Literary Analysis
English III
Mr. Boesch
Literary Analysis
The study of literature is the study of life
through the eyes of an artist.
 It is an expository essay
 analyze a short story’s literary elements
(character, setting, point of view, conflict,
irony, etc), which convey a theme.
 make an argument


DO NOT add your own judgment of
the story OR agree or disagree.

This kind of paper is not intended to be a
persuasive or evaluative piece.

Stick to the analysis.
Introduction Paragraph
Grabber
 Name of the author, title of the short
story
 Literary genre
 The theme and the elements the author
uses to convey his/her point.
 Present elements in order of importance.
 Thesis comes at the end of intro
paragraph

Potential Grabbers
Interesting Fact
 Thought-provoking quote
 Short story quote
 Quick summary lead
 A big picture connection

Body Paragraphs
discuss the first literary element named in
the introduction.
 show how that element relates to the
story’s theme and provide specific
references from the story: literary devices
or quotations.
 conclude paragraph by showing the
relationship between that element and the
overall theme

Concluding Paragraph

BEGINS with a restatement of the author,
title, and thesis (author's theme)

Concludes with a general statement that
provides a sense of closure for the essay.

Consider trying to relate the theme of the
story to the world at large.
Sample Intro Paragraph

Many worry about the effects of extensive
television viewing on both children and adults,
fearing that it will cause a decline in intelligence
in future generations. Ray Bradbury shows a
similar concern in his science fiction story “The
Pedestrian.” Indeed, using the literary elements
of setting, character, and symbolism, Bradbury
predicts that television will lead future
generations to an inferior, unfulfilling existence.
Body Paragraph
Setting plays a key part in conveying Bradbury’s theme to the
reader. Set in a not-so-distant 2053, one finds a world that is not
more advanced and productive but is, instead, quiet and
unfulfilling. Set on a bleak November night, the late fall chill reflects
the empty lives of all but the central character, Leonard
Mead. Other humans are conveyed as ghosts or phantoms locked
away in dark, tomb-like homes where they gaze entranced at inane
television programs, such as old westerns and old-fashioned comedy
revues. Despite a virtual disappearance of crime in the city, this
culture is not appealing. Even the criminals are lulled into passivity
by the “boob tube”, and the government, represented by a lone,
mechanized police car, enforces this conformity. In Bradbury’s
future world, it is the television that has the power, and its kingdom
is a world of half-dead humans sleepwalking through their lives.
Body Paragraph
Placed in this world is Bradbury’s central character Leonard
Mead. The only character without a “viewing screen,” Mead is also
the only one who actively engages in life, as symbolized by his
nightly walk. He walks, observes nature, feels the cold chill of the
night throughout his body, and engages in imaginative
thinking. Contrasted with the television-viewing phantoms in
darkened houses, Mead is alone, “Or as good as
alone” (69). Mead’s former career as a writer is virtually dead since
in this society, nobody reads, preferring to stare at the television
instead. His home, as his personality, is alive with light. The reader
mourns Mead’s dilemma when he is taken by the police to a
psychiatric unit due to his lack of conformity. Bradbury’s
characterization of Leonard Mead and the contrast with the others
points the blame at one source: television.
Body Paragraph
Television is one of several symbols used by Bradbury to
convey his theme to the reader. It is used as an addictive drug,
lulling people into passive acceptance of conformity and
uselessness. As he passes the homes of people described as "gray
phantoms", Mead asks, “Where are the cowboys rushing, and do I
see the United States Cavalry over the next hill to the
rescue?" (Bradbury 95). The use of televisions (or viewing screens)
is reinforced by another symbol, the automated police car that
coldly accosts Leonard Mead and after threatening to shoot him
because he is not home watching television; the car whisks him
away to the “Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive
Tendencies” (96) as he passes lifeless homes in which "Ill-lit by the
television light. . .people sat like the dead, the gray or multicolored
lights touching their faces, but never really touching them" (98).
Bradbury warns that excessive television will strip humans of their
humanity, leading to tomb-like existences.
Concluding Paragraph
Bradbury’s use of setting, character, and
symbolism in his science fiction story “The
Pedestrian” show his concern that television will
harm future generations, making them
unthinking and unfulfilled. As television began
to grow as a popular medium, many people
share Bradbury’s view. It remains to be seen
whether future programming will facilitate
learning and growth in viewers or lead to a less
productive, less-fulfilled existence that Bradbury
foresees.
Fundamentals
Follow MLA format
 Use transitions
 Keep analysis in present tense/active voice
 Block the paragraphs (not double-spaced)
 12 pt. Times New Roman
 All essays subject to Turnitin.com

Fundamentals
Do not use first or second person (I or
you)
 Use high diction
 Vary your sentence lengths
 Vary the beginnings of your sentences
 Do not summarize
 Stick to your thesis point

Essay Length and Parameters
Three-four pages in length on a Word
document.
 1 inch margins
 No works cited page

Due Dates

Rough Draft: Nov. 18 (hard copy)

Final Draft: Nov. 22 (submitted online)
Works Cited

Juniper, Sandy. "Literary Analysis Sample
and Guidelines." First Class. 11 Sept.
2006. Web. 03 Nov. 2011.
<http://fc.pickerington.k12.oh.us/~sandy
_juniper/FOV1-000151F9/S010C0463>.