Partido State University

Goa, Camarines Sur

A/Y 2019-2020

LITERARY ANALYSIS
(GROUP 10)

Prepared by:

Gavica, Rikki Mae

Dejarlo, Aubrey
Avelino, Brian

BSBA FM 2B
 Literary Analysis

A literary analysis is an opinion-based type of essay that makes a point about a

work of literature – usually a poem or short story, though longer works and nonfiction
can be used too. Typically, a literary analysis makes a point about a literary work, then
supports that point by discussing the work’s literature elements (e.g. irony, symbolism,
and point of view), main themes, and implied ideas that are not necessarily apparent
within the literature itself. When you are assigned with a literary analysis, your
main goal is to examine and study a certain piece of literature to understand what
main points it aims to render. Such work is usually assigned to students at high
schools and colleges, who study literature or humanities. The use of such a task
is very broad: students read a book, learn how to analyze it and research
information on the background and author.

A literary analysis is an opinion. You (the writer) are forming an opinion about a literary
work, then presenting that opinion (and, more importantly, supporting that opinion) in
the form of an essay. Essays about literature should be written in third-person point of
view, like any other analytical essay. You should come up with your own title for your
paper (in other words, don’t use the same title as the work you’re analyzing), and when
discussing the happenings of the literature, always use present tense, not past tense.

WRONG: The true irony of this story was when the main character died at the
end even though he thought he had escaped.

RIGHT: The true irony of this story is when the main character dies at the end
even though he thinks he has escaped.

Like any other opinion-based essay, a literary analysis is built around a clear
thesis statement. It makes a clear point about the literature, then supports it with lesser
points: The theme of Ambrose Bierce’s story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” is
that true freedom is imaginary, and this theme is conveyed through the story’s unique
point of view and through the heavy use of irony.

A literary analysis is not a summary. It doesn’t go in-depth about the actual

events of the story or poem. Instead, it assumes that the reader is already familiar with
the literature in question. A summary, on the other hand, discusses the actual story
without adding anything to it. Look, for instance, at this example: Summary (wrong):
Farquhar reaches the gate to his home, but then he feels a blow to the back of his neck
and sees a white light, and then the author tells the readers that Farquhar is dead. The
above statement is purely summary; there’s no analysis in it. This is because it’s just a
statement of what happens in the story. In other words, anyone who reads “An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” will get the same information contained in the above
example simply by reading the story.

An analysis, on the other hand, goes beyond simply what is contained in the
literature. It uses the literature as a starting point, using it to support an opinion. In other
words, when you write a literary analysis, you must “bring something new to the table.”
Usually, this involves discussing the story under the lens of the literary elements. For
instance, if we analyze the story events described above, we might get something like
this: Analysis (right): Farquhar’s demise at the end of the story is the perfect example of
situational irony, and the author uses this to great effect in shattering the reader’s
expectations in an emotional way.

This statement is much more analytical in nature because it goes beyond what
we see just in the story itself. In fact, the above statement doesn’t even mention what
happens in the story; it doesn’t need to – the reader is already familiar with the story.
Instead, it discusses one of the literary elements (situational irony) and explains how it
is used for emotional effect. Those are inferences; they aren’t apparent in the actual text
of the story but are instead supplied by the one writing the analysis.

EXAMPLE OF LITERARY ANALYSIS

The True Lord of the Rings

There is little doubt that J.R.R. Tolkien has become, in his short reign within
literary fiction, nothing short of legendary. His stories, while only recently presented to
the world, have ensnared and enthralled thousands of readers around the world. While
many “cultured” critics still scoff at this work, the effect Tolkien has had on this world is
nearly as profound as the control he had over Middle Earth in his novels. Tolkien, while
certainly a master of all elements of fiction, displayed unquestionable proficiency in the
areas of character and setting.

Ann Charters defines character simply as, “any person who plays a part in a
narrative” (Charters 1045). Charters also defines flat characters as those which are,
“simple, one-dimensional, unsurprising, and usually unchanging,” and round characters
as those who are, “complex, full, described in detail, often contradictory, and usually
dynamic,” or changing (Charters 1045). The interesting part of Tolkien’s work is that
there are absolutely no flat characters. The world of Middle Earth is changing and all
the creatures within it change as well. Tolkien’s ability to control the fates of the
hundreds of characters in his novels may be the single most important aspect of his
novels. It is with these characters that readers identify, and this identification moves the
readers from a detached, on-looking relationship to an involved, personal experience
within the world Tolkien creates.

