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Writing Literary Analyses

Novels and short stories feature people (characters), in a place and time (setting), struggling to accomplish something (plot), and learning about life along the way (theme). A literary analysis takes a close look at one or more of these story elements. Who are the characters and what do they want? How does the place and time affect the story? What happens and why? What are some of the things that characters and readers learn along the way?

Your literary analysis should help readers understand what a novel or story is about. It should also help them connect with the big ideas in the story. Refer to specific characters, events, and quotations to create this connection for readers. If you write well, your readers will pick up the literature and discover it for themselves!