literary analysis research questions

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, August 14). How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/literary-analysis/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write a thesis statement | 4 steps & examples, academic paragraph structure | step-by-step guide & examples, how to write a narrative essay | example & tips, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Literature Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive guide to literature research paper topics , offering an extensive list divided into twenty categories, each with ten unique topics. Students can navigate the immense landscape of literature, including classical, contemporary, and multicultural dimensions, literary theory, specific authors’ studies, genre analyses, and historical contexts. From understanding how to choose the right topic to crafting an insightful literature research paper, this guide serves as a one-stop resource. Furthermore, iResearchNet’s writing services are presented, providing students with the opportunity to order a custom literature research paper with a range of impressive features, including expert writers, in-depth research, top-quality work, and guaranteed satisfaction. By exploring this page, students can find invaluable assistance and inspiration to embark on their literature research journey.

200 Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature is an expansive field that encompasses a multitude of subcategories. Below, we offer 200 literature research paper topics, neatly divided into twenty categories. Each of these themes presents a rich array of options to inspire your next research paper.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

• The representation of heroism in Homer’s “Iliad”
• The concept of fate in ancient Greek tragedies
• Female characters in Sophocles’ plays
• The importance of dialogue in Plato’s philosophical works
• The depiction of Gods in “The Odyssey”
• Tragic love in Virgil’s “Aeneid”
• Prophecy and divination in ancient Greek literature
• Wisdom in the works of Socrates
• The portrayal of Athens in Aristophanes’ comedies
• Stoicism in Seneca’s letters and essays
• Christian symbolism in Dante’s “Divine Comedy”
• The depiction of women in “The Canterbury Tales”
• Heroism in “Beowulf”
• The significance of dreams in medieval literature
• Religious conflict in “The Song of Roland”
• The concept of courtly love in “Tristan and Isolde”
• The role of magic in Arthurian literature
• The representation of chivalry in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
• Life and death in “The Book of the Dead”
• The theme of rebellion in “The Decameron”
• The influence of humanism in Shakespeare’s plays
• Love and beauty in Petrarch’s sonnets
• The representation of monarchy in “The Faerie Queene”
• The depiction of the New World in “Utopia”
• The power of speech in “Othello”
• Metaphysical poetry and John Donne
• Tragedy and revenge in “Hamlet”
• Women in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
• The concept of the ideal ruler in Machiavelli’s “The Prince”
• Religion and superstition in “Macbeth”
• The use of satire in Jonathan Swift’s works
• Romantic love in “Pride and Prejudice”
• The depiction of the bourgeoisie in “Candide”
• The role of women in “Moll Flanders”
• The critique of society in “Gulliver’s Travels”
• The supernatural in “The Castle of Otranto”
• Enlightenment principles in “Persuasion”
• The concept of sensibility in “Sense and Sensibility”
• The epistolary form in “Dangerous Liaisons”
• The critique of colonialism in “Oroonoko”
• Romanticism in the works of Wordsworth and Coleridge
• The depiction of the working class in Dickens’ novels
• The portrayal of women in the Brontë sisters’ works
• The theme of isolation in “Frankenstein”
• The symbolism in Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”
• The role of nature in Thoreau’s “Walden”
• The representation of Paris in Hugo’s “Les Misérables”
• The conflict between passion and reason in “Anna Karenina”
• The exploration of the American South in Twain’s works
• The representation of the Industrial Revolution in literature
• The stream of consciousness technique in Joyce’s “Ulysses”
• The fragmentation of identity in Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
• The depiction of war in Hemingway’s works
• The influence of psychoanalysis on Woolf’s novels
• The depiction of the Lost Generation in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• The role of time in Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”
• The absurd in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
• The theme of alienation in Hesse’s “Steppenwolf”
• The exploration of gender in Barnes’ “Nightwood”
• The use of free indirect discourse in Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary”
• Metafiction in Calvino’s “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler”
• The interplay of history and fiction in Pynchon’s “Gravity’s Rainbow”
• The critique of consumer culture in DeLillo’s “White Noise”
• The use of magic realism in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The postcolonial perspective in Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
• The exploration of language in Barth’s “The Sot-Weed Factor”
• The representation of postmodern society in Wallace’s “Infinite Jest”
• The theme of power in Foucault’s works
• The concept of the author in Barthes’ “The Death of the Author”
• The fragmentation of narrative in Auster’s “New York Trilogy”
• The theme of the American Dream in Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”
• The use of dialect in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• The influence of transcendentalism on Emerson’s essays
• The theme of identity in Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
• The depiction of the Great Depression in Steinbeck’s works
• The conflict between individualism and society in Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”
• The representation of the South in O’Connor’s stories
• The influence of race and class in Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
• The exploration of freedom in Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”
• The theme of disillusionment in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• The role of the supernatural in Shakespeare’s plays
• The depiction of Victorian society in Austen’s novels
• The exploration of morality in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
• The theme of madness in Stoker’s “Dracula”
• The influence of the Romantic Movement on Wordsworth’s poetry
• The representation of London in Dickens’ novels
• The critique of colonialism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
• The exploration of the human condition in Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”
• The theme of social class in Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”
• The use of symbolism in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
• The exploration of existentialism in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”
• The theme of love and jealousy in Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”
• The representation of the Russian Revolution in Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita”