His development of characters seems to focus on one main character at a time,

shifting from one to another. Specifically, Tolkien shifts from Bilbo to Frodo Baggins. In
developing those characters, much is learned about the world and characters around
them. In the first chapter of Tolkien’s, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Tolkien introduces
Bilbo Baggins and seemingly focuses entirely on him. An observant reader will however
notice that they are given insight into the character of dozens of characters. For
instance, Ham Gamgee, “The old Gaffer,” tells other hobbits, “Elves and Dragons! I
says to him. Cabbages and potatoes are better for me and you” (Tolkien 24). When no
one objects to this statement, readers are given insight into the character of all hobbits.
While Ham Gamgee may play only a small part in the rest of this story, readers also
learn about the background of Sam Gamgee through this and other quotes from his
father. It is this background that gives Tolkien’s characters the depths into which
readers may delve. By telling us not only what the character is like and how they
change throughout the story, but also why and how they became who they are, Tolkien
gives his readers a sense of personal attachment, as if they really know the characters
in the story.

Tolkien, while introducing minor parts, never fails to develop their character.
Even Radagast the Brown, a wizard who is mentioned briefly on no more than two
occasions is no exception to this rule. Tolkien tells his readers where Radagast used to
dwell and explains his relationship with Gandalf, the only character with whom
Radagast interacts (Tolkien 250). Glorfindel, the Elf-Lord who’s' horse Frodo rides
across the ford to Elrond, is a well developed character as Gandalf explains his nature
and background to Frodo after their arrival in the House of Elrond at Rivendell (Tolkien
217-218). Through these descriptions of all the characters in his novels, Tolkien
provides an emotional connection with Middle Earth and makes the story seem less
fiction and more like a dream in which readers are completely immersed.

This immersion, while an exceptional accomplishment, is only one part of what

brings readers into Tolkien’s world. The characterization makes readers feel as if they
actually know the creatures in the story, while the setting makes readers feel as if they
are walking alongside these characters on their journey through Middle Earth. When
these two are combined, readers feel as if they become an integral part of the story.

In her essay, “Master of Middle Earth,” Alina Corday stated that Tolkien’s,
“penchant for perfectionism slowed his progress mightily” while writing his novels
(Corday 3). She also mentions that Tolkien found it necessary to learn how to stew a
rabbit before including such an event in his novel (Corday 3). This perfectionism is
evidenced greatly in his development of the setting. After the prologue and before the
first chapter, Tolkien includes a detailed map of The Shire. At the end of the novel, he
includes six additional maps, all of which are drawn in great detail and depict parts of
the world he has created. Charters defined setting as, “The place and time in which a
story’s action takes place” (Charters 1051). This simple definition is certainly fulfilled in
nothing more than the maps and, perhaps, a dozen pages of the novel. Charters does
not, however, end her definition there. She goes on to state that setting includes, “the
culture and ways of life of the characters and the shared beliefs and assumptions that
guide their lives” (Charters 1051). Tolkien even goes so far as to explain what hobbits
smoke in pipes, the history behind it, and where the best “pipe weed” is grown (Tolkien
7-9).

As the story progresses, detailed descriptions are given of every area through
which the story takes us. In fact, Tolkien often presents background on parts of the
setting before they are formally introduced to his readers. For instance, The Old Forest
through which the Hobbits pass upon leaving The Shire is discussed in detail before the
party even decides to travel through it. It is described as a dark, treacherous place, and
is obviously a place the Hobbits fear (Tolkien 104-109). Because they have this
background, readers are able to experience the feelings of apprehension, surprise, and
wonder in the same way the characters experience them.

In his obsession with perfection, Tolkien created an entirely new world, complete
with customs, languages, races, songs, and countries. He also created a plethora of
individuals through which his story is carried out and with which his readers identify.
While he created this world and everything in it, he could not stray from the characters
and lands he created. Because of this, he had little control over the events once he set
them in motion. Tolkien, like the Lord of the Rings in the novel, had little control over
the actions that took place. He could only set obstacles and helping hands before the
characters and allow them to play out the story as they would, as if they were, in fact,
real people in a real world that began in one man’s mind and now exists in the minds
and hearts of thousands of readers throughout the world.

