Book, movie, & short story annotation

1. Title: ____________________________________________________________________________
2. Author & Year of publication/ release: _________________________________________________
3. Setting:
a. Time: ________________________________________________________________________
b. Place: ________________________________________________________________________
c. Occasion: _____________________________________________________________________

4. Characters: (name & brief character description)

a. Protagonist: ___________________________________________________________________
b. Antagonist: ____________________________________________________________________
c. Other characters: _______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

5. Plot: Give a 3-6 sentence summary.

6. Themes: identify and briefly (in a phrase or so each) explain four themes
a. _______________________________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________________________
d. _______________________________________________________________________________
7. Other literary elements & literary devices:
a. Point of View & narrator:
b. Conflict type(s) and specifics:
c. Irony (examples):

d. Symbolism:

e. metaphor/ simile:

f. other literary devices1:

8. Literary Evaluation
a. Strengths:

b. Weaknesses:

c. Your opinion (how you liked it overall):

Other literary devices include imagery, allusion, flashback, foreshadowing, cliffhangers, hyperbole, idiomatic expressions.

9. Biblical Evaluation
a. Is this work intentionally Christian? (yes/no) If not, does it (explicitly or implicitly) reflect
Christian values? If not, does the work as a whole go against Christian values? Explain your
answer.

b. In what ways does the author endorse values that are biblical? (What points did the author try to
make that fit in a biblical worldview?)

c. Does the author use any bad or immoral things to teach the importance of a good value?
Explain briefly. (ex. Cain and Abel murder is bad, but the Bible tells us the first instance of
murder and what God thinks of it.)

d.

Did the author promote or glorify any unbiblical values? (Did he try to make any that are in
opposition to a biblical worldview?)

e. What spiritual or moral benefits does this work provide for a Christian reader (or viewer)?
(Alternatively, is it a work that is neutral not really of spiritual or moral value, but a good,
entertaining story? Or is it a work that Christians should not read/ watch?) Explain your answer.

Questions? Stuck? Need advice on choosing a book? Ask Mr. Westbrook