Literary Analysis

Essay #1 = Literary Analysis Essay #1 is a literary analysis The draft of Essay #1 is due 2 weeks from today This lecture will define “literary analysis” and guide your drafting.

Definition of Analysis An analysis is: “A method by which a thing is separated into parts, and those parts are given rigorous, logical, detailed scrutiny, resulting in a consistent and relatively complete account of the elements of the thing and the principles of their organization” (Holman and Harmon)

Definition of Literary Analysis A literary analysis identifies major components of a literary work and explains through rigorous scrutiny how those major components work together to create an effect or communicate a message to the reader.

More about Literary Analysis Above all, literary analysis is an exercise in gathering original thoughts on a subject and organizing those thoughts into a coherent argument. Consider your essays this semester as exercises in the construction of argument

Identify the Following: You’ll first need to be able to identify: 1. The overall meaning or message being communicated to the reader. This is often called a “theme.” A story may have more than one meaning/message For Essay #1, you must focus on only ONE 2. The story’s major components These are often called “literary devices” or “literary tools” Every story uses many of these literary tools. For Essay #1, you must focus on only ONE tool

Overall Meaning/Message

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message The author usually will not directly tell you what meaning or message he or she is trying to communicate. Therefore, you must read the story and determine for yourself what the story’s overall meaning or message is.

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Assume there is always an overall meaning or message.

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Assume there is always an overall meaning or message. Do not try to argue there is no meaning or message in these literary works Such an argument undercuts our main goal: literary analysis Such an argument would take more time, research, and critical theory than we can spare this semester.

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message There is no ONE right answer. Base your conclusions on evidence in the story. The more original your conclusions, the higher your essay grade.

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Do not argue that the meaning or message changes depending on the reader. Such an argument does not serve our purposes this semester. Such an argument does not create rigorous analysis. Such an argument, whether or not it is true, cannot produce a coherent essay

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message You will get better at articulating the story’s overall meaning or message as the semester progresses. You will get practice during Socratic seminars and in-class discussions

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Ask yourself: “What is the author trying to tell me about real life with this story?” “What message is the author trying to send?” “What does the author want people to learn about life and/or human behavior?”

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message A good overall meaning/message makes a definitive statement based on evidence from the text.

The Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Try to avoid the following when articulating the story’s overall meaning or message: statements that are too general statements that are unclear statements that do not make a definitive argument statements that cannot be related to the actual text statements that advance your personal political agenda

Poor Examples of the Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Bad examples (try to avoid these): 1.communication 2.love 3.love is good 4.love is bad 5.the government keeps its citizens down 6.abortion is wrong and people who have abortions are going to hell too general/no definitive argument too general/ argument unclear no textual evidence argument advances a political agenda unrelated to the text

Good Examples of the Story’s Overall Meaning/Message Possible themes/overall meanings/messages in the story “Hills Like White Elephants”: 1.Effective communication in romantic relationships is impossible. 2.People never say what they mean. 3.People are resistant to change 4.People deliberately use language to manipulate others 5.Alcohol interferes with healthy communication 6.Pressuring a romantic partner into having an abortion is antithetical to the values of love

Warning: You may be tempted to search the internet for the story’s overall meaning or message. Avoid this, even when you are feeling insecure The “layman’s internet” or internet outside an academic setting often contains: -poor grammar -unclear ideas -general statements -bad ideas -wrong ideas You are not here to learn how to copy. You are here to learn how to write. You can only learn how to write with practice. Also, Prof. Kraemer will know if you’ve copied your ideas. Copying without giving credit is plagiarism. If you plagiarize, you will receive an “F” on your essay.

Literary Tools

This semester we are looking at literary works as constructs: structures deliberately crafted to communicate a deliberate message. Literary works do not “just happen,” despite what the cultural mythos tells you. Literary works are not “magical,” despite what the cultural mythos tells you. Literary works are not “the result of a really good drug high,” despite what the cultural mythos tells you.

Literary Tools An actual construct (a house, for example) has parts: -doors -windows -beams -drywall A story, like a house, also has parts: -word choice -word order -character -structure -setting -…and more

Literary Tools Tell how the use of ONE of the literary terms below achieves the overall meaning or message. Choose only ONE as your focus. setting denotation/connotation conflict tone allegory metaphor/symbol point of view

Setting Ask: Where is the story set? When is the story set? How does the author make the setting clear? If the story took place at another time or place, how would the meaning be different? How does the setting of the story influence the overall meaning or message?