• The use of magical realism in Gogol’s “The Nose”
• The depiction of war in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”
• The role of faith in Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov”
• The exploration of freedom in Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”
• The theme of rebellion in Turgenev’s “Fathers and Sons”
• The representation of Siberia in Chekhov’s “Sakhalin Island”
• The use of satire in Ilf and Petrov’s “The Twelve Chairs”
• The portrayal of post-colonial society in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• The theme of identity in Coetzee’s “Disgrace”
• The exploration of gender roles in Aidoo’s “Anowa”
• The representation of apartheid in Gordimer’s “July’s People”
• The use of folklore in Tutuola’s “The Palm-Wine Drinkard”
• The depiction of urban life in Mwangi’s “Going Down River Road”
• The theme of corruption in Soyinka’s “King Baabu”
• The portrayal of women in Dangarembga’s “Nervous Conditions”
• The influence of Islam in Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North”
• The exploration of freedom in Ngugi’s “A Grain of Wheat”
• The portrayal of family dynamics in Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club”
• The exploration of historical memory in Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”
• The theme of spirituality in Tagore’s “Gitanjali”
• The influence of political change in Ha Jin’s “Waiting”
• The depiction of society in Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”
• The exploration of gender in Adichie’s “Purple Hibiscus”
• The theme of alienation in Lahiri’s “The Namesake”
• The representation of war in Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”
• The portrayal of tradition and change in Roy’s “The God of Small Things”
• The exploration of culture and identity in Jin’s “A Free Life”
• The use of magical realism in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The exploration of totalitarianism in Carpentier’s “The Lost Steps”
• The theme of death in Rulfo’s “Pedro Paramo”
• The influence of indigenous culture in Arguedas’ “Deep Rivers”
• The depiction of urban life in Bolaño’s “The Savage Detectives”
• The theme of revolution in Cortázar’s “Hopscotch”
• The representation of family dynamics in Allende’s “The House of the Spirits”
• The portrayal of political struggle in Neruda’s “Canto General”
• The exploration of time and memory in Borges’ “Ficciones”
• The influence of magical realism in Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera”
• The exploration of gender roles in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• The theme of independence in Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”
• The influence of society on women in Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”
• The depiction of family in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• The representation of women’s rights in Chopin’s “The Awakening”
• The portrayal of female resilience in Alcott’s “Little Women”
• The exploration of women’s psyche in Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
• The influence of feminism in Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
• The depiction of womanhood in Walker’s “The Color Purple”
• The portrayal of female friendships in Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence”
• The exploration of consciousness in Joyce’s “Ulysses”
• The influence of war on society in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”
• The representation of fragmented identity in Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
• The influence of industrialization in Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers”
• The depiction of sexuality in Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer”
• The exploration of existentialism in Kafka’s “The Trial”
• The theme of individualism in Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”
• The portrayal of colonialism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
• The exploration of language in Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”
• Marxist criticism in “The Grapes of Wrath”
• Psychoanalytic criticism in “Hamlet”
• Feminist criticism in “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• Postcolonial criticism in “Wide Sargasso Sea”
• New Criticism and “The Road Not Taken”
• Queer Theory and “Giovanni’s Room”
• Structuralist criticism and “To the Lighthouse”
• Reader-Response criticism and “Don Quixote”
• Ecocriticism and “The Lorax”
• Postmodern criticism and “Infinite Jest”
• Existentialism in Camus’s “The Stranger”
• Utilitarianism in Dickens’s “Hard Times”
• Transcendentalism in Thoreau’s “Walden”
• Stoicism in Aurelius’s “Meditations”
• Nihilism in Dostoevsky’s “Notes from Underground”
• Absurdism in Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros”
• Idealism in Plato’s “The Republic”
• Empiricism in Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”
• Pragmatism in James’s “Pragmatism”
• Objectivism in Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
• The reflection of Victorian society in Dickens’s “Great Expectations”
• Critique of American Dream in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Race relations in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• Exploration of societal norms in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• Portrayal of post-war society in Heller’s “Catch-22”
• Examination of social class in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
• The influence of societal change in Orwell’s “1984”
• Depiction of colonial society in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Examination of gender roles in Chopin’s “The Awakening”
• Exploration of rural life in Hardy’s “Far From The Madding Crowd”
• The evolution of the fantasy genre in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”
• The elements of mystery in Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes”
• The origins of science fiction in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
• The use of horror elements in King’s “The Shining”
• The definition of modern romance in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• The impact of dystopian genre in Orwell’s “1984”
• The use of symbolism in the magical realism genre in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The elements of satire in Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”
• The exploration of tragedy in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
• The structure of classic comedy in Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”
• The use of symbolism in works by Virginia Woolf
• Examination of themes across the novels of Toni Morrison
• Influence of historical context on the works of Charles Dickens
• Exploration of narrative style in the works of Ernest Hemingway
• Examination of William Shakespeare’s contribution to English literature
• The influence of personal life on the works of Sylvia Plath
• Comparison of themes across the poetry of Emily Dickinson
• Analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s exploration of human psychology
• Examination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation and expansion of the fantasy genre
• The influence of postmodernism on the works of Thomas Pynchon

