1.2 Literary Analysis
Learn to analyze literature using key literary concepts and terminology.
50 min
2 oppgaver
PlotSettingCharactersThemeSymbolismLiterary devices
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0 / 2 oppgaver
Analyzing Literature
Literature is more than just stories - it's a way to explore the human experience.
When we analyze literature, we look at:
- What the text says (content)
- How it says it (form and technique)
- What it means (interpretation)
Literary Elements
Plot: The sequence of events
- Exposition (introduction)
- Rising action (complications)
- Climax (turning point)
- Falling action (consequences)
- Resolution (ending)
- Exposition (introduction)
- Rising action (complications)
- Climax (turning point)
- Falling action (consequences)
- Resolution (ending)
Setting: Where and when the story takes place
- Physical location
- Time period
- Social environment
Characters: The people in the story
- Protagonist (main character)
- Antagonist (opposition)
- Dynamic (changes) vs. Static (stays the same)
Theme and Symbolism
Theme: The central message or insight about life
- Often about universal experiences: love, death, growing up, justice
- Not stated directly - you must infer it
- One text can have multiple themes
- Often about universal experiences: love, death, growing up, justice
- Not stated directly - you must infer it
- One text can have multiple themes
Symbolism: When something represents something else
- A dove might symbolize peace
- A storm might symbolize conflict
- Colors often have symbolic meaning (red = passion/danger)
Point of View
First person: Narrator is a character ("I saw...")
- We see everything through one character's eyes
- May be unreliable
Third person limited: Follows one character ("She thought...")
- We know one character's thoughts
Third person omniscient: All-knowing narrator
- Can see into everyone's minds
- Knows past and future
Second person: Addresses the reader ("You walk into...")
- Rare, creates immediacy
Literary Devices
Foreshadowing: Hints about future events
- "Little did she know that this was the last peaceful day of her life."
- "Little did she know that this was the last peaceful day of her life."
Flashback: Scene from the past
- Reveals backstory or motivation
Irony: Contrast between expectation and reality
- Verbal: Saying the opposite of what you mean (sarcasm)
- Situational: When the outcome is opposite to expectations
- Dramatic: When the audience knows something characters don't
✏️Analyzing a Short Passage
Analyze this passage from a short story:
"The old house stood at the end of the street, its windows like dark eyes watching the neighborhood. No one had lived there for years, but sometimes, late at night, a light would flicker in the attic window."
Setting:
- An old, abandoned house
- Creates a spooky, mysterious atmosphere
- An old, abandoned house
- Creates a spooky, mysterious atmosphere
Literary devices:
- Personification: Windows described as "dark eyes watching"
- Foreshadowing: The mysterious light suggests something strange will happen
Effect:
- Creates suspense and anticipation
- Makes the reader curious and slightly uneasy
- Sets up expectation of a mystery or supernatural element
Questions to consider:
- Why is no one living there?
- Who (or what) is turning on the light?
- What will happen when someone investigates?
📝Oppgave 1
Identify the literary device:
a
"The wind howled through the trees like a lonely wolf."
b
"Time is a thief that steals our youth."
c
A fire station burns down.
📝Oppgave 2
Read a short story and write a literary analysis (300-400 words) that includes:
a
A brief summary of the plot
b
Analysis of one main character
c
Identification of the theme
d
Analysis of at least two literary devices