Setting TimePlaceSetting

Time Year Time of day Place LocaleWeather

Denotation/Connotation Denotation: the dictionary definition of a word; the most literal and limited meaning. Connotation: the meanings/images associated with the word in the larger culture

Conflict To talk about “conflict,” we must talk about “plot.”

Plot Analyzing Literature

Plot If all writers wrote their stories in chronological order, “plot” would be defined as: plot = the sequence of events in a story. The problem is, not all writers write chronologically.

Plot Therefore, it might be more accurate to define plot as: plot=the organization of the sequence of events in a story However, that organization is often arranged according to what is happening in the story (although not always, as in Faulkner).

So, it might be most accurate to say: plot = the organization in a story of events into a sequence based on cause and effect

And generally, a plot contains these elements: 1. Exposition Introduces characters Introduces background information important to the story 2.Conflict or complication Can be within a character Between a character and society Between two characters 3.Crisis Conflict intensifies and forces the characters into a choice 4.Climax The moment of greatest tension in the story Characters make a choice and deal with the consequences 5. Denouement (dan-noo-mahn) Resolution or non-resolution to the conflict

In order to figure out what the conflict is, you must be able to identify a story’s protagonist and antagonist. Protagonist= who the audience is rooting for, sometimes heroic, sometimes not so heroic. Antagonist = the character or force working against the protagonist.

Tone Whatever leads us to infer an author’s attitude is called “tone.” A story can have a formal tone. A story can have an informal tone. A story can have a desperate tone. A story can have a peaceful tone. …and so on

Tone Formal tone = “I must presently visit the market for a frozen treat.” Informal tone = “I’m goin’ to the store to get some ice cream, dude.” Desperate tone = “If I don’t get some ice cream right now, I’ll die” Peaceful tone = “Ice cream would be a wonderful thing.” …and so on

Tone implies the feelings of the author. Tone is expressed through style. Style is expressed through diction and word order.

Style refers to the individual traits or characteristics of a piece of writing. Style refers to a writer’s particular ways of managing words that we can recognize as customary or habitual.

Style is expressed through diction. Diction refers to the word choices an author makes

Point of View Point of View refers to who is telling the story. A story can be in: first person point of view second person point of view third person omniscient point of view third person limited point of view (rarely) third person objective point of view

Allegory Allegory: A symbolic story that corresponds to a set of moral, philosophical, political, or religious situations

Metaphor/Symbol Metaphors and symbols are both tropes or figures of speech.

Metaphor/Symbol Metaphors and symbols are both tropes or figures of speech. Think of a trope like an equation: My love is a red rose love = rose

Metaphor/Symbol A metaphor will give both sides of the equation: My love is a red rose love = rose

Metaphor/Symbol A symbol will only give you the end result: A rose falls to the ground. You, the reader, have to determine what that rose symbolizes: A rose falls to the ground tells us ______

Sample Thesis = Missing Overall Meaning In The Cat in the Hat, the reader can see how elements of punctuation, meter, rhyme, and repetition work together to create a sense of constant action and spontaneity.

Sample Thesis = Missing Literary Tool The Cat in the Hat is not just a simple tale for children. Rather, it is a story which presents the playful Cat’s revolt against authority and subversion of traditional societal values and subtly affirms that insurrection.

Sample Thesis = Missing HOW In The Cat in the Hat, the reader can see how elements of punctuation, meter, rhyme, and repetition work together to create a sense of constant action and spontaneity, paralleling the events of the story and the unpredictable character of the Cat himself. Secondly, it also becomes clear that The Cat in the Hat is not just a simple tale for children. Rather, it is a story which presents the playful Cat’s revolt against authority and subversion of traditional societal values and subtly affirms that insurrection.

Sample Thesis = Better In Dr. Seuss’s story The Cat in the Hat, the reader can see how elements of punctuation, meter, rhyme, and repetition work together to create a sense of constant action and spontaneity. This action and spontaneity is a direct counterpoint to the figures of authority in the story, the parents. This contrast presents the playful Cat’s revolt against authority and subversion of traditional societal values and subtly affirms that insurrection.