With this comprehensive list of topics across 20 different categories, students can find an array of literature research paper topics that align with their interests and academic objectives.

Browse More Literature Research Paper Topics:

• 1984 Research Paper Topics
• A Raisin in the Sun Research Paper Topics
• A Rose for Emily Research Paper Topics
• African Literature Research Paper Topics
• African American Literature Research Paper Topics
• American Literature Research Paper Topics
• Brave New World Research Paper Topics
• British Literature Research Paper Topics
• Death of a Salesman Research Paper Topics
• Edgar Allan Poe Research Paper Topics
• English Literature Research Paper Topics
• Fahrenheit 451 Research Paper Topics
• Frankenstein Research Paper Topics
• French Literature Research Paper Topics
• The Grapes of Wrath Research Paper Topics
• Great Expectations Research Paper Topics
• Hamlet Research Paper Topics
• Heart of Darkness Research Paper Topics
• Julius Caesar Research Paper Topics
• Kite Runner Research Paper Topics
• Macbeth Research Paper Topics
• Life of Pi Research Paper Topics
• Literary Analysis Research Paper Topics
• Literature and Film Research Paper Topics
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Research Paper Topics
• Pride and Prejudice Research Paper Topics
• Shakespeare Research Paper Topics
• The Bluest Eye Research Paper Topics
• The Color Purple Research Paper Topics
• The Crucible Research Paper Topics
• The Great Gatsby Research Paper Topics
• The Metamorphosis Research Paper Topics
• The Scarlet Letter Research Paper Topics
• Things Fall Apart Research Paper Topics
• To Kill a Mockingbird Research Paper Topics
• World Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature and the Range of Research Paper Topics It Offers

Literature is an art form that has the power to convey emotions, evoke feelings, and bring about a change in society. This dynamic nature makes it an ideal subject for research as it encompasses an expansive array of genres, periods, themes, and techniques. In a literature research paper, one can delve into numerous facets of this intricate art form, leading to an extensive range of topics for exploration.

Literature comes in various forms, including novels, short stories, plays, and poems. Each of these forms has unique characteristics, providing ample research paper topics. For instance, one can study the evolution of the novel, the structures and styles of different kinds of poetry, or the distinct elements of drama. Moreover, one can analyze specific works or authors, examining the usage of literary devices, narrative techniques, or character development.

Furthermore, literature is closely tied to culture and history. As a result, it serves as a rich source of information about the societies in which it was created. A literature research paper can explore how different periods in history influenced the literature of the time. Topics in this category can encompass the exploration of themes in specific literary periods such as Romanticism, the Victorian Era, Modernism, or Postmodernism.

Literature also plays a pivotal role in shaping and reflecting societal norms, values, and beliefs. Therefore, one can conduct research on how literature addresses various social issues such as gender, race, class, or power dynamics. For instance, feminist readings of literature, analyses of postcolonial literature, or studies on representation in literature could all make excellent research paper topics.

Moreover, literature is a global phenomenon. Each region has its unique literary traditions, styles, and themes, leading to a wealth of research paper topics. For example, students might choose to study African American literature, Latin American literature, European literature, or Asian literature. They could examine how different cultures and societies influence the narrative structures, themes, and characters in these texts.

Another exciting aspect of literature is its ability to experiment with language and form. Avant-garde movements, such as surrealism or postmodernism, often push the boundaries of what literature can do. In this regard, one could study the evolution of literary styles, the use of innovative narrative structures, or the role of intertextuality in literature.

Not to forget, literature does not operate in isolation. It often interacts with other forms of art and media. For example, research could focus on the adaptation of novels into films, the influence of visual arts on poetry, or the intersection of literature and music.

Finally, theoretical approaches to literature offer a plethora of research paper topics. From structuralism, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction, to reader-response theory, feminist theory, and queer theory, these lenses provide different ways to interpret and understand literature.

