Literary Analysis When you write a literary analysis essay, you should focus on the  following elements: tone, diction, syntax, author’s point of view,  structure, imagery, and dramatic context of a selection. As you explore  and analyze the prose below, make notes about the literary elements you  notice and begin to consider how the author develops his theme.  The following is an excerpt from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment . Dostoevsky uses his story to explain how when a someone commits a crime, a guilty conscience and un-confessed sin causes more torment and anguish than the physical punishment or consequences for the crime. Tip: For enrichment, read the whole text of Crime and Punishment . If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be his punishment--as well as the prison… Siberia.  On the banks of a broad solitary river stands a town, one of the  administrative centers of Russia; in the town there is a prison. In the  prison the second-class convict Rodion Raskolnikov has been confined for  nine months. Almost a year and a half has passed since his crime. There  had been little difficulty about his trial. The criminal adhered  exactly, firmly, and clearly to his statement. He did not confuse nor  misrepresent the facts, nor soften them in his own interest, nor omit  the smallest detail. He explained every incident of the murder, the  secret of the piece of wood with a strip of metal which was found in the  murdered woman’s hand. He described how he had taken her keys, what  they were like, as well as the chest and its contents; he explained the  mystery of Lizaveta’s murder; described how Koch and, after him, the  student knocked, and repeated all they had said to one another; how he  afterwards had run downstairs and heard Nikolay and Dmitri shouting; how  he had hidden in the empty flat and afterwards gone home…The sentence,  however, was more merciful than could be expected, perhaps partly  because the criminal had not tried to justify himself, but had rather  shown a desire to exaggerate his guilt. … In  prison, how it happened, he did not know. But all at once something  seemed to seize him and fling him at [Sonia’s] feet. He wept and threw  his arms round her knees. They were both pale and thin; but those sick  pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a full  resurrection into a new life…Under his pillow lay the New Testament. He  took it up mechanically. The book belonged to Sonia; it was the one from  which she had read the raising of Lazarus to him…But that is the  beginning of a new story--the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the  story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into  another, of his initiation into a new unknown life. That might be the  subject of a new story…     Literary Analysis- Prose Assignment Instructions Instructions You will write a literary analysis paper on the text presented in the last page ( click here to see the .

1. Literary Analysis
When you write a literary analysis essay, you should focus on
the following elements: tone, diction, syntax, author’s point of
view, structure, imagery, and dramatic context of a selection.
As you explore and analyze the prose below, make notes about
the literary elements you notice and begin to consider how the
author develops his theme.
The following is an excerpt from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s
Crime and Punishment
. Dostoevsky uses his story to explain how when a someone
commits a crime, a guilty conscience and un-confessed sin
causes
more
torment and anguish than the physical punishment or
consequences for the crime. Tip: For enrichment, read the whole
text of
Crime and Punishment
.
If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will
be his punishment--as well as the prison…
Siberia. On the banks of a broad solitary river stands a town,
one of the administrative centers of Russia; in the town there is
a prison. In the prison the second-class convict Rodion
Raskolnikov has been confined for nine months. Almost a year
and a half has passed since his crime. There had been little
difficulty about his trial. The criminal adhered exactly, firmly,
and clearly to his statement. He did not confuse nor
misrepresent the facts, nor soften them in his own interest, nor

2. omit the smallest detail. He explained every incident of the
murder, the secret of the piece of wood with a strip of metal
which was found in the murdered woman’s hand. He described
how he had taken her keys, what they were like, as well as the
chest and its contents; he explained the mystery of Lizaveta’s
murder; described how Koch and, after him, the student
knocked, and repeated all they had said to one another; how he
afterwards had run downstairs and heard Nikolay and Dmitri
shouting; how he had hidden in the empty flat and afterwards
gone home…The sentence, however, was more merciful than
could be expected, perhaps partly because the criminal had not
tried to justify himself, but had rather shown a desire to
exaggerate his guilt.
… In prison, how it happened, he did not know. But all at once
something seemed to seize him and fling him at [Sonia’s] feet.
He wept and threw his arms round her knees. They were both
pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the
dawn of a new future, of a full resurrection into a new
life…Under his pillow lay the New Testament. He took it up
mechanically. The book belonged to Sonia; it was the one from
which she had read the raising of Lazarus to him…But that is
the beginning of a new story--the story of the gradual renewal
of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing
from one world into another, of his initiation into a new
unknown life. That might be the subject of a new story…
Literary Analysis- Prose Assignment Instructions
Instructions
You will write a literary analysis paper on the text presented in
the last page (
click here to see the text

3. ). In your paper, explore how the author conveys his rhetorical
stance that when someone commits a crime, a guilty conscience
and un-confessed sin cause
more
torment and anguish than physical punishment. You may
include other references in addition to your comments on this
excerpt. Be sure to analyze
tone
,
metaphor
,
simile
,
diction
,
style
, and most importantly, the
core meaning
of the selections.
Criteria for This Assignment
Length and Formatting Requirements
One to three pages (750 to 1200 words), double spaced
Times New Roman, 12-point font
Content Requirements
Develop your topic and argument logically and cohesively.
Your thesis should drive the content of your essay.

4. State specific examples of the literary techniques in your essay
(for example, don't just say the author uses his diction to
convey his message; be specific about how and why.)
If you reference additional sources, you must cite your sources
in-text and in a Works Cited page.
As you work on the assignment, please review the note on
plagiarism if you have any questions as to what you may or
may not use from the presented materials and/or outside
sources in your paper.