The document outlines various elements to analyze when reviewing a literary work, including plot, characters, theme, setting, style, literary devices used, and any questions that arise. It encourages examining how characters are developed and relate to one another, identifying the author's central idea or message, understanding how setting influences the story, analyzing the tone and techniques used to tell the story, and taking note of any symbols or devices and their significance.

1. Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?
Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?
Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?
Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?
Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?
Plot (Brief summary of whole chapter, scene or act)
Character (what characters are introduced in each
chapter? How are these characters being developed?
Conflicts with other characters? What are you learning
about the character through direct and indirect
characterization-character’s speech, thoughts, actions,
and looks, how others react to that character, etc.?)
Theme (central idea/emotion/ author’s overall
message/moral in the literary work- what topics are you
noticing that are prevalent (hate, love, friendship,
family, loss of innocence, etc.)? Create topic into a
theme sentence by starting with, “the author believes
that…” (don’t forget to include textual evidence that
demonstrates this theme)
Note: stating a theme like “family is good” is too vague
Setting (background of the story-the place where the
story happens and the time when the story happens.
Answers the question WHERE and WHEN. It’s also
important for setting the mood of the story-consider
how the setting for a horror story is different than a
western or space story. Weather also plays a role in the
setting) Drama: if you were reading a play,how are
stage directions, lighting, props, etc. used?
Style (HOW is the story being presented? Consider the
tone, how suspense is built, images created, description,
dialogue, how the story is broken up-into parts, etc.)
Literary Devices (What and HOW do these add to
the writing? Symbols, metaphors, similes, allusions,
other figures of speech)
Questions? Other Info. (What questions (about
character, time, place, etc.) are you formulating when
you finish the chapter? Is there something you don’t
understand-perhaps an element of historical
background, allusions that you might need to look up?