In conclusion, the study of literature is vast, spanning across time, geography, forms, and themes. Whether one is interested in specific literary works, authors, themes, periods, or theoretical approaches, literature provides a wide array of research paper topics. Each topic is a gateway to understanding not just the text itself, but also the wider world around us. The study of literature, therefore, is not only an exploration of the text, but also an investigation into human nature, societal structures, and cultural phenomena.

How to Choose Literature Research Paper Topics

Choosing a literature research paper topic can be as intriguing as the study of literature itself. However, with such a vast array of options, it might also seem overwhelming. Here are some tips to guide you through the process of selecting the ideal topic that aligns with your interests and academic requirements.

• Identify Your Area of Interest : Begin by identifying the aspect of literature that fascinates you the most. It could be a specific genre, literary period, author, literary technique, theme, or theoretical approach. Having an interest in your chosen area will fuel your curiosity, making the research process more enjoyable and engaging.
• Familiarity with the Subject : Choose a topic that you are familiar with or willing to learn about. If you select a subject you know little about, make sure you’re ready to spend time understanding its intricacies before you start your research.
• Scope of the Topic : Keep in mind the breadth and depth of the potential topic. While it should be narrow enough to manage within the constraints of your research paper, it should also be broad enough to provide ample material for research.
• Check the Available Resources : Before finalizing the topic, ensure there are enough scholarly resources available for your research. This includes academic articles, books, critical essays, and other primary and secondary sources.
• Relevance to Coursework : Your topic should align with the objectives of your coursework. It’s wise to reflect on what you have learned in your literature classes and try to incorporate that knowledge into your research.
• Unique Perspective : The best research papers offer a fresh perspective or new insight into a text or topic. Try to formulate a topic that allows you to explore an unconventional viewpoint or an understudied aspect of the text.
• Consider the Audience : Keep your audience in mind while choosing your topic. The level of complexity and the angle of your topic might vary depending on whether your audience comprises of your classmates, a panel of professors, or a broader academic community.
• Adaptability : Your topic should be flexible enough to adapt as you delve deeper into your research. It’s common to refine or reframe your research question as you discover new information.
• Interdisciplinary Approach : Consider topics that allow for an interdisciplinary approach. Literature frequently intersects with history, philosophy, psychology, and other disciplines, and these intersections often lead to enriching research.
• Consult with Your Advisor : Always consult with your academic advisor or professor before finalizing your topic. They can provide valuable feedback, guide you towards useful resources, and help you refine your research question.

In conclusion, choosing a literature research paper topic is a thoughtful process that involves introspection, preliminary research, and consultation. Remember, the journey of research is just as important as the destination. The process of choosing your topic, thus, should ignite curiosity and prepare you for the intellectual adventure that is to come. With careful consideration and planning, you can choose a literature research paper topic that is engaging, manageable, and academically rewarding.

How to Write a Literature Research Paper

The journey of crafting a literature research paper is a significant part of a student’s academic voyage. It involves the exploration of themes, characters, contexts, and literary techniques that make up the literary world. Here are ten tips to help you navigate the process of writing a literature research paper:

• Understanding the Assignment : Begin by thoroughly understanding your assignment. Note down the specific requirements regarding the length, format, citation style, and deadline. Make sure you understand the objective of the research paper and what is expected of you.
• Choosing the Topic : As mentioned in the previous section, choosing the right topic is crucial. Make sure your topic aligns with your interest, has ample scholarly resources, and fits the scope of your assignment.
• Preliminary Research and Thesis Statement : Conduct preliminary research to familiarize yourself with your topic. Based on your research, create a clear, concise, and arguable thesis statement. This will act as the backbone of your research paper, guiding your arguments and analysis.
• Creating an Outline : An outline will help you organize your thoughts and arguments systematically. It typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs for each argument or point of analysis, and a conclusion.
• In-Depth Research : Dig deeper into the topic, using a mix of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources in literature often refer to the text(s) you are analyzing, while secondary sources include scholarly articles, essays, and books that comment on these texts.
• Close Reading and Analysis : Engage in a close reading of the primary text(s). Look for symbols, motifs, themes, character development, plot structure, and literary devices. Your analysis of these elements should support your thesis statement.
• Writing the Draft : Start writing your paper based on the outline. Ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your arguments are well-supported with evidence from the text(s). Use quotes sparingly and always explain their significance to your argument.
• Citations and Formatting : Follow the citation style specified in your assignment. Properly citing your sources avoids plagiarism and gives credit to the scholars whose work you are building upon. Be consistent with formatting rules related to margins, font size, headers, and footnotes.
• Revising and Editing : Always leave enough time for revising and editing. Revising involves looking at the overall structure, flow, clarity, and strength of your arguments. Editing involves fixing grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling.
• Peer Review and Feedback : Have a classmate, friend, or mentor review your paper. They can provide fresh insights, point out unnoticed errors, and suggest improvements.

