Literary Analysis Chunking Method

Analysis 1. Analysis: To take a part and examine closely. 2. Literary analysis: take apart a text (a piece of literature) and examine it carefully with a specific purpose/intention.

3. Analogy Just as a scientist would take a part and examine a moon rock to determine its mineral make up, a writer takes a part a text to look at the literary elements and author’s style. A scientist makes a hypothesis A writer makes a 4. thesis statement Both need to be proven with specific evidence and explanation for the evidence provided!

5. Never, Ever Avoid using I, ME, MY, MYSELF Avoid I 6.believe, In my opinion, I will tell you, I think Avoid the word “thing(s)” Don’t use “You, YOUR, Yourself” because this is breaking the fourth wall All subjects should be the character 7. names and corresponding pronouns (Rainsford and he)

ALWAYS, FOREVER Put short story 8. titles and poetry in italics or quotes Example “The Most Dangerous Game.” Punctuation always goes 9.INSIDE the quotation mark Indent paragraphs Use PRESENT TENSE. Literature is a live! Put a comma after all appositives (AFTER A NOUN, IT’S A WORD OR PHRASE) “The Lady or the Tiger,” 10. A SHORT STORY, breaks the fourth wall.

Body Paragraph 11. Focus statement: identify topic/point/purpose and introduce the title and author Clear 12. details from the story Clear explanations, reasons, opinions, thoughts for each 13.detail Closing sentence

Thesis Statement Include author’s name (give them credit! It’s difficult to get published) Include title (need to know what text you are examining (analyzing) Have a topic WITH supporting reasons Example topic: Rainsford is dynamic. BORING! In Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game,” it is evident that Rainsford is a dynamic character because his attitude, tactics, and ideas toward hunting change from the beginning to the end.

Concrete Detail Specific, relevant detail directly from the text! This is the 14.proof and evidence that comes from the text! Use a 15.quote from the story Use a summary

If you use a quote… Introduce the 16.quote Use correct punctuation. Make sure it relates to 17.topic Try to add citations (you should do it) Rainsford’s attitude toward hunting changes when the narrator states, “Rainsford knew now how an animal at bay feels” (25).

If you summarize Be clear, be specific, be detailed Try to use the page number, too When General Zaroff approaches each trap, Rainsford begins to feel like the animals that he once hunted; he feels fear and pain (25).

Commentary Use 18.2 after each Concrete Detail Commentary: Your ideas, reactions, responses, explanations, reasons, opinions

Commentary Identify why you chose this particular example Tell why it is significant/ 19.important Always connect back to the 20.topic

Commentary This is significant because…(insert your opinion) This shows that… This means… Therefore… In this way… It is evident…

Closing Sentence Don’t 21.REPEAT topic sentence Draw your own 22.conclusion based on the evidence you provided

EXAMPLE OF THE CHUNKING….LET’S DO THE COMMENTARY TOGETHER!

Brent Bishop, the protagonist in Paul Fleischman’s short story, Whirligig, is a dynamic character since his attitude and actions toward life change throughout the story. Specifically, in the beginning of the novel, Brent’s only concern is about fitting in with his peers and ending his life when he goes to Chaz’s party and drinks alcohol and then decides to kill himself while driving after he was rejected and humiliated by a girl he likes. This shows that ……………………………………………………………………… Furthermore, ………………………………………………………………………… Along Brent’s journey he meets many people who help change him such as the children and Emil who taught him to appreciate art and education, but the painter most significantly changes Brent by teaching him to forgive himself. This is significant because ……………………………………………………… Evidently,………………………………………………………………………………. Without the people Brent meets along the way, Brent may not have changed from an immature, superficial teenager to the young man at the end of the story who values diverse relationships, education, forgiveness and most importantly life.