BRITISH LITERATURE

Part 2 –
How to analyze short stories
When analyzing fiction, you should consider the
1. plot,
2. setting,
3. characters,
4. point of view,
5. imagery,
6. symbolism,
7. tone,
8. irony,
9. and the theme
First – What do those elements mean?

• Sit in your groups

• Read those elements and tell us what they mean

PLOT
1. What happens in the story?
2. What are the main events?
3. How are those events organised?
4. What kinds of information were provided
(personal stories, expereinces, feelings, narration)?
5. Are there any conflicts/ arguments/agreement/
problem-solving scenes/...?
6. Is there any climax (special points of the story)?
How is it?
7. What and how is the ending?
 Setting
1. What is the setting of the story?
2. Where and when does the action take place?
3. How does the setting affect characters in the story?
4. Does their environment give them freedom, satisfaction,
or enjoyment, or does their environment make them feel
trapped, dissatisfied, or unhappy? Why?
5. Be able to describe the social forces and institutions that
shape the characters and their lives: political, social,
economic, philosophic, religious, educational, etc.
6. Determine to what extent, if at all, the characters are
influenced by nature.
CHARACTERS
• Focus on the main character(s) and the relationships
with other characters.
• What happened to those characters? Can you point
out their changes in the story?
• How do the characters interact with each other and
solve the problems?
• Notice their words, actions, appearances, and
feelings
POINT OF VIEW

• What is the register in the story (is it “I” or

“He/She”)?
• Try to point out the main points of view in the story

• Are there any details so clarify those points of view?

 IMAGERY
• What scenes, moments, descriptive passages, phrases,
or words stand out in your reading of the story?
• Did a particular image make you feel happy, or
frightened, or disturbed, or angry? Why?
• Which of your five senses did this image appeal to? ·
What do you associate with this image, and why? What
do you think the author wants you to feel about a
certain image?
• How do you think your reactions to the imagery in the
story contribute to the overall meaning of the story?
SYMBOLISM
• What are some of the symbols in the story?
• Are there any objects which seem to have a
symbolic meaning? What are their meanings?
• Do any people act as symbols in the story? What do
they represent?
• Do aspects of the story's setting seem symbolic? In
what way?
• Is one symbol used throughout the story or do the
symbols change?
TONE = the author's attitude or position
• What is the author's attitude toward actions or
events?
• Is the story humorous or tragic or frightening? Does
the author want you to laugh or cry, to feel happy or
sad, to experience anger or fear?
• What is the author's attitude toward characters or
the narrator?
• What is the author's attitude towards the subject
matter? How does the author feel about an idea or
concept?
 IRONY
• unexpected difference or lack of agreement between
appearance and truth or between expectation and reality
• Is the situation ironic? Is what happens in the story
different from what you or what characters hoped for or
expected ?
• Do characters have ironic thoughts? Does a character
believe something that is actually different from the truth?
• Do characters say things that are ironic? Does a character
say something that, either intentionally or unintentionally,
means the opposite of what it seems to say?
THEME
• What was the author's purpose in writing the story?
• Does the story have a theme? What is it? Is it implicit
or explicit?
• Is there more than one theme? Does the theme
support or oppose popular notions of life? Does the
theme offer a new insight into human experience or
does it support an old (traditional) one?
• What lesson or message does the author want the
reader to understand from the story?
 Plot and Theme – How different?

• Plot: A list of main events/details in an order

(storyline)
• Theme: the general idea/topic of the story
Please note
 If you cannot cover all elements, try to include as
many as you can
 Some points that should be included:

• Plot/Theme

• Setting

• Characters

• Meaning/Message of the stories

PRACTICE

Think about a story, a movie, a play and identify all of

the necessary elements (or as many as you can): plot,
setting, characters, point of view, imagery,
symbolism, tone, irony, and the theme.
You can choose ONLY BRITISH literature. Please
write a summary of those points.
Next Class
• Please read “Silas the Good”

• Take notes on:

• Plot/Theme

• Setting

• Characters

• Meaning/Message & lesson of the story