LITERARY ANALYSIS  Ensures accuracy of interpretation  Protects against uncritical stock responses  Enables suspension of judgment until all aspects of the story are understood

The Basic Questions for A nalysis  Is this commercial or literary fiction?  What happens, to whom, and why?  What is the author’s purpose?  What is the theme?

Equation of Literary Elements  Plot +  Setting +  Characterization +  Title +  Point of view +  Symbolism = ____________ ____________  THEME

Plot Analysis: 4 key elements of plot Exposition Complication Climax Denouement PLOT = CONFLICT

Four Types of Conflict

Person against Person

Person against Self

Person against Environment

Person against God PROMETHEUS STEALING FIRE x

Questions to ask about Plot  What types of conflict occur and why?  What truth does the conflict reveal about the characters?  Is any conflict left unresolved and for what purpose?

Analysis of Setting: two main types of settings  Natural Setting -may be hostile or friendly  Artificial Setting -reveals the character of those who create or inhabit it

Aspects of Setting  Date  Time of day or night  Amount of light  Flora and fauna  Sounds  Geographical location  Weather  Clothing  Smells  Other descriptive elements

Questions to ask about Setting  Where and when is it?  What effect does the author achieve by using this setting?  What impact does it have on the characters, the tone, and the theme?

Character Analysis: E.M. Forster’s three character types  Flat: Whitney, the sailor in The Most Dangerous Game Whitney, the sailor in The Most Dangerous Game  Round: the grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find the grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find  Stock: Mr. Summers and many of the townspeople in The LotteryMr. Summers and many of the townspeople in The Lottery

Characterization: two other classifications  Static No change from beginning to endNo change from beginning to end –Mother in “Rocking Horse Winner”  Developing A distinct change occurs, usually marked by an epiphanyA distinct change occurs, usually marked by an epiphany –Granny Weatherall

EPIPHANY  Defined by James Joyce as a moment of spiritual insight into life or into the character’s own circumstances. a moment of spiritual insight into life or into the character’s own circumstances.  Example-- Why, you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children! Why, you’re one of my babies. You’re one of my own children! -- The grandmother in A Good Man is Hard to Find

Characterization : Indicated in four ways Direct Presentation  1. What the character says  2. What the character does Indirect Presentation  3. What other characters say about him/her  4. What the author says about him/her

Questions to ask about Character  Who is the protagonist? Antagonist?  Why do the characters act as they do?  Are the characters consistent?  Is there a change in behavior? Why?

Analysis of Point of View: four types  Omniscient Third person narrator knows everythingThird person narrator knows everything – “The Destructors”  Third-person limited Third person speaks from viewpoint of one characterThird person speaks from viewpoint of one character –“Roman Fever” Stream of consciousness is includedStream of consciousness is included – “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

Point of View  First Person The author speaks as one of the charactersThe author speaks as one of the characters –The boy Spangler in Child by Tiger  Objective Events are recorded as they are seen as if by a video cameraEvents are recorded as they are seen as if by a video camera –The Lottery

Questions to ask about Point of View  Who is telling the story?  What are the advantages? limitations?  How does the narrator’s personality affect the interpretation?  What has author gained by using this point of view?  Is the selected point of view used consistently?

Analysis of Symbolism  Symbolism The use of one object to represent or suggest anotherThe use of one object to represent or suggest another

Types of Symbolism  Names Faith in “Young Goodman Brown”Faith in “Young Goodman Brown” Granny WeatherallGranny Weatherall Lack of names as in “Rocking Horse Winner”Lack of names as in “Rocking Horse Winner”  Objects (including colors and textures) The house in “The Destructors”The house in “The Destructors” The rocking horse The rocking horse Clothes and other aspects of settingClothes and other aspects of setting GooseberriesGooseberries  Actions Goodman Brown sitting and refusing to continueGoodman Brown sitting and refusing to continue The lotteryThe lottery WeatherWeather –The snowstorm in “Child by Tiger”

Symbolism  Any symbolic interpretation must grow directly out of the tones and connotations found in a close literal reading of the story. One must be able to defend one’s opinions with references to the text.

Analysis of Title  What clues about the author’s intent does the title provide?  Often a major symbol is named or an allusion is made “Gooseberries”“Gooseberries” “Child by Tiger”“Child by Tiger”  Sometimes there is a play on words “The Most Dangerous Game”“The Most Dangerous Game” “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

Theme: The sum of the equation of literary elements  A mathematical metaphor from p. 207, Perrine’s Literature: Careless readers often think they understand a story when in actuality they have misunderstood it. They understand the events but not what the events add up to. Or, in adding up the events, they arrive at an erroneous total.

Equation of Literary Elements b Plot + b Setting + b Characterization + b Title + b Point of view + b Symbolism = ____________ ____________ b THEME

Theme: Important points to remember  Not all stories have a significant theme The purpose of most commercial fiction is to entertainThe purpose of most commercial fiction is to entertain  The theme “accounts for all the major details of the story”  “There is no one way of stating the theme of a story”  The theme should not be stated as a cliché

Questions to ask about Theme Questions to ask about Theme  What truth is the author trying to convey in this story?  Has artistic unity been achieved?