A literary analysis is a special assignment which any student has to complete in

school, college, university because reading, understanding and analyzing the texts
are the inalienable aspects of the learning process.

When you know how to make an impressive literary analysis essay, you can express
your thoughts and make an analysis of any piece of literature which you have read.
It shows all your writing skills. If you want to learn how to make it good, follow our
tips. Read this article and you’ll find a short guide and useful information about
how to make literary analysis (outline, structure, steps of the process, etc.).

What is Literary Analysis ?

A literary analysis basically refers to an analysis of a work of literature. It attempts to evaluate,
analyse and critique the work of an author. Thus, a literary analysis consists of descriptions,
analysis, and evaluations of a work. A literary analysis can be done on any literary work – poem,
short story, novel or drama. The main purpose of a literary analysis is to examine how and why a
particular piece of literature was written. Having briefed about literary analysis, let’s now see
how to write a literary analysis step by step.

Literary Analysis :
Here you can find the common list of points which you should talk about in your
analysis despite the type of literature:

 Analysis of characters;
 Analysis of main ideas, plot;
 Theme reviewing;
 Describing symbolism of the piece of literature;
 Structure, writing style.

In some cases, it is important to include interpretation of denotation or images if

they are important for the understanding of the main ideas.

As any other assignment, this type of task requires some preparations, careful
meticulous work. However, having a good plan you can make the process easier
and more fun. Find here the common plan consisting of five steps, follow them and
make your assignment excellent.

Focus on the topic

Read the short story which you have to analyze thoroughly, make sure that you
completely understand the author's idea, the plot and the characters. Read twice if
you need. To make a good literary analysis, you should have a clear understanding
of all writer’s points of views, his ideas. When reading, try to answer the questions:

 Which parts of the text were remarkable?

  Why the author used these literary devices?
 Do you see the development of characters?

Try to find connections between the ideas and plot, the characters’ behavior and
the changes in their role in the text.

Collect evidence

Collect facts, expressions, other evidence to make a reasonable conclusion in your

analysis. You should have enough material to be persuasive in your conclusions.
Make the notes while reading. You should also learn some information about the
author, it will help you to understand his intentions and thoughts better.

Write an outline

Making literary analysis outline is an important part of the process. You should
understand what you will start with and what you will say in the conclusion. Make
sure that you devote space to all important ideas of the author and don’t miss
anything.

Develop your main thesis statements

You should formulate a thesis and explain why your arguments have a great
significance, how are they connected to the ideas and thoughts of the author of the
short story.

Typical Structure of Literary Analysis

Read Carefully
The first thing to do before starting the literary analysis is reading the selected work carefully. Make notes and mark important places
as you read. (Read how to comprehend what you read if you want more tips on how to read a text
attentively.)

Break the Text into Different Elements

You can understand and appreciate the work of literature better if you break the work down into
its component parts. Examining separate elements will give you an in-depth knowledge of the
work.

Analyse the Characters

Analyse the characteristics and qualities of different characters and observe how they react to
different situations. Is there any change in these characters at the end of the book? Try to analyse
why these characters behave or act in the manner they do. Compare and contrast two or more
characters. Pay special attention to the protagonist.

Analyse the Literary Devices

Identify the literary devices such as symbols, metaphors, imagery, repetition, personification, etc.
in the work. Examine why these devices have been used and what are the effects created by
them. 

Analyse the Plot

Plot is the series of events and happenings that make up of the story. Examine the relationship
between events and try to identify the plot elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling
action, and resolution.

Analyse the Setting

Identify the location and the time period in the work and analyse the effect of this setting on the
events and the characters of the story. Is there any particular reason to choose this setting? The
setting does not have to be analysed separately if you have looked at it in the plot analysis or
character analysis.

Analyse the Style and Language

Consider what kind of language has been used by the author. Does he use different diction types
for different characters? What type of language does the narrator use? Is it different from the
language used by other characters? Identify the narrative style used in the work.

Analysis of Theme
Use the above elements to identify the theme. What is the main message the author has conveyed
to the readers? Is this message applicable to other contexts?

Combine all the Elements

Analysing different elements is a process that helps you to understand and appreciate the work of
literature as a whole. Now that you have a good understanding of the different components of the
work, you can combine them together to analyse the text. Ask questions like,

How does a certain event changes a character?

How effective were the literary devices? Why has the author used these devices?

What is the lesson the character learned at the end?

What does the author different language styles for different characters?

Are the characters portrayed realistically? Do they react to events realistically? Do the
characters match the setting?

 How do these elements combine together to form a successful work of fiction?

Conclusion

A literary analysis should always contain a detailed analysis of a work of literature. It describes,
analyzes, evaluates and criticizes a work. Although a literary analysis should evaluate different
components of a work, the writer must also use his knowledge on these different components to
analyse how they interact with and influence each other to better understand and appreciate the
work of literature.