Literary Analysis “What distinguishes literature from other forms of knowledge is that it cannot be understood unless we understand what it means to be human.” (J. Bronowski) There are many ways to interpret, analyze, and evaluate literature. Perhaps you’ve already been asked to make an observation or take a position about a work of literature (whether a poem, short story, novel, play, or film) and examine such elements as plot, characters, theme, setting, conflict, structure, point of view, imagery, or symbolism. When you are asked by a teacher to write an interpretation, a critique, or a literary analysis, you are being asked to figure out what is going on in a work of literature. Much more complicated than merely summarizing a piece or writing a personal reaction to it, literary analysis requires that you read between the lines of a text and discover something meaningful there. Why does a specific image recur throughout a poem? How does a novel relate to a social issue facing the author at the time it was written? Do you recognize a pattern or perceive a problem with a character’s behavior in a play? How is the role of women significant in a movie? Answers to all of these questions can be determined only through critical thinking and the synthesis of your ideas. · An interpretation—explains a text’s overall meaning or significance, explaining your reasoning for this interpretation with supporting evidence from the text. · A critique—also called a critical response or a review, it provides your personal judgment about a text, supported by reasons and references to the work of art and often secondary sources.· A formal analysis—different from a critique in that examines a work of art by breaking it down into various elements to discover how the parts interrelate to create meaning of effect. · A cultural analysis—examines a work of art by relating it to the historical, social, cultural, or political situations in which it was written to show how the author was influenced by personal experiences, events, prevailing attitudes, or contemporary values. How can I persuade readers that my view or interpretation is reasonable? First, be sure that your view or interpretation asserts a debatable claim. For instance, if you were to say that “Antigone is a play about a young woman who questions authority,” you wouldn’t be saying much beyond a summary. But if you said that, “Antigone’s punishment is well-deserved because she violates the laws of the king,” that is debatable. Another student could just as easily argue that Antigone’s punishment is not well-deserved and that she should be commended for respecting the higher laws of the gods over the laws of the king. Because you are essentially arguing that your perspective is a valid one, you have to support it effectively with reasons, evidence from the piece (direct references to specific quotations, lines, passages, scenes, etc.), and—if required—secondary sources (articles and bo ...

1. Literary Analysis
“What distinguishes literature from other forms of knowledge is
that it cannot be understood unless we understand what it means
to be human.” (J. Bronowski)
There are many ways to interpret, analyze, and evaluate
literature. Perhaps you’ve already been asked to make an
observation or take a position about a work of literature
(whether a poem, short story, novel, play, or film) and examine
such elements as plot, characters, theme, setting, conflict,
structure, point of view, imagery, or symbolism. When you are
asked by a teacher to write an interpretation, a critique, or a
literary analysis, you are being asked to figure out what is going
on in a work of literature. Much more complicated than merely
summarizing a piece or writing a personal reaction to it, literary
analysis requires that you read between the lines of a text and
discover something meaningful there. Why does a specific
image recur throughout a poem? How does a novel relate to a
social issue facing the author at the time it was written? Do
you recognize a pattern or perceive a problem with a character’s
behavior in a play? How is the role of women significant in a
movie? Answers to all of these questions can be determined
only through critical thinking and the synthesis of your ideas.
· An interpretation—explains a text’s overall meaning or
significance, explaining your reasoning for this interpretation
with supporting evidence from the text.
· A critique—also called a critical response or a review, it
provides your personal judgment about a text, supported by
reasons and references to the work of art and often secondary
sources.· A formal analysis—different from a critique in that
examines a work of art by breaking it down into various
elements to discover how the parts interrelate to create meaning
of effect.
· A cultural analysis—examines a work of art by relating it to
the historical, social, cultural, or political situations in which it

2. was written to show how the author was influenced by personal
experiences, events, prevailing attitudes, or contemporary
values.
How can I persuade readers that my view or interpretation is
reasonable?
First, be sure that your view or interpretation asserts a
debatable claim.
For instance, if you were to say that “Antigone is a play about a
young woman who questions authority,” you wouldn’t be saying
much beyond a summary. But if you said that, “Antigone’s
punishment is well-deserved because she violates the laws of
the king,” that is debatable. Another student could just as
easily argue that Antigone’s punishment is not well-deserved
and that she should be commended for respecting the higher
laws of the gods over the laws of the king.
Because you are essentially arguing that your perspective is a
valid one, you have to support it effectively with reasons,
evidence from the piece (direct references to specific
quotations, lines, passages, scenes, etc.), and—if required—
secondary sources (articles and books written about the piece,
which is otherwise known as the primary source).
What Can I Possibly Say About a Work of Literature that Hasn’t
Been Said Before?
Because no two people interpret literature the same way, it is
entirely possible that you could raise an issue, address a
problem, or offer make a unique observation that moves beyond
an obvious interpretation of the piece you’re examining. It is
THIS type of analysis that you should strive for—the kind that
makes literature more meaningful and rewarding for the rest of
us!
There are Two Main Ways to Analyze a Work of Literature:
1. The Formal Approach: Examine one (or more) of the
following elements and explain how it relates to the whole:

