Literary Analysis
The great writers of fiction speak to and
inform the universal human heart and mind.
They warn us of what we should and should
not do or be. Furthermore, they do not tell
us these human truths, they show us through
character development, setting symbolism,
and all the other tools at their disposal.
Fiction informs the human heart about the
truth of our existence.
Human
Behavior
Consequence
of Action
Authors use. . .
The particular
and concrete
To illustrate or explain the
general, the abstract, or the
whole
Typical Types of Literary Analysis
• Compare the effect of
one element on another
• One character's
development
• Comparison & contrast
of two characters,
symbols, settings
• Compare one text to
another
• Discuss the effect of one
scene on the entire work
• Etc., etc. etc.
Compare the effect of one
element on another:
You may show
how. . .
One Character
affects
The meaning of the whole work
One Character’s Development
Stage One
Stage Two
Stage ThreeWhy this is
Don’t forget to tell. . .
important!
Compare and Contrast two
characters, symbols, settings, etc.
Setting One
Setting Two
Don’t forget to tell. . .
What the
differences
show us.
Step 1:
THINK
Brainstorm, freewrite, talk to others,
make a jot list
As you consider different ideas,
Ask yourself. . .
What will this idea
enable me to say about
the work’s meaning
and significance?
What in the work will I
be able to use as
support for this idea?
Remember! A good thesis statement should
Contain the author’s name and the book title
(underlined!)
Contain the specific literary element to be
investigated (NAME the character, symbol, or
setting you will be analyzing!!)
Point to some idea of significance in the work, or
have an argumentative edge
Be written in present tense
NOT be written in passive voice
Be grammatically clear and correct
Never use 1st or 2nd person
Never refer to “the reader” or to “today’s society”
Examples of bad, bad, bad
thesis statements:
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice contains
romance and suspense.
George Orwell’s 1984 shows a bad state of
civilization.
Forrester’s Room with a View contrasts
greatly with today.
(These are all too broad and vague)
Examples of good thesis statements:
In George Orwell’s 1984 he uses
political propaganda to illustrate the
corruption of a totalitarian
government.
In his novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles,
Thomas Hardy exhibits his pessimistic
view of life through the intensity of his
dark settings.
More examples of good thesis statements:
In Forrester’s novel A Room with a View, the
character Lucy Honeychurch illustrates the
idea that love conquers all by undergoing
three distinct stages of development that end
in her realization of her love for George.
The characters Anne Elliott and Lady
Russell in Jane Austen’s Persuasion are
parallel to the characters in the fairy tale
Cinderella, showing that the virtuous can be
triumphant over adversity.
More examples of good thesis statements:
Conrad uses the setting of the jungle, which
actually represents “the heart of immense
darkness,” to symbolize the insanity,
obsession, and barbarism that invade the
mind of his main character, Kurtz.
The demonic character Heathcliff in
Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights
demonstrates the romantic theme that
people repeat the evil treatment that they
endure as children.