex interpretation; may demonstrate
misunderstandings; underdeveloped in most parts of the essay; may miss parts of the text; grammar mistakes
may impede understanding
4=74-70%
3=69-60%
1-2=incomplete response and interpretation; little understanding of the topic; does not address question or
assignment accurately
2=59-50%
1=49% and below