Lesson 9

Literary Analysis Part

2
Assignment
• Read, Reason, Write, Page 729 – 734
“The Ones Who Walk Away From
Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Answer questions 1, 2, and 3 on page
734
• Read all of Part One, 1984
• Due September 30 or October 1, 2009
•
Writer’s Prompt:
 In the 1994 movie “Forrest Gump,”
starring Tom Hanks, there’s a point
where Lieutenant Dan comes to terms
with his life
 Watch the following scene from the
movie
 What does the writer of the movie use for
effect in this scene?
 What is the feeling the writer is trying to
convey?
Forest Gump
LITERARY ANALYSIS II
Literary Analysis Essay
 A literary analysis of Jack London’s “To
Build A Fire”
 1 to 2 pages
 Double spaced, 11 point, Arial font
 Use one secondary source
 Parenthetical Citations and Works Cited
Page using the MLA format
 Due 9/30 – 10/1

Suggested Approaches
and Themes for your
essay
 Determinism
 Amorality and Responsibility
 Instinct over Intellectualism
 The literary devices employed by Jack
London in this story
 What in London’s life might have had an
influence on him writing this story?
Suggested Approaches
and Themes for your
essay
 What was happening historically at
this time that may have influenced
the creation of this story?
 Character analysis of the protagonist

 Analysis of the narrative structure

 Analysis of the style and tone of the

story

Analysis of Narrative
Structure
 Plot Components
Climax: the turning point, the
most intense moment—either
mentally or in action

Rising Action: the series of Falling Action: all of the

conflicts and crisis in the story action which follows the
that lead to the climax climax

Exposition: the start of the Resolution: the conclusion,

story, the situation before the the tying together of all of
action starts the threads
Analysis of Character
 When does my character live? Past,
present or future?
 Where does my character live? In the
country, the city, the suburbs…?
 What is the socioeconomic background of
my character?
 Does my character work? If so, at what?
 What is a typical day for my character like?
 If I met the character, would I like them?
Why or why not?


Analysis of Character
• Who lives with my character and what are
their relationships?
• Who else heavily influences my character?
• Is my character very religious, political, or
otherwise a member or some kind?
• What is my character’s biggest life goal?
• How does my character’s motivation
change
• What is the primary emotion my character
has throughout this piece?
Analysis of Style and
Tone
 point-of-view,
 formal or informal writing,
 organization/structure of text,
 level of complexity in the writing, and
 overall tone.

Style: Point of View
First person: (I, me, my)
•

I went to the store today. When I was in

the cereal aisle, I bumped into an old
friend and had a nice conversation.
•

Second person: (you;

•

instructions/directions)
You should work on getting your room
cleaned. First, pick up the clothes on the
floor. Then, you need to run a vacuum and
dust the tables.
•
Style: Point of View
•Third person – limited:
(he/she/it/they/them told thru 1 character)
• He could tell from the expression on
her face that what he had said upset her.
If only he knew, though, what she was
really thinking.
•

•Third-person Omniscient (‘all knowing’)

(he/she/it/they/them told by the author;
all characters’ feelings/thoughts are
revealed)
• She refused to look at Jamie again and
instead stared at the statue in despair.
Style: Text
Organization
1.Cause - Effect
2.Problem – Solution
3.Chronological (sequencing the order
of events)
4.Compare/Contrast
5.Inductive (specific to general)
6.Deductive (general to specific)
7.Division into categories
8.Ranking (i.e., “most __” to “least
___”)
Style: Formal
 Vocabulary
 high level; business like
 Organization of text
 very structured; perhaps with subtopics
 Audience
 usually 3rd -omnisicient (except for business
letters)
 Sentences
 structure varies


Style: Informal
 Vocabulary
 low-level; perhaps slang; dialogue
 Organization of text
 more so narrative or note-like
 Audience
 usually personal (more first or third-limited)
 Sentences
 don’t vary as much in structure; mostly
simple or compound sentences
•
To n e
 Bitter •Tasteful/distastef
 Serious ul
•Nonchalant
 Witty
•Angry
 Playful
•Attached/Detach
 Tender
 Sympathetic ed
•Innocent
 Haunting
•Poignant
 Mysterious
•Compassionate
 Suspenseful
•Humorous
“THE STORY OF AN
HOUR”
 Catherine (Kate) O'Flaherty
Kate Chopin

was born in St. Louis on
February 8, 1850, the
second child of Thomas
O'Flaherty of County
Galway, Ireland, and Eliza
Faris of St. Louis.
 From 1855 to 1868 Kate
attended the St. Louis
Academy of the Sacred
Heart, with one year at
the Academy of the
Visitation. In 1855, her
father died in a railroad
accident, and in 1863 her
beloved French-speaking
great grandmother died.
She spent the Civil War in
St. Louis, a city where
Kate Chopin
•Kate
• Chopin wrote two
novels and about a hundred
short
• stories in the 1890s.
Most of her fiction is set
in Louisiana and most of her
best-known work focuses on
the lives of sensitive,
intelligent women.
•Her short stories were well
received in her own time and
were published by some of
America's most prestigious
magazines—Vogue, the
Atlantic Monthly, Harper's
Young People, Youth's
Companion, and the Century
Questions
2.What is Mrs. Mallard’s conflict? Explain
the opposing elements of her conflict
as precisely as you can.
6.The author James Joyce has described a
character’s moment of insight or
intuition as an “epiphany.” What is
Mrs. Mallard’s epiphany?
7.Are we to agree with the doctor’s
explanation for Mrs. Mallard’s death?
What term is appropriate to describe
The Women’s Suffrage
Movement
In Class Group Activity
 In groups of 3, discuss “The Story of An
Hour” in terms of
1.Narrative Structure and Character
Analysis
2.Character Analysis and Style and Tone
3.Style and Tone and Narrative Structure
4.Plot Summary and Essay Thesis
Statement
 Your group will pull your assignment
from a box