In conclusion, writing a literature research paper is a process that requires patience, diligence, and creativity. While the process may seem daunting, it offers an opportunity to delve deeper into the realm of literature, strengthening your analytical skills and understanding of the text. Remember, writing is a process of exploration and discovery, and every step brings you closer to a rewarding academic achievement.

iResearchNet Writing Services

For custom literature research paper.

Writing a literature research paper can be a challenging task. You may have other academic commitments, or you may be struggling to find a way to navigate through the immense sea of literary resources. In such situations, you might want a dependable partner to aid you, and this is where iResearchNet comes in. iResearchNet offers an extensive range of writing services that cater to students like you who need assistance with their literature research papers.

• Expert Degree-Holding Writers : iResearchNet prides itself on its team of professional writers who hold advanced degrees in literature and related fields. These writers have a profound understanding of both classic and contemporary literature and are proficient in various literary analysis techniques.
• Custom Written Works : iResearchNet believes in originality. Each literature research paper is crafted from scratch based on the specific requirements and guidelines provided by you.
• In-depth Research : The writers at iResearchNet conduct thorough and meticulous research. They explore a variety of sources to gather relevant and up-to-date information to build a strong foundation for your paper.
• Custom Formatting : Formatting is a significant aspect of a research paper that cannot be overlooked. iResearchNet’s writers are proficient in various formatting styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard.
• Top Quality : Quality is the topmost priority for iResearchNet. The company adheres to strict quality control measures to ensure that every paper maintains high academic standards.
• Customized Solutions : iResearchNet understands that each student has unique needs. Hence, they provide tailored solutions that align with your academic level, course requirements, and personal preferences.
• Flexible Pricing : iResearchNet offers a flexible pricing model that caters to students with varying budget constraints. They aim to provide high-quality services that are affordable for every student.
• Short Deadlines : Do you need a literature research paper in a hurry? iResearchNet has got you covered with short deadlines up to 3 hours.
• Timely Delivery : iResearchNet values your time and understands the importance of submitting assignments on time. They ensure that your paper is delivered to you well before the deadline.
• 24/7 Support : iResearchNet provides round-the-clock support. Whether you have a query or need assistance at any stage of your order, their support team is always available to help.
• Absolute Privacy : Your privacy is of utmost importance to iResearchNet. They guarantee absolute confidentiality and do not share your personal information with third parties.
• Easy Order Tracking : iResearchNet’s user-friendly interface allows you to easily track your order’s progress. You can also communicate with the writer handling your paper for updates or clarifications.
• Money-Back Guarantee : iResearchNet strives for customer satisfaction. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the service, we offer a money-back guarantee.

In conclusion, iResearchNet offers comprehensive and reliable writing services for your literature research paper needs. With our expert guidance, you can navigate the path of literary exploration with ease and confidence, knowing that your academic success is our prime concern. Trust iResearchNet to help you explore the depths of literature, synthesizing your insights into a stellar research paper.

Craft Your Outstanding Literature Research Paper with iResearchNet

Are you ready to take the plunge into the deep, enriching waters of literature? Do you yearn to craft an impactful literature research paper that leaves a lasting impression? Look no further, for iResearchNet is here to guide you every step of the way!

At iResearchNet, we truly believe in the transformative power of literature and its capacity to provoke thought, inspire action, and illuminate the human condition. When you choose us, you’re not simply selecting a writing service. You’re opting for a partnership, a collaboration, an intellectual journey in which we’ll be there for you at every bend and turn.

With us, you get more than a written paper. You get a comprehensive exploration of your chosen topic, peppered with original insights and backed by robust research. But more importantly, you get the assurance of high-quality work, timely delivery, and constant support. So, why wait? Let’s embark on this literary adventure together.

The process is quite simple. Just select your preferred topic from the extensive list of literature research paper topics, share your specific requirements and guidelines, and leave the rest to us. Rest assured, your assignment will be in capable, expert hands.

Remember, the perfect literature research paper isn’t merely about presenting information. It’s about crafting a narrative, weaving a tapestry of ideas that resonate with your readers. It’s about taking a deep dive into the world of words and emerging with pearls of wisdom. That’s the kind of experience iResearchNet offers you. So, why settle for anything less?

Let’s elevate your academic journey together. Trust iResearchNet to turn your literary vision into a tangible, impactful reality. Order your custom literature research paper today and unleash your academic potential!

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

Subject and Course Guides

• University Libraries Databases
• WMU Research Guides

ENGL 1100: Literary Interpretation

• Research Topic and Research Focus

Generating Ideas for a Research Topic for Literary Analysis

Forming a focus, books to start with.

