LITERARY ANALYSIS What is Not vs. What is Expected

Basic Parameters of the Assignment: §It should be about two to three pages (plus the "Works Cited" page) §I'm looking for between 600 to 1000 words. §It should be typed with a double spaced text, and I prefer Time Roman. §Follow standard MLA header and do the Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA) section according to your training.

Here is how it should look: §Except of course there will be two pages §MLA GuidlinesMLA Guidlines

Guidelines for writing: §Use evidence from text to support your thesis. §Organize points logically. §Use present tense. §If use quotations, make them few, short, no longer than necessary to prove your point.

It is Not a “Book Report” §In years past a book report was for many of you the norm in literary assignments. §It requires large amounts of summaries and a series of opinions on the overall text. §The purpose of a book report is to show the instructor that the student has read and understood the work. §It is NOT expected in most College classes.

Think How You Would Talk if You Enjoyed a Movie...You would say.. §what was specifically interesting in the film. §You would not re-tell the story!

Literary Analysis §Purpose: §you are to share a specific insight about a literary work in one particular area.

Rationale: § Increases reader’s (& writer’s) understanding, appreciation of work § Develops ability to think critically and independently § Strengthens writing ability § Aids in learning more about self, others, life

Choose one of these possiblities: Plot, Setting, Character, Point of View, Symbols

The Basic Questions of Plot §What happens? §To whom? §Why?

Analysis of Plot: 4 key elements of plot Exposition Climax Denouement* * Pronounced as “day-noo-MAWN”, (It’s French) noun: 1. The final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work. Complication a.k.a. “Resolution”

Conflicts §Man vs. Man §Man vs. Self §Man vs. Environment §Man vs. God The essence of plot is the existence of conflict.

Conflict Makes Plot §What are the conflicts? §Why do they occur? §What does the plot reveal? §Is the problem left unsolved? Why?

Analysis of Setting §Natural Setting l Hostile Force l Friendly Force §Man-made Setting l Reveals character of those who inhabit it

Setting §Time of day §Amount of light §Flora and fauna §Sounds §Weather §Clothing §Smells §Descriptions

More overt in Sci Fi but the scholar should remember that every setting is an artificial creation, an artifice, formed by an artist

Questions to ask about Setting §What is it? §What contribution is made by using this setting? §How is it effective in commenting on theme, characters, tone?

Character: Indicated in four ways §By what the character says §By what the character does §By what other characters say about him/her §By what the author says about him/her

Think of how Dickens reveals to us Pip’s nature and Miss Havisham’s.

Questions to ask about Character §Why do the characters act as they do? §Are the characters consistent in behavior? §Is there a change in behavior? Why?

Ask “Who tells the story?” Analysis of Point of View Ask “Who tells the story?” §First person narrator §Objective (Dramatic narrator) §Limited omniscient narrator §Omniscient narrator

Although it seems the most natural thing in the world, keep in mind that Dickens chose to have Great Expectations told from inside Pip’s own head.

Questions to ask about Point of View §What are the advantages? §What are its limitations? §How does the narrator’s mind and personality affect the interpretation? §Why has author chosen this point of view? §Is selected point of view used fairly and consistently?

Analysis of Theme (Controlling Idea) §What is it? §What does it mean? §How is it developed? §Is there unity?

Analysis of Symbolism Symbolism - the use of one object to represent or suggest another

Symbolism Any symbolic interpretation must grow directly out of the tones and connotations found in a close literal reading of the story.

GUIDELINES OF SOUND CRITICISM

SOUND CRITICISM §Interpret a passage in its context, noting such matters as the character, the time, and the author’s purpose.

SOUND CRITICISM §Be humble and open-minded, never assuming that yours is the only correct interpretation.

SOUND CRITICISM §Accept the theological, political, and social premises the work is founded on.

SOUND CRITICISM §Have perspective and see both the forest and the tree.

SOUND CRITICISM §Don’t assume that there is a message or hidden meaning everywhere.

SOUND CRITICISM §Don’t be so creative that you lose sight of the text and talk about yourself.

SOUND CRITICISM §DON’T RETELL THE STORY.

Guidelines for writing: §Read work carefully. §Assume audience is familiar with story; don’t rehash plot. §Use third person. §Research outside sources. §Have a clear thesis.

Faigley notes that a literary analysis paper can... §Review the repetition of particular images (motifs) and even works which contribute to the meaning of the work (its themes). §Examine a problem—why does the narrator in The Hobbit chat so much? §Compare and contrast to provide an analysis of two characters or two works—any pairs that help the reader gain an insight about the work. §Use a critical strategy.

Some critical strategies: §Feminist criticism §Historical (biographical) criticism §Jungian (Archetypal) criticism §Freudian (Psychological) criticism

Look at Some Specifics §The following concrete examples are based on trying to write a literary analysis paper on “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker which was featured in

Sparknotes refers to this information as context but it is biographical §Born in rural Eatonton, Georgia, in 1944, Alice Walker was the youngest of eight children. §When she was eight years old, she was blinded in one eye by a BB shot by one of her brothers. §Although she eventually had surgery on her scar and became valedictorian of her high school, she endured teasing and low self- esteem throughout her childhood.

More biographical §She received a scholarship to Spelman College, a traditionally black college in Georgia, and left home with three things given to her by her mother, §Minnie: a sewing machine to encourage self- sufficiency, a suitcase to nudge her curious spirit, and a typewriter to nurture her budding writing talents. §Walker eventually left Spelman to attend Sarah Lawrence College in New York, from which she graduated in 1965.

Some Points about “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker §The Meaning of Heritage §The Divisive Power of Education §Modern Culture vs. Traditional Culture Themes: the big ideas found within a work.

Motifs: Are any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative (or literary) aspects such as theme or mood. §Eye Contact and Eyesight §Naming and Renaming

Symbols: a concrete something in a story which represents an abstract idea §The Quilt §The Yard

Citations (MLA and APA) §MLA “SparkNote on Everyday Use.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC Web. 17 Oct §APA SparkNote on Everyday Use. (2007). Retrieved October 17, 2012, from stories/everyday-use/