The Mystery of the Mastery

Much of life results from choices we make. How we meet every circumstance,
and also how we allow those circumstances to affect us dictates our life. In Anton
Chekhov’s “The Lady With the Little Dog," we are given a chance to take a look inside
two characters not unlike ourselves. As we are given insight into these two people, their
character and nature unfolds, presenting us with people we can relate to. Even if we fail
to grasp the fullness of a feeling or circumstance, we are still touched on our own level,
evidencing the brilliance of Chekhov’s writing.

In the exposition of the story, Chekhov immediately delves into his character
generation, introducing us to both Anna Sergeevna and Dmitri Gurov, the main players
in the story. He also gives us a physical description of Anna, as well as a beginning
presentation of Dmitri’s character. Of Anna, Chekhov writes, “…a young woman, not
very tall, blond, in a beret, walking along the embankment; behind her ran a white spitz”
(Chekhov 144). Of Dmitri he comments, “Gurov, who had already spent two weeks in
Yalta…began to take an interest in new faces” (Chekhov 144). Chekhov immediately
offers a feel for how each character will shape up to be, and presents a chance for us
(the reader) to attach ourselves to these perhaps not-so-unique individuals. Without
further ado, Chekhov expounds on his initial description of Dmitri through the next five
paragraphs. We learn that he is almost forty, has three children and a wife, but that he
is not happy at home. He married early, and is not in love with his wife. He outwardly
proclaims extreme chauvinism towards women, but we learn that “in the company of
men he was bored, ill at ease, with them he was taciturn and cold, but when he was
among women, he felt himself free and knew what to talk about with them and how to
behave; and he was at ease even being silent with them” (Chekhov 144). Through this
description, Dmitri gains a soul and personality. He becomes a round, developed
character with whom we can relate and identify ourselves. Even if we are not
completely like Dmitri, his “normal” character helps us to identify ourselves with him in
some way.

Chekhov’s ability to define character and produce an effect in the reader is not
limited only to the description and action provided in the story. He expertly weaves
location and setting into the development of theme. “Setting is essential if the reader is
to be given the opportunity to glimpse a truth about the internal life from the characters
and the plot” (Charters 1008). The story begins in Yalta, obviously in warmer weather,
which sets a happy tone for the exposition. However, once the couple meets, the
weather begins to change. “A week had passed since they became acquainted. It was
Sunday. Inside it was stuffy, but outside the dust flew in whirls, hats blew off” (Chekhov
146). Chekhov illustrates how the characters are developing through the change in the
weather. In the beginning, when the relationship is mostly superficial, the sun is
shining, and it’s a nice time for a stroll. However, as the adulterous relationship
continues, the weather become tumultuous, foreshadowing the turmoil that will soon
begin inside both Anna and Dmitri. After the lovers commit their adulterous deeds,
“when they went out, there was not a soul on the embankment, the town with its
cypresses looked completely dead…” (Chekhov 147), indicating the death inside both
the lovers. There is no turning back at this point, and death may loom ahead. Through
the environment the characters live in, we learn what they are going through, and
understanding of the characters expand beyond mere words and actions.

The brilliance of Chekhov’s writing cannot be overstated. In “The Lady with the
Little Dog” there is an untypical depth to the relationship between Anna and Dmitri.
While the plot itself may be little more than that of a soap opera, the development and
depth to which the characters are taken is far beyond any afternoon television program.
As Richard Ford says, Chekhov “concentrates [his] narrative attentions not on the
conventional hot spots – sex, deceit, and what happens at the end – but rather, by its
precision, pacing, and decisions about what to tell, it directs our interest toward those
flatter terrains of a love affair where we, being conventional souls, might overlook
something important” (871). Sex, lies, and deceit do take place, but they are all off
stage. Chekhov takes this critical time to develop character, showing us what is going
on inside the souls of the adulterers, rather than sensationalizing on the outside events
that are all too popular in today’s society (as well as back when the story was written).

