This PowerPoint is over how to conduct a literary analysis for a college essay.

1. What is a literary analysis?
Everyone knows the fairy tale Snow White.
 But what if the apple that put Snow White into a deep
sleep had been a banana?
 Does it matter that the fruit is red or shaped like a
heart?
 What happens if you view the story through the lens of
Christianity? Does the Garden of Eden come to mind?
 What might a feminist lens reveal about Snow White,
her stepmother, or the huntsman? What power does
beauty hold in the story?
A literary analysis attempts to answer one or more of
these types of questions.

2. Interpretation comes from gaps
 A literary analysis goes beyond an initial or superficial
reading of a text.
 An analysis comes from gaps in the story that are not
explicitly addressed.
 For example, have you ever wondered why a character
in a story behaves the way he or she does?
 The story’s lack of explaining left a gap in your
understanding.
 A literary analysis would present a thesis (claim) about
a possible explanation for the character’s behavior.

3. Think beyond the obvious
Element of Fiction Description
Character The people or creatures the story is about
Plot The actions of the characters; the events constituting the
story
Setting/milieu The place and time in which the story occurs
Theme A message or point the story conveys
Style The way the story is delivered through voice, sentence
structure, vocabulary, and imagery
• The elements of fiction above are only the starting
place for a literary analysis.
• You must go beyond the obvious in the story to
discover the hidden gaps that inform meaning.

4. The interpretive lens
A literary analysis can focus on character, setting, theme, genre theory
(revenge tragedies, hero's journey), or a school of thought like the ones
below.
Lens Purpose
Cultural To clarify aspects of a literary work by applying knowledge about the
society or culture in which the tale was written or set
Linguistic To apply specific knowledge about the way language works as a
means of understanding how dialogue, metaphor, etc. function
within the text
Psychoanalytic
al
To apply theories of the subconscious in relation to the conscious as
a way of understanding characters’ (or sometimes authors’) motives
Feminist To apply understanding gender roles or norms within a given culture
as a means of clarifying and questioning them
Marxist To apply theory of class relations to reveal the characters’ or authors’
attitudes about them

5. Examples
Literary Work Sample Questions Interpretive Lens
Snow White Why did the queen give Snow
White and apple (as opposed to
something else)? Is the apple
significant to the theme of the
story?
Knowledge about apples and
color symbolism (the study of
certain objects as representing
other objects, emotions, or
principles)
The Grapes
of Wrath
Why is the opening so detailed in
creating such a bleak setting?
Understanding drawn from
other fiction—as well as
films—that setting often
predicts or reinforces a theme
The Harry
Potter Series
What motivates Harry through the
hardships he faces?
Knowledge of other characters
in other stories of revenge
“The Black
Cat”
The narrator’s account of what
happened to his wife doesn’t ring
true—what really happened?
Knowledge of psychology,
specifically that guilty parties
often reveal themselves

6. Tips for identifying patterns and
connections
 As you read, take notes and jot down summaries of each
section to help you see relationships, patterns, and
connections among sections or stanzas.
 Read with an open mind. Withhold judgment until you
finish. Don’t jump to conclusions
 Pay attention to your first impressions. Your first
thoughts can lead to new or different interpretations
and directions.
 Try to be creative. Pay attention to thoughts that flicker
at the edge of your consciousness. They are probably
important!
 Be playful! Your best ideas may come when you are
carefree or have your guard down.

7. Synthesizing Ideas
 Synthesizing ideas is the ability to sift through the
research, ideas, and data that you have found to
support what you yourself will write.
 Group bits of information together to find patterns,
themes, or trends, so that you can identify key points
and use them to support your argument.
 Don’t forget that your paper is part of a larger academic
conversation.
 As you find connections between sections, you will
discover your own ideas and stance on your topic,
which in turn will add to the conversation.

8. Context
 The text itself: Close reading/Reader response. Intellectual
and emotional.
 Historical: Where and when written, history surrounding it
as well as the history within the work.
 Biographical: The author’s life.
 Philosophical or religious: Personal bias of the author or
the times. Any references included within the text.
 Social: Racial, gender, religious, or economic tension or
background within the text and/or surrounding the text.
 Political: Background of author, within the text and/or
surrounding the text.
 Critics: Other authors, critics, or reviewers’ beliefs or
opinions. Do you agree or disagree with them?

9. Literary Analysis Thesis Statement
 Is arguable with logical evidence that a reasonable person
will believe. It must be your interpretation of the work and
argue something new or interesting about it.
 NOT
 A summary
 An opinion based on personal belief
 An obvious fact
 A question
 Should use a strong descriptive verb to introduce the
analysis.
 Should not include a quote. Save that for the evidence
section.
 Should be the last sentence of the introduction.
 Should be in third person, present tense.

10. Thesis Statements: Theme/Motif
1. [Shelley] uses metaphors of grim distortion and
radiant incandescence to expose the counterfeit
nature of our world (“Metaphor and Society in
Shelley’s ‘Sonnet’” Stephanie Huff).
2. But today, these totals, scores, and inventories seem
both increasingly random and increasingly
increasing, leaping exponentially beyond the sorry
single digits of yesteryear to an incalculable
proliferation of paths to a better you (“Lurid
Numbers on Glossy Pages! Magazines Exploit What
Sells” Katherine Q. Seelye).

11. Thesis statement or summary?
Summary Thesis Statement: Meaning
The song “Hero of War”
by Rise Against is about a
soldier’s experience in
the US army and war.
While cloaked in the
symbols and rhetoric of
the US army, the song
“Hero of War” by Rise
Against is actually an
antiwar protest that
reveals the destruction of
a soldier’s morality and
humanity because of
war.

12. Thesis statement or summary? Cont.
Summary Thesis Statement: Meaning
Lady Gaga’s song “Born This
Way” celebrates the way people
are born.
As an anthem for the gay
community, Lady Gaga’s “Born
this Way” argues that being
homosexual is not a choice but
is instead the way a person is
born, and therefore, those
differences like sexual
orientation, ethnicity, or
physicality make us unique and
different and should be
embraced and celebrated not
shunned or persecuted.

13. Thesis statement or summary? more
Summary
Thesis Statement:
Cultural Myth
The commercial “Man’s
Best Friend” by Doritos
reinforces that men will
lie to women for Doritos
or food.
The commercial “Man’s
Best Friend” by Doritos
reinforces the gender
stereotype that men are
dominant and thus more
important than women.