1. So you’re writing a literary analysis, huh?

2. What is a literary analysis?
You can write about theme, characters, plot, point of view, symbolism, foreshadowing, and more.
It is not a book report.
It requires a minimum of 4 quotes from the novel and 1 citation from an outside source.

3. 2nd step – figure out what you will analyze
How to analyze a text
1st step – Read novel!
2nd step – figure out what you will analyze
3rd step – Reread passages of your novel

4. What can I analyze?
One thing you can look at is theme!

5. Looking at theme
The idea or point of a story.
You can write your essay explaining what the theme of the novel is.
Some common themes are…

6. themes in Fahrenheit 451 Censorship Ignorance vs. knowledge
Life vs. death
Technology conflict with nature
Society vs. individual
Plus more…

7. What if theme is not your thing?
What about characters!

8. Characters – what to look at?
Protagonist – major character at the center of the story
Antagonist – a character or force that opposes the protagonist

9. Characters Minor– often provide support and illuminate the protagonist
Sometimes a minor character has a major impact on the plot

10. Characters
Characterization – the means by which writers reveal character
There are many ways an author reveal character’s personalities or traits.

11. Characters
Explicit – narrator gives facts and comments in a very clear manner. For example, “Jimmy was very angry at his father.”

12. Characters Implied– narrator gives description, reader judges
For example – “Jimmy threw open the door and stormed into the room, glaring at his father.”

13. Characters – what to look for
Connections between characters
What function does each character serve?
Foils

14. What if you’re not into characters?
Plot - that's what's happening!

15. Plot Causality – one event occurs because of another event
What are the triggers?
What leads to major events occurring?

16. Plot
Conflict – struggle between opposing forces – may be internal or external

17. Plot Foreshadowing – a suggestion of what is going to happen
Think about all the examples from Of Mice and Men

18. Plot Suspense – a sense of worry established by the author
Scary movies create suspense because you know something bad will happen at any moment, just not when.
Fahrenheit keeps mentioning the fighter planes flying overhead.

19. Point of view Narrator – the person telling the story
1st person? 3rd person?
How different is our story since it was told in 1st person? What if Mildred told the story?

20. What do you do if you don’t want to analyze characters???????
Not characters?
What do you do if you don’t want to analyze characters???????

21. Irony Verbal – we understand the opposite of what the speaker says
Example – “war is kind” from Stephen Crane poem

22. Irony
Situational – when a character or reader expects one thing to happen, but the opposite occurs
Example – In Chekhov’s “The Bear” – a woman is happy when her husband dies

23. Irony Dramatic – the reader knows more than the characters
Example – Romeo & Juliet or Titanic – we know the characters fate, but they don’t

24. Symbolism Many stories have elements that are symbolic
“Raven” – represents death
“Mockingbird” – a wonderful creature that should not be harmed

25. Allusions
I think you should be able to find a few. You can focus your essay on one type.
Ex – look at just literary or biblical or historic allusions

26. Language use You could analyze use of simile, metaphor or imagery.
There are lots of these to choose from in Fahrenheit 451

27. All of these and more could be analyzed in your essay.