Although Chekhov’s story is filled with complex issues of moral struggle and
turmoil, it is a story we can all relate to. Everyone faces difficult decisions in life, and
Chekhov brings the inner mayhem to light. Focus upon people rather than events
impacts us in ways we cannot even describe. We are connected to the people in the
story as we identify with the feelings and personalities of these fictional characters.
“Everything that he [Gurov] found important, interesting, necessary, in which he was
sincere and did not deceive himself, which constituted the core of his life, occurred in
secret from others” (Chekhov 154). We are forced to reflect upon circumstances in our
own lives, and all of life’s little nuances become significant once we realize that they
affect the fiber of our being. Chekhov attracts “attention to mature feelings, to
complicated human dilemmas, any part of which, were we to encounter them in our
complex, headlong life with others, might evade even sophisticated notice” (Ford 869).
We become more sensitive to human interaction, and begin to empathize with others,
beyond the mere situation, and their deep inner struggles.

Without the brilliant illustration of Chekhov’s characters, we would miss much of

the meaning of the story. “The importance of being honest with your feelings” could be
a theme in “The Lady with the Little Dog.” If Chekhov did not produce such dynamic,
realistic characters, we might be insensitive to the true feelings of Anna and Dmitri.
This character development is essential to understanding of the theme. “And only now,
when his head was gray, had he really fallen in love as one ought to – for the first time
in his life” (Chekhov 155). Chekhov tells the reader, “It’s not too late. ‘Even when [your]
head [is] gray’ you can still find true love.” Once the reader has identified with the
character, they begin to take the practice (and success) of the character to bear in their
own life. The theme is fully digested, and creates inspiration in the reader to begin their
own quest for truth.

Literary Devices
Various literary devices help convey meaning or create a mood. Look for these in a
story to identify key points and their contribution to the author’s overall meaning. The
following are a few common literary devices.
➢ Allusion. An indirect reference to another artistic work or person, event, or place
(real or fictitious). The author makes the allusion with the intention t hat the well-
known object will create an association with the new object in the reader’s
mind. For example, the title of William Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the
Fury is an allusion to a line in Shakespeare’s Macbeth—a futile speech made
by an embittered man who has ruined his life. Alluding to that speech in the
title helps Faulkner set the tone for his story of a family in ruins.

➢ Foil. A character used to contrast a second, usually more prominent

character in order to highlight certain qualities of the more prominent
character. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Fortinbras is a foil for Hamlet in that he
is unhesitating in action and war-like in nature; in contrast, Hamlet is
thoughtful, analytical, and careful.

➢ Foreshadowing. The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later
in a literary work. For example, in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet
tells her nurse to find Romeo’s name: “Go ask his name. If he be married, my
grave is like to be my wedding-bed.” This foreshadows the danger of Romeo’s
name being Montague and of Juliet’s death because of their marriage.

➢ Irony. An implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There
are three kinds of irony: verbal irony is when an author says one thing and
means something else; dramatic irony is when an audience perceives
something that the characters don’t know; and situational irony is a
discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result. For example,
in Macbeth, the three witches recount the prophecies that must be fulfilled for
Macbeth to fall. He therefore believes he is invincible—ironic because these
prophecies cause his downfall.

➢ Symbolism. The use of an object or action to mean something more than its
literal meaning. For example, in Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, one of
 the principle characters, Caddy, falls and stains her white dress when she’s a
child. The stained dress symbolizes (and foreshadows) her later loss of purity.
A character can also be equated with an object throughout a work, another
form of symbolism. In Eudora Welty’s Delta Wedding, an aunt is repeatedly
seen carrying an empty bag, which symbolizes her childlessness.

Elements of literature

One way to analyze literature is to closely examine its literary elements – that is, the
devices and ideas that make a story work. Often, these devices can be used to explain
a main point. There are far too many different literary elements to discuss within the
scope of a small informational resource, but here are some of the most significant.

Theme This refers to the primary undertones of the story. If you learned Aesop’s Fables
or some classic fairy tales growing up, you might have learned the “moral of the story.”
In the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, for instance, the theme might be that “slow
and steady wins the race.” Modern fiction, however, often involves insights – on
behavior, on the human condition, or on current events – rather than morals, intending
to evoke an internal debate for its readers.

Plot The plot is essentially the action of the story. This is a difficult element to properly
discuss in a literary analysis because it’s very easy to fall into the trap of discussing
what happens in the story (which would be a summary instead of an analysis). If you’re
going to discuss plot in a literary analysis, remember the cardinal rule: don’t spend time
discussing things your reader would know just by reading the story. Instead, discuss
how the plot supports your main point; perhaps there’s something unusual about the
plot (for instance, a climax with no falling action, which the author might use to create
some emotional effect). Perhaps the structure of the plot is interesting itself; many short
stories, for instance, have non-linear plots – that is, they use flashbacks, or they jump
forward in time. In any case, consider the plot itself instead of the story events that
make up the plot.

