Short Story Analysis: How

to Write It Step by Step

Step 1: Read Smart

 The key to smart reading is to be critical. Criticism can be

positive or negative. In your short story analysis, you need to
have confidence in your own views of the work, regardless of the
author’s reputation or whatever anyone else thinks.

 Thebottom line with literary criticism is that there are no right or

wrong answers.
Analyzing the Plot

 An analysis of a short story’s plot is easy because, unlike novels, which can contain multiple
plotlines, short stories usually have only one.

 To make the process even easier, here are some questions that you can ask yourself as you
read: Does the plot hold your interest from beginning to end?
1. What are the most important events, and why?
2. Is plotline realistic?
3. Are there any parts of the plotline that seem irrelevant to the main story?
4. Does the plot deal with external conflict, internal conflict, or both?
5. What is the moral of the story?
Analyzing Characterization

 Who is the protagonist?

 How effectively does the author describe the characters’ actions, appearance, and
thoughts?
 What are your feelings towards the characters?
 Does the way the characters speak give you any information about their
personality?
 Do the characters change throughout the story?
 If the story contains minor characters, are they necessary and effective?
Analyzing the Setting

 How does the author describe the location of the events?

 Does the story take place in the past, the present, or the future (or all three)?
 What are the broader circumstances surrounding the story’s setting?
 Does the setting play an essential role in the story?
 Do the place and time in which the author lived and worked affect the location
and period in which the story is set?
 Has the author successfully given you a feeling of really being in the story’s
setting?
Analyzing Themes

 What is the central theme? Are there any others?

 How is the theme conveyed?
 If
the author is using the story to deliver a particular
message, are you convinced by it?
 What does the theme reveal about the author?
Analyzing the Point of View

 Who is narrating the story?

 Does the author use a consistent point of view?
 Is the narrator telling the truth?
 Does the author have the same mindset as the narrator?
 Would the story be different if it were narrated from
another point of view?
Analyzing the Style

 Ask the following questions when analyzing style:

 What is the author’s tone? Humorous? Serious? Sarcastic? Sentimental?
 Does the author use any unusual words or phrases? What effect do they have?
 Is there anything in the story – an object, for example – that has any special
meaning?
 Does the author’s use of literary devices affect your enjoyment of the story in any
way?
 What would the story be like if the author used a different style?
Step 2: Put It All Together

 To get how to write a short story analysis step by step, you have to keep in mind
the two golden rules:
Your essay must be focused on the set question.
Your opinions are only valid if you can support them with evidence.

 Divide your work into three sections:

Introduction (about 10% of the total word count)
Main body (about 80% of the total word count)
Conclusion (about 10% of the total word count)
Start with an Introduction

Your introduction should consist of one or two

paragraphs that outline your statement of intent.
You do not need to provide any evidence to back
up your assertions at this stage – save that for the
main body.
Provide Arguments

Any story analysis has to list your points with proof.

The main body is used to set out your case in detail and
provide evidence to support it. Each paragraph should
deal with a different point and follow a logical order
that develops your overall argument.
Finish with a Bang

A conclusion ties everything together and briefly

sums up your response to the set question. Like
the introduction, it should be only one paragraph
long and should not contain any new arguments,
information, or evidence.
Step 3: Review Your Work

 Asusual, good things come in threes. Break your review

down into these stages:
Content editing
Copy-editing
Proofreading