Literary Analysis
READING FOR THREE LEVELS OF RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
LEVEL 1: Read to Comprehend
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Read for literal meanings
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Read for an overall idea of what happens to whom,
where, when, and why
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Get all the facts straight – the setting, the events of the
plot, the characters and what they say and o
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Be sure you understand all the vocabulary, especially in
titles and poems.
LEVEL 2: Read to Interpret
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Read Critically
Goal: understand the meaning of the story or poem beyond the literal
level
Mark the sections, analyze the parts. (theme, character, style, symbol,
form...)
Make notes: put any hard parts into your own words, read aloud to
yourself
Ask yourself: What does the literary work mean? What does it imply?
What does it help you understand about the human condition? What
insights can you apply to your own life?
LEVEL 3: Read to Evaluate
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Read to assess the soundness and plausibility of what
the author says.
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Are the words and tone appropriate for the purpose
and audience?
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Does the author achieve his or her purpose?
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Is it a worthwhile purpose?
Elements of Literature: Glossary of Terms
•
Literary Analysis has its own vocabulary, just like any field
(scuba diving, computer programming, gourmet
cooking, etc.)
•
You must be familiar with elements of fiction, poetry,
and drama AND with specialized terms scholars may
use in order to write a successful literary analysis.
•
Let’s review…
Setting
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Refers to the time and place of events
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Season, weather, people in the background
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The setting helps establish the mood or atmosphere (or the emotional
climate the reader senses)
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Look at paragraph 1 of “The Lottery” “The morning…green” (par. 1)
Characters
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Imagined people
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The author lets you know what they’re like through their actions, speech,
thoughts, attitudes, and background.
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Sometimes – physical characteristics, names, or relationsihps with other people
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Example: Mr. Summers -- someone with “time and energy to devote to civic
activities. He was a round-faced, jobial man and he ran the coal business, and
people were sorry for him, because he had no children and his wife was a
scold” (par. 4)
Plot

The arrangement of the events of the story
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What happens to whom, where, when, and why
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If the events follow in a logical order, or if they’re in keeping with what the
author tells us about he characters, the plot is plausible or believable.
Notes on Plot…
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Protagonist (main character) is in conflict with some other person or group of
people (antagonist)
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Conflict – consists of two forces attempting to conquer each other or resisting
being conquered (external, internal)
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The central conflict is the primary conflict for the protagonist that propels and
accounts for the action of the story.
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Events of the plot complicate the conflict (i.e. Tessie arrives late, Bill draws the
slip with the black dot, Tessie claims it isn’t fair) and lead to the climax, or the
moment at which the outcome is inevitable.
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The outcome itself is the resolution or conclusion (The villagers stone Tessie.)
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Note: Some modern stories let events unfold without plot – action and change
occur inside the characters
Point of View
In “The Lottery” the point of view is third person objective – a narrator looking on
and reporting what occurs without knowing what’s going on in any one’s mind.
-How might the story change if told from p.o.v. of Tessie, or Mr. Summers, etc.?
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The angle from which the story is told
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Ask – Who is the narrator? Who tells the story? Through whose eyes are the events perceived?
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What part of the story does the narrator play, and what limits does the author place on the
narrator’s knowledge?
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First Person – the speaker, telling the story
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Third Person narrator – uses “he” or “she” & is major participant in the story, or may be an observer
only
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Omniscient – told through several characters’ perspectives (all-knowing)
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Limited Omniscient – told through one character’s perspective/eyes
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Objective – not told through any character’s eyes/perspective
Theme
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A main idea or insight contained in a work.
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The author’s observation about life, society, or human nature.
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Usually summarized in a sentence.
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Some works have more than one theme.
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To discover the theme, find an important subject in the story, and ask yourself,
“What does the author say about this subject?” Support w/details from story.
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In “The Lottery” several subjects are central: the unexpected, scapregoating,
people’s inhumanity to one another, outmoded rituals, victims of society, hostility,
violence, death. One theme may be, “People are selfish, always looking out for
number one.”
Imagery
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Words or groups of words that refer to any sense experience: seeing,
hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or feeling. Authors use imagery to
allow readers to experience the story.
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Examples from “The Lottery” – flowers bloom “profusely” and the grass is
“richly green” (par. 1), stones the children gather are smooth and round
(par. 2), When Mr. Summers speaks, a “hush” comes over the crowd (par.
19), Mrs. Dunbar is “gasping for breath” as villagers move toward Tessie
(par. 75).
Symbols
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Tangible objects, visible actions, or characters that hint at meanings
beyond themselves
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In “The Lottery,” the black box suggests outdated tradition, the past, evil,
cruelty, resistance to change, etc.
Irony
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Results from the readers’ sense of some discrepancy
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Sarcasm – when you say one thing, but mean the opposite
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Ironic Situation – sets up a wry contrast or incongruity – In “The Lottery,” acts of evil cruelty
and horror take place on a bright sunny day in June in an ordinary village.
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Ironic Dialogue – when a character says one thing but audience knows another meaning.
Ex – Old Man Warner says that to give up the lottery would like returning to primitive living,
but the lottery itself is a primitive and barbaric ritual.
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Ironic Point of View – when there is a difference between the author and narrator or
character through whom the story is told. Ex: Shirley Jackson clearly does not condone
the actions of the villagers for any reason.
Finding a Subject, Generating Ideas
1.
Burke’s worksheet
2.
Pair work
3.
Informal presentation to the class
4.
For general recommendations, see BG p. 210-214
For a revision checklist, see BG p. 215
Ruehlow/AP Honors Lit/Literary Analysis Process – Bedford Guide pp. 193-218
Chapter 13