3. Plot
Paradox
Character
Oxymoron
Theme
Hyperbole
Setting
Allusion
Conflict
Simile
Structure
Metaphor
Point of View
AlliterationGenre
Assonance

4. Style
Onomatopoeia
Tone
Personification
Imagery
Rhythm
Symbolism
Rhyme
Irony
Figures of Speech
Narrator
Foreshadowing
2. The Critical or Theoretical Approach: Analyze the work of
literature by using one of the following critical frameworks or
theoretical approaches:
New Critical Approach
Psychoanalytical/Psychological Approach

5. Archetypal/Myth Critical Approach
Feminist Approach
Structuralist Approach
Black Feminist Approach
Post-Structuralist Approach
Gender Studies Approach
Semiological Approach
Morality StudiesDeconstructionist Approach
Religious/Theological Studies
Reader-Response Critical Approach
Language Studies
Historical Approach
Law Studies
New Historical Approach
Marxist Approach

6. *If you have never heard of these scary-sounding approaches
and have no idea what they are about, don’t panic! Try doing a
basic Internet search on two or three that sound interesting to
you, and see if they offer an interesting angle or lens through
which you can view the work of literature you’re analyzing.
Why write about literature in school?
Because reading literature can sometimes be challenging or
confusing, writing about it can help make sense of it and assist
you in generating insights about your reading of it. As Lynn
Troyka and Douglas Hesse note in their Quick Access Reference
for Writers, literature “helps you understand other people,
ideas, times, and places. It shows you how authors use
language to stir the imaginations, emotions, and intellects of
their readers” (89). Writing about literature is also a way to
broaden your own understanding and to share your own reading
experiences—whether they be frustrations or revelations—with
other readers.
What Special Rules Do I Need to Know for Writing about
Literature?
1. Be aware of the distinction between the author and the
narrator/speaker.
The narrator tells the story and the speaker serves as the voice
of a poem, but you must never assume that the author and the
narrator/speaker are the same person, sharing the same values,
beliefs, or perspective.
2. Use an author’s name correctly.
The first time you mention an author’s name, use the first and
last name: “Kate Chopin.” For every other mention throughout
the paper, use only the last name: “Chopin.”
3. Be aware of literary time.
The concept of “literary time” is often something that students
overlook when writing about literature. Always use the present
tense when describing or discussing a literary work—even when
the author is no longer living. Once literature is penned, it is

7. considered both “eternal” and “living.” This is why students
and scholars alike use present tense to discuss works of
literature. The only time you use past tense is when you are
referring to the historical time frame in which a work was
written. (“The Scarlet Letter was published in 1851.”)
EXAMPLES:
-In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne explores…(not explored)
-When Hester runs into Dimmesdale in the forest…(not ran)-In
her 1985 essay, Jane Tompkins argues that Hawthorne’s novel
was admired in the
nineteenth century for reasons much different than it is admired
today. (not argued)
4. Underline or put into italics titles of longer works like books,
magazines (journals), and movies. Use quotation marks around
the titles of shorter works like short stories, essays, songs, and
poems.
5. Assume that your audience shares a general knowledge of
the work you’re
discussing (unless you’ve been asked to write a summary or
report). Otherwise, you’ll fall into the trap of summarizing the
work instead of reacting to it.
6. Use quotations. When writing about literature, refer to
specific lines, scenes, or passages to support your main point.
When quoting a few lines of poetry, use a slash (/) to separate
lines. When quoting more than three lines of poetry or four
lines of prose, indent the quotation one inch on either side
instead of using quotation marks. TIP: NEVER leave a
quotation by itself. It is your job to show why it was important
enough to put in your paper. Introduce it, explain it, and show
how it relates to your thesis.
7. Cite authors and page numbers within your essay for all

8. quotations and for any secondary sources (books or articles
written about your subject) that you may use to support your
points or to provide background, and include an alphabetical list
of Work(s) Cited as the last page of your paper. Use MLA style
documentation.
8. BIGGEST TIP FOR SUCCESS: Read it at least twice.
The most important strategy for writing a good response to
literature is to read the text more than once, the first time for
enjoyment and the second or third time for “work”—to take
notes, to underline or highlight important passages, to ask
questions as you go along, to figure out what’s going on in the
text. This second reading is often called a “close” or “critical”
reading.