21st Century Lit - Literary Analysis PDF

LITERARY ANALYSIS LITERARYANALYSIS LITERARY ANALYSIS  Literary analysis looks critically at a work of fiction in order to understand how the parts contribute to the whole. When analyzing a novel or short story, you will need to consider elements such as the context, setting, characters, plo...

LITERARY ANALYSIS LITERARYANALYSIS LITERARY ANALYSIS  Literary analysis looks critically at a work of fiction in order to understand how the parts contribute to the whole. When analyzing a novel or short story, you will need to consider elements such as the context, setting, characters, plot, literary devices, and themes. Remember that a literary analysis is not merely a summary or review, but rather an interpretation of the work and an argument about it based on the text.  Summary Begin by summarizing the basic plot  Context Research the author’s background and other work. This can give insight into the author’s perspective and bias, as well as tell the reader what he might be commenting on. Other questions about context can stem from the story itself. Consider the narrator’s personality and his/her role in the story. Setting When and where a story takes place can be profoundly significant. Consider where the author’s story is placed and why the author made that decision. Plot Story lines usually follow patterns like those in the example below. Identifying essential plot points will help you to analyze, interpret, and explain the story. Main Problem (Conflict): The plot hinges on some major problem, often a conflict between characters or an Climax: The high point of the action, when the conflict or problem could either be resolved or cause a character’s downfall. Resolution: The conflict or problem is solved and normalcy or a new order is restored.  Characters Characters are the driving force behind stories, both major characters and minor ones, and authors use them to broadcast their most important messages. You will not be able to analyze every character, but pick out several important ones to consider. First, describe the character for yourself; next, consider why the Types of Characters: 1. Protagonist. The main character of the story 2. Antagonist. The villain of the story 3. Love Interest. The protagonist’s object of desire 4. Confidant. The best friend or sidekick of the protagonist Types of Characters: 5. Deuteragonists. These characters often overlap with confidants 6. Tertiary characters. These are minor characters that populate the world of the story but do not necessarily link to the main storyline 7. Foil. A character used to contrast a second, usually more prominent character in order to highlight certain qualities of the more prominent character. a supporting character who has a contrasting personality and set of values. Putting the foil and main character in close proximity helps draw  Literary Devices Various literary devices help convey meaning or create a mood. Look for these in a story to identify key points and their contribution to the author’s overall meaning. The following are a few common literary devices. Foreshadowing. The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in a literary work. Irony. An implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There are three kinds of irony: verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something else; dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that the characters do not know; and situational irony is a discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result. Symbolism. The use of an object or action to mean something more than its literal meaning. Imagery The sky was wide and deep and very blue above us: but along the saw-tooth rim of the Katayagan hills to the southwest flamed huge masses of clouds. Before us the fields swam in a golden haze through which floated big purple and red and yellow bubbles when I looked at the sinking sun. Labang's white coat, which I had washed and brushed that morning with coconut husk, glistened like beaten cotton under the lamplight and his horns appeared tipped with fire. Types of Imagery: 1.Visual (Sight)- green, wide, tall, saw-tooth rim 2. Auditory- clang of the plates, crow of the rooster, hissing of the snake 3. Olfactory- sweet fragrance, fresh scent, stinky food 4. Gustatory- succulent, tasty, juicy apple 5. Tactile- fuzzy blanket, cold air, sticky, sweaty clothes 6. Kinesthetic- slithering in the alley, flipping the pages, soar up high, loitering and wandering  Themes Themes are big ideas that authors comment on throughout a work using tools such as context, setting, and characters. Common themes are good vs. evil, human nature, religion, social structure, authority, coming-of-age, human rights, feminism, racism, war, education, sex, friendship, love, Nagrebcan, La Union  Nagrebcan, La Union LITERATURE CIRCLES What Are Literature Circles? Nagrebcan, La Union In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion is guided by students' response to what they have read. You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books.  Nagrebcan, La Union Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic response.  Nagrebcan, Discussion facilitatorLa Union A person with this task asks these questions of the group to prompt discussion; overall, the job is to keep the group talking and on-task. Questions that a student might ask could be: "What was going through your mind when you read this passage?" or "How did the main character change as a result of this Commentator Nagrebcan, La Union This role involves locating a few significant passages of text that are thought- provoking, funny, interesting, disturbing, or powerful. The quotations are copied down with properly cited page numbers. A student with this task can read the passages out loud him/herself or ask other group members to read as well. IllustratorNagrebcan, La Union As the term implies, this job entails drawing, sketching, or painting a picture, portrait or scene relating to the appropriate section of the novel. Collages from magazines, images from the internet, and other media can also be used. The student with this role then shares the artwork with the group, explaining the passage(s) that  Nagrebcan, La Union Summarizer This role involves preparing a brief summary of the reading that was assigned for that day's meeting. The summary should include the main ideas or events to remember, major characters, symbols or other significant highlights of the passage. Good summarizers are important to literature circles, as they can help their  Nagrebcan, Vocabulary enricher La Union Also called the Word Master or Word Wizard, this role is to record important words for that day's reading. Words that are unusual, unknown, or that stand out in some way are usually chosen by the student. Their page number and definition is also recorded.  Nagrebcan, La Union Travel tracer This role involves recording where the major shifts in action or location take place in the novel for the reading section. Keeping track of shifts in place, time, and characters helps students keep track of important shifts in the novel.  Nagrebcan, La Union Investigator This role includes investigative work where background information needs to be found on any topic relating to the book. Historical, geographical, cultural, musical or other information that would help readers connect to the novel is often researched and shared with the group.  Nagrebcan, Figurative language La Union finder This role includes identification of various types of figurative language, including but not limited to simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and idiom. This may lead to discussion about the author's craft – why the author chose to use those particular words or phrases, and whether or not they were effective.