Allegory - narrative form in which the characters are representative of some larger
humanistic trait (i.e. greed, vanity, or bravery) and attempt to convey some larger lesson
or meaning to life. Although allegory was originally and traditionally character based,
modern allegories tend to parallel story and theme.

• William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily- the decline of the Old South
• Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- man’s
struggle to contain his inner primal instincts
 • District 9- South African Apartheid
• X Men- the evils of prejudice
• Harry Potter- the dangers of seeking “racial purity”

Characters Stories are told through characters, and indeed, a character study can be a
strong literary analysis in its own right. However, as with the other elements, it’s
important not to let a character analysis turn into a summary. If you’re going to write a
character analysis, don’t focus on what the characters do. Instead, focus on what the
characters are, or what they represent. Almost any literary character fits into one of
three roles:

➢ Protagonist: A leading character, often characterized as the “hero” or the “good

guy” (though this can• be misleading, as the protagonist is not necessarily good
or heroic). The protagonist is, simply put, the main character (or group of
characters) of the story.
➢ Antagonist: Basically, the opponent or adversary of the protagonist, sometimes
called the “villain” or “bad guy” (but as with the protagonist, this can be
misleading; the antagonist may not be bad or villainous)
➢ Catalyst: A character who is neither clearly a protagonist nor antagonist, yet still
plays an important• role in moving the action of the story forward.

Characters often have related roles, too. One of the best examples of this (very useful in
a character analysis) is the concept of a foil. A foil is a character who acts as a
counterpart to another by exhibiting many of the opposite character traits – for example,
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective
stories. Holmes is reclusive, hyper-observant, and slightly eccentric, whereas Watson is
outgoing and worldly-wise but tends to miss small details.

Narrative (Point of View) every work of fiction has a narrator. When you read a story,
you may not be conscious of the narrator’s existence, but narrative is what makes a
story. The narrative is simply the words of the story. However, a story can be told from
many possible perspectives. The point of view of the story is simply the perspective
from which the narrative is given. There are several common points of view for
literature.

➢ Third person limited: In a third-person limited story, the narrative follows a

single character at any• given time. We (the readers) see the actions of the story
from a perspective that is centered on this character, but is told by an unseen
narrator (not by the character himself or herself – that is, the pronouns I and me
will not be present except in dialogue). We also are privy to this character’s
 thoughts and emotions, but not the thoughts and emotions of other characters.
The focal character may change throughout the story, but there will only be one
focal character at any particular time. A good example of this is George R.R.
Martin’s popular fantasy story, A Game of Thrones; each chapter of this book
follows a different focal character, but the entire work is told in this third-person
limited point of view.

➢ Third person omniscient: The third-person omniscient narrator is, quite simply,
speaking from a godlike perspective – that is, the narrative is told from a point of
view that is disconnected from the characters but sees all. The omniscient
narrator describes not just the thoughts and emotions of a single character, but of
all the characters. This point of view was quite common in the literature of the
late 1800s and early 1900s, but has become less popular in modern works.
Some good examples of stories in this point of view are Ernest Hemingway’s The
Old Man and the Sea and Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.

➢ Third person objective: This perspective is essentially the opposite of third-

person omniscient in that instead of seeing all of the characters’ thoughts, we
don’t see any thoughts or emotions – only actions. In other words, the narrative is
told in much the same way as a reporter might describe the events of a news
story. A good example of this perspective can be found in the Bible: the events of
the Gospel of Mark (the second book of the New Testament) are told from this
point of view.

➢ First person: In first person point of view, the narrator is physically present as
one of the characters of• the story. Here, we see the story as told by one of its
characters (as one might read a journal or memoir), so pronouns like I and me
are present.

Even though these are the most common perspectives in literature, some stories are
told from unusual or unconventional points of view. For instance, C.S. Lewis’s
Screwtape Letters is written from second-person point of view: the narrator tells the
story as a series of letters written to another character using second-person pronouns
like you and your.

