Intro to Literary Analysis

Important Vocabulary Literary Analysis Author’s Purpose Using clues to determine the hidden meaning Author’s Purpose Why did the author write this? What does the author want us to do with this info?

Literary Analysis Definition Literary analysis focuses on how plot structure, characters, setting, and many other techniques are used by the author to create meaning. From arrowheadschools.com

Literary Analysis Steps If you’ve been asked to analyze a piece of literature, try following these steps: Identify the author's purpose.  What did the author want us to do with this information? Think of the characters, tone, setting, rhythm, plot, imagery, etc. as tools that help ensure that the reader "gets" the meaning that the writer intended. Ask yourself, why did the author choose to use these devices, in these particular ways?

Literary Analysis Examples Story Summary Literary Analysis Robin Hood Robin Hood stole goods and money from the rich residents of his town to give to the town’s poorer residents. The use of a monarchy or kingdom setting in Robin Hood allowed the author to portray the abuses of power that often occur among the wealthiest members of a community. Cinderella Cinderella tells the story of a young girl whose evil stepmother tries to keep her from her true love. The author of Cinderella paired lazy female characters with a hard–working female protagonist to show that hard work leads to success and happiness.  From http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/writinglitanalysis1.html

Literary Analysis Examples Story Summary Literary Analysis The Crucible Residents in 1690s Salem begin falsely accusing each other of witchcraft, which led to the unjust executions of many of the citizens. Your turn… From http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/writinglitanalysis1.html

Literary Analysis with The Crucible Let’s do a literary analysis on The Crucible together. 1. Identify the author's purpose.  a. Why did the author bother to write this play? b. What did the author want us to do with this information?

Literary Analysis with The Crucible Let’s do a literary analysis on The Crucible together. 2. Identify what characters, tone, setting, rhythm, plot, imagery, etc. Arthur Miller used as tools to help tell his story. a. Characters: b. Setting: c. Plot: d. Tone:

Literary Analysis with The Crucible Let’s do a literary analysis on The Crucible together. 3. Ask yourself, why did the author choose to use these devices, in these particular ways? a. Characters: b. Setting: c. Plot: d. Tone:

One Possible Literary Analysis of The Crucible It was clear from the beginning of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible that he had something to say about how people had been treated during the witch trials. After researching Miller, it was also clear that he wrote his play to mirror the events of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of communism against US citizens in the 1950s. The tools Miller uses to convey this fear and frustration are his characters, such as John Proctor, who represents the innocent American, and Abigail, who represents the vengeful enemy who would hurt others for power. The time and setting are important because when we read about people being accused of witchcraft, it is easy to feel separated from those events. However, when we see that our country still accuses people unfairly of being evil, such as we did with communism, our time suddenly seems much closer to Miller’s play than before.

One Possible Literary Analysis of The Crucible It was clear from the beginning of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible that he had something to say about how people had been treated during the witch trials. After researching Miller, it was also clear that he wrote his play to mirror the events of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of communism against US citizens in the 1950s. The tools Miller uses to convey this fear and frustration are his characters, such as John Proctor, who represents the innocent American, and Abigail, who represents the vengeful enemy who would hurt others for power. The time and setting are important because when we read about people being accused of witchcraft, it is easy to feel separated from those events. However, when we see that our country still accuses people unfairly of being evil, such as we did with communism, our time suddenly seems much closer to Miller’s play than before. HISTORICAL

Different Types of Literary Analysis Historical/Sociological – examination of literature and its themes using the historical or sociological context of its content or author Comparative – A compare/contrast analysis that breaks down a text based on its relationship with two or more different texts Gender – Examines how the sexual identity of the characters or authors influences the creation or reception of literature Psychoanalytical – Examines text through the lens of its author’s psychological state Formalist – A study of the text alone, with no external considerations Reader-response – Examination of the text through the responses of the reader (e.g., you.) Plus many, many more From http://hhh.gavilan.edu/kwarren/LitCrit.html