• Collecting Information
• Popular, Scholarly, and Trade

There are many ways to develop a research topic. Here is one technique:

• What aspect of a work caught your attention?
• New Historicism
• Feminist Literary Theory
• Disability Theory
• Ecocriticism
• Postcolonialism
• Queer Theory
• Do a simple search of the work. What is the scholarly community discussing? What do you want to know more about?
• Do a search of the work with keywords about the aspect or theory you will focus on. *

*You may not find anything and that's okay

Sometimes, no one has written about your specific research focus. In that case, you will need to break it up into a few different searches and synthesize/combine the information.

For example, if you search birthmark Hawthorne postcolonial in Library Search, there are no results. But there are results if you search birthmark Hawthorne and do a separate search for postcolonial literary theory .

• Writing a Literary Analysis Paper This is a how-to guide from Germanna Academic Center for Excellence. It has a lot of questions you can ask yourself to brainstorm topics.

After seeing some directions that your topic can take, you need to find your research focus. Visualize your topic as branching arrows with the different subsections of your topic flowing out from your topic. Your research focus can be one of these arrows (aspect) or a grouping of arrows (theme).

Some topics can be broken down into many individual parts and while they are all related, one part stands out to you. It can be discussed on its own and has enough resources available for your project. This can be a specific instance of your broad topic. For example, if your topic is LGBTQIA2S+ representation in media, an aspect would be a specific character.

Other topics have individual parts that are best discussed in small groups. There's an overarching theme that ties them all together. While this is more specific than the broad topic, it still has a few separate ideas. The theme approach is best used when each individual aspect of a topic does not have enough information on its own. For example, if your topic is social media influencers, a theme would be authenticity which can be broken down into self-branding, ethics, and self-image.

These books provide overviews of specific theories and/or literary criticism. They may help you develop your research focus.

• << Previous: Home
• Next: Collecting Information >>

Research Focus vs Thesis/Argument

An argument or thesis statement is best developed closer to when you begin to write your paper or create your project. At that point, you have found most of the available information on your topic and can form a solid, unchanging opinion or idea around it.

A research focus helps guide your research just as a thesis statement guides your writing but a research focus changes and evolves as you encounter new information.

• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 2:33 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wmich.edu/ENGL1100

Literary Analysis Essay

Literary Analysis Essay Writing

Last updated on: May 21, 2023

Literary Analysis Essay - Ultimate Guide By Professionals

By: Cordon J.

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Dec 3, 2019

A literary analysis essay specifically examines and evaluates a piece of literature or a literary work. It also understands and explains the links between the small parts to their whole information.

It is important for students to understand the meaning and the true essence of literature to write a literary essay.

One of the most difficult assignments for students is writing a literary analysis essay. It can be hard to come up with an original idea or find enough material to write about. You might think you need years of experience in order to create a good paper, but that's not true.

This blog post will show you how easy it can be when you follow the steps given here.Writing such an essay involves the breakdown of a book into small parts and understanding each part separately. It seems easy, right?

Trust us, it is not as hard as good book reports but it may also not be extremely easy. You will have to take into account different approaches and explain them in relation with the chosen literary work.

It is a common high school and college assignment and you can learn everything in this blog.

Continue reading for some useful tips with an example to write a literary analysis essay that will be on point. You can also explore our detailed article on writing an analytical essay .

On this Page

What is a Literary Analysis Essay?

A literary analysis essay is an important kind of essay that focuses on the detailed analysis of the work of literature.

The purpose of a literary analysis essay is to explain why the author has used a specific theme for his work. Or examine the characters, themes, literary devices , figurative language, and settings in the story.

This type of essay encourages students to think about how the book or the short story has been written. And why the author has created this work.

The method used in the literary analysis essay differs from other types of essays. It primarily focuses on the type of work and literature that is being analyzed.

Mostly, you will be going to break down the work into various parts. In order to develop a better understanding of the idea being discussed, each part will be discussed separately.

The essay should explain the choices of the author and point of view along with your answers and personal analysis.

How To Write A Literary Analysis Essay

So how to start a literary analysis essay? The answer to this question is quite simple.

The following sections are required to write an effective literary analysis essay. By following the guidelines given in the following sections, you will be able to craft a winning literary analysis essay.

Introduction

The aim of the introduction is to establish a context for readers. You have to give a brief on the background of the selected topic.

It should contain the name of the author of the literary work along with its title. The introduction should be effective enough to grab the reader’s attention.

In the body section, you have to retell the story that the writer has narrated. It is a good idea to create a summary as it is one of the important tips of literary analysis.

Other than that, you are required to develop ideas and disclose the observed information related to the issue. The ideal length of the body section is around 1000 words.