Sometimes a story may take a common point of view but use an interesting narrative
technique. One good example of this is the concept of the unreliable narrator, common
in the stories of Edgar Allan Poe (perhaps most notably in “The Tell-Tale Heart”), where
the first-person narrative has a skewed perspective on reality. Other writers may expose
some of the meta-story (that is, the technique and motivation behind the narrative) by
breaking an invisible barrier known in literature as the fourth wall – the barrier between
the characters and the audience. A good example of this can be found in Charlotte
Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre, in which the narrator of the story (written in first-person)
directly addresses the reader: “A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene
in a play; and when I draw up the curtain this time, reader, you must fancy you see a
room…”

Irony One of the most common plot devices in literature is irony. Quite simply put, irony
is anything contrary to expectation. This concept is simple, but because it is often the
key element of interest in a short story, it can make for a very comprehensive literary
analysis. Irony can appear in many ways and on multiple levels in the telling of a story.
The entire story can be an exercise in irony, or it may contain examples of irony
throughout the story (or, both things can be true). Most irony can be classified as one of
three types:

➢ Situational irony: This is the most common type of irony in literature; situational
irony occurs in a• story when there is a marked difference between what is
expected and what happens. L. Frank Baum’s enduring story of The Wizard of
Oz is, in fact, built around situational irony: the four main characters go on a long,
perilous journey to obtain the things they want most, only to discover they have
had those things all along.

➢ Verbal irony: This is when a character says one thing but means or does
something else. This could• refer to sarcasm (for instance, a character who
comes in out of a blizzard, rolls his eyes, and mockingly says, “My, what lovely
weather we’re having!”), but often it simply refers to a character acting in a
manner that doesn’t match what he or she says. For example, in the classic
movie Casablanca, Rick PHCC Writing Center LITERARY ANALYSIS Page 5 of
5 Last update: 12 July 2016 (the protagonist) says multiple times, “I stick my
neck out for nobody,” yet throughout the story, he is seen making gestures and
taking risks for the sake of others.

➢ Dramatic irony: This refers to a disconnect between a character’s knowledge

and the audience’s• knowledge. In other words, dramatic irony is when the
audience knows something that a character doesn’t know. A good example can
be found in William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet: Juliet has taken a
sleeping draught to make herself appear dead to her family. The audience is
aware that she is not actually dead, but Romeo (her forbidden lover) finds her
 before news can reach him, and he commits suicide, thinking that she is truly
dead.

➢ Tone The tone of a story is created by the attitudes of the narrative, often
supported by the words and actions of the story’s characters. Basically, it is the
style of the story’s voice. This can be used to great effect to create empathy
between the reader and the characters. In Mark Twain’s short story, “The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” we (the readers) are able to feel
the frustrations of the main character (who is also the narrator) in the ironic tone
that he creates as he relates the events of the story. The main character is asked
to inquire after another character’s childhood friend named Leonidas Smiley. He
describes, “I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth … and
he [the character who made the initial request to the narrator] would go to work
and bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and
tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it succeeded.”
Through the ironic tone, which in this case is derived primarily from word choice
(known as diction) and syntax (the structure and style of the sentence – a long,
unbroken monologue), we can feel the frustration of the narrator as social graces
force him to stand and listen to a story that he finds quite boring. In addition to
diction and syntax, tone can also be created through imagery (the appeal to sight
and other senses), language (for instance, figurative language such as similes
and metaphors), and the author’s selection of details (you may have learned this
formula for analyzing tone as “DIDLS” – diction, imagery, details, language, and
syntax).

➢ Setting Every story has some sort of setting. The setting is basically (or even
literally, in the case of a play) the stage where the action of the story happens.
Setting refers chiefly to where and when a story’s events take place. For
instance, the setting of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories is Victorian
England – that is, England during the time when Queen Victoria reigned (the late
1800s). However, it’s important to remember that simply identifying the setting
isn’t good enough for a literary analysis; there has to be analysis of the setting.
How does the setting illustrate the theme of the story? How does the author use
the setting to control the tone? There are many different ways to analyze the
setting.
PURPOSE OF LITERARY ANALYSIS

Ultimately, the literary analysis is a work of opinion. When you write a literary
analysis, you’re not writing a summary or even an explanation of the story. Instead, you
are “taking the story apart” and looking beyond the text of the story itself. When you
write a literary analysis, you should not focus on whatthe story is, but instead focus on
what makes the story work. Look at the elements that make up the story, and see
beyond the simple paper and ink that drive it.