ENGLISH B

LITERARY COMMENTARY
Context
FIRST

You should give the reader context on the book

and fragment you will comment. You should
mention what chapter of the book you will be
discussing as well as relevant details about the
setting, but don't use too much of your time
discussing matters outside the passage, be
precise.

Outline
SECOND

Outline the important themes, character

analysis or structural aspects that you will be
discussing. Think of an organizational sentence
that will allow you and your reader to organize
ideas and get a clear sketch of what you'll be
discussing

Overview
THIRD

Introduce the main themes and structural

aspects of the passage.
What kind of passage is it? What is its function (in
the rest of the work)? What is its overall structure
(repetitious/circuIar/leitmotifs/develops to a
climax)?What is the narrative point of view (first-
person/third-person/omniscient or not)?

Function
FOURTH

How does the fragment function and how does it

affect the novel as a whole?
Think about rhetorical devices, allusions, character
analysis, figurative language etc. and analyze its
purpose in the fragment. Why is it important for
the novel? What is its intention?

IB themes
FIFTH

How might the fragment relate to one of our

English B themes? Can we relate it to the theme of
identities, experiences, human ingenuity, sharing
the planet and social organization.

CONCLUSION
Summarize your findings and assess the relevance of the fragment for the novel as a whole
and for the IB theme of your choice.