To write the body section, your observation should be based on evidence and your own style of writing.

It would be great if the body of your essay is divided into three paragraphs. Make a strong argument with facts related to the thesis statement in all of the paragraphs in the body section.

Start writing each paragraph with a topic sentence and use transition words when moving to the next paragraph.

Summarize the important points of your literary analysis essay in this section. It is important to compose a short and strong conclusion to help you make a final impression of your essay.

Pay attention that this section does not contain any new information. It should provide a sense of completion by restating the main idea with a short description of your arguments. End the conclusion with your supporting details.

You have to explain why the book is important. Also, elaborate on the means that the authors used to convey her/his opinion regarding the issue.

For further understanding, here is a downloadable literary analysis essay outline. This outline will help you structure and format your essay properly and earn an A easily.

DOWNLOADABLE LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY OUTLINE (PDF)

Types of Literary Analysis Essay

• Close reading - This method involves attentive reading and detailed analysis. No need for a lot of knowledge and inspiration to write an essay that shows your creative skills.
• Theoretical - In this type, you will rely on theories related to the selected topic.
• Historical - This type of essay concerns the discipline of history. Sometimes historical analysis is required to explain events in detail.
• Applied - This type involves analysis of a specific issue from a practical perspective.
• Comparative - This type of writing is based on when two or more alternatives are compared

Examples of Literary Analysis Essay

Examples are great to understand any concept, especially if it is related to writing. Below are some great literary analysis essay examples that showcase how this type of essay is written.

A ROSE FOR EMILY LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

THE GREAT GATSBY LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER LITERARY ANALYSIS ESSAY

If you do not have experience in writing essays, this will be a very chaotic process for you. In that case, it is very important for you to conduct good research on the topic before writing.

There are two important points that you should keep in mind when writing a literary analysis essay.

First, remember that it is very important to select a topic in which you are interested. Choose something that really inspires you. This will help you to catch the attention of a reader.

The selected topic should reflect the main idea of writing. In addition to that, it should also express your point of view as well.

Another important thing is to draft a good outline for your literary analysis essay. It will help you to define a central point and division of this into parts for further discussion.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics

Literary analysis essays are mostly based on artistic works like books, movies, paintings, and other forms of art. However, generally, students choose novels and books to write their literary essays.

Some cool, fresh, and good topics and ideas are listed below:

• Role of the Three Witches in flaming Macbeth’s ambition.
• Analyze the themes of the Play Antigone,
• Discuss Ajax as a tragic hero.
• The Judgement of Paris: Analyze the Reasons and their Consequences.
• Oedipus Rex: A Doomed Son or a Conqueror?
• Describe the Oedipus complex and Electra complex in relation to their respective myths.
• Betrayal is a common theme of Shakespearean tragedies. Discuss
• Identify and analyze the traits of history in T.S Eliot’s ‘Gerontion’.
• Analyze the theme of identity crisis in The Great Gatsby.
• Analyze the writing style of Emily Dickinson.

If you are still in doubt then there is nothing bad in getting professional writers’ help.

We at 5StarEssays.com can help you get a custom paper as per your specified requirements with our do essay for me service.

Our essay writers will help you write outstanding literary essays or any other type of essay. Such as compare and contrast essays, descriptive essays, rhetorical essays. We cover all of these.

So don’t waste your time browsing the internet and place your order now to get your well-written custom paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a literary analysis essay include.

A good literary analysis essay must include a proper and in-depth explanation of your ideas. They must be backed with examples and evidence from the text. Textual evidence includes summaries, paraphrased text, original work details, and direct quotes.

What are the 4 components of literary analysis?

Here are the 4 essential parts of a literary analysis essay;

No literary work is explained properly without discussing and explaining these 4 things.

How do you start a literary analysis essay?

Start your literary analysis essay with the name of the work and the title. Hook your readers by introducing the main ideas that you will discuss in your essay and engage them from the start.

How do you do a literary analysis?

In a literary analysis essay, you study the text closely, understand and interpret its meanings. And try to find out the reasons behind why the author has used certain symbols, themes, and objects in the work.

Why is literary analysis important?

It encourages the students to think beyond their existing knowledge, experiences, and belief and build empathy. This helps in improving the writing skills also.

What is the fundamental characteristic of a literary analysis essay?

Interpretation is the fundamental and important feature of a literary analysis essay. The essay is based on how well the writer explains and interprets the work.

Law, Finance Essay

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• Interesting Literary Analysis Essay Topics for Students

• Write a Perfect Literary Analysis Essay Outline

People Also Read

• personal statement examples
• personal essay
• writing a conclusion for an argumentative essay
• asa citation guide
• synthesis essay writing

Burdened With Assignments?

