Tools of Anaylsis, Part Two

In keeping with last week’s blog, “Tools of Analysis,” here are some tips on analyzing works of literature.

A danger to avoid in analyzing a novel or story is to give into the temptation to just retell the story instead of discussing what the work signifies. Be very aware that the plot of a story may not be all it seems to be. The plot may serve a purpose other than just saying what happens to characters along the way. The plot may be a running metaphor. It may be a completely symbolic series of events used to reveal a social injustice or a human quality. The plot may serve as a method to reveal a universal theme or satirize a political system. Plots of novels or stories may be representative of almost anything an author can devise to make a point or evoke a mood or delineate a thought.

If you decide to refer to the plot of a story or novel as part of your analysis, keep your thesis statement in mind the whole time. If your thesis involves symbolism, a statement in a following paragraph such as “When the sound of the surf began to beckon her, the sound (or surf) is symbolic of her connection to nature” leads directly to an analysis of what the sound of the surf means when the character hears it, tying the simple event into the discussion of symbolism in the story.

A good idea when drafting your essay is to double check how you have used plot as part of your analysis. Highlight each reference to plot and analyze your own writing to be certain that you are doing something much more interesting than recapping a story already published. When using plot to analyze a story, the main point should be how the author uses plot and what effects the plot has on the theme of the story or novel.

While a plot could possibly be just a story line with no other meaning whatsoever, that is unlikely. Even when we recount an everyday event in our lives, there is usually an underlying message to be found. Authors of short stories or novels are probably even more inclined to include meaning or themes in their stories than we are since they devote an incredible number of hours/days/weeks/years to writing. Keep in mind that the plot itself can be used as a literary device for many purposes other than simply telling a story.

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!