Advertisement

• Homework Services: Essay Topics Generator

© 2024 - All rights reserved

Critical Frameworks for Literary Analysis

There are numerous approaches for developing your engagement with any literary text.

Looking Inside the Text

In the past, literary critics would often focus mainly on evaluating a text’s principle elements and execution. Perhaps you had a class in the past that focused on how an author used literary elements to generate an effect for readers. And, perhaps, your class evaluated whether the messaging of the text was successful or convincing. Such evaluations of the artistry of a work of literature—its use of language, turns of phrases, or poesy; its patterning, imagery, themes, plotting—took on more formal assessments of organizing principles, such as a work’s structure (see, new criticism, semiotics, structuralism, or deconstructive criticism). If you’ve ever had a class assignment ask you to think about how the parts of a literary text made you arrive at an inference or made you generate an emotional or rational reaction, you’ve probably been asked to look inside the text for a cause that created the effect on you, the reader. Yet, even when considering literature as you would any writing using rhetorical moves (ethos, logos, pathos), the stress on readerly responses (see, reader response criticism) or the messaging’s credibility and authority requires an awareness of factors outside the text.

Looking Outside the Text

If you’ve compared an author’s life events to the contents of their literary work, you’ve been thinking about contexts and looking outside the text. There is, however, far more than simply biographical readings of literature. Interdisciplinary approaches from cultural studies, economics, history, philosophy,  psychology, political science, and other sciences (see eco-criticism) produce distinct critical frameworks for analyzing literature differently than only considering the person’s name that is attached to text. An author, not unlike the texts they produce, belongs to particular historical and cultural circumstances—not just their own personal experiences—and might reflect, affirm or challenge the prevailing assumptions of their time. Similarly, the original readership may have participated in a common community as the author or bring their own intersectionality to a text. If you’ve ever thought about an historical event or movement that might have influenced a text, you were historicizing that text by being aware of its historical moment of production. If you’ve ever had a class assignment ask you to try to imagine (or research) the reaction of a past audience, you’ve taken into account that texts elicit different responses as they find new audiences. Furthermore, if you’ve ever compared a director’s cut of a film to its theatrical release, you’ll realize the production of any text involves often unrecognized or uncredited agents influencing a text’s composition or distribution perhaps more directly than, say, the political climate. To effectively perform a critical reading of a text in relation to its contexts requires looking both outside and inside the text.

Critical Frameworks

Critical approaches to a text usually deploy a particular concept or set of concepts derived from literary theory or an interdisciplinary critical approach. Depending on the critical approach(es) or an analysis’s methodology, different aspects of any text become the focus. By using a critical approach readers can ask new questions of what is inside the text by thinking about factors outside the text. The framework of ideas, important literary elements, and how you then synthesize your inquiry will guide you to ask particular questions of the text—and, if researching further, will guide you to locate distinct source material, primary and secondary.

Also see Posing Questions of Literature and Literary Theory .

Writing About Literature Copyright © by Rachael Benavidez and Kimberley Garcia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Introduction

You’ve been assigned a literary analysis paper—what does that even mean? Is it like a book report that you used to write in high school? Well, not really.

A literary analysis essay asks you to make an original argument about a poem, play, or work of fiction and support that argument with research and evidence from your careful reading of the text.

It can take many forms, such as a close reading of a text, critiquing the text through a particular literary theory, comparing one text to another, or criticizing another critic’s interpretation of the text. While there are many ways to structure a literary essay, writing this kind of essay follows generally follows a similar process for everyone

Crafting a good literary analysis essay begins with good close reading of the text, in which you have kept notes and observations as you read. This will help you with the first step, which is selecting a topic to write about—what jumped out as you read, what are you genuinely interested in? The next step is to focus your topic, developing it into an argument—why is this subject or observation important? Why should your reader care about it as much as you do? The third step is to gather evidence to support your argument, for literary analysis, support comes in the form of evidence from the text and from your research on what other literary critics have said about your topic. Only after you have performed these steps, are you ready to begin actually writing your essay.

Writing a Literary Analysis Essay

How to create a topic and conduct research:.

Writing an Analysis of a Poem, Story, or Play

If you are taking a literature course, it is important that you know how to write an analysis—sometimes called an interpretation or a literary analysis or a critical reading or a critical analysis—of a story, a poem, and a play. Your instructor will probably assign such an analysis as part of the course assessment. On your mid-term or final exam, you might have to write an analysis of one or more of the poems and/or stories on your reading list. Or the dreaded “sight poem or story” might appear on an exam, a work that is not on the reading list, that you have not read before, but one your instructor includes on the exam to examine your ability to apply the active reading skills you have learned in class to produce, independently, an effective literary analysis.You might be asked to write instead or, or in addition to an analysis of a literary work, a more sophisticated essay in which you compare and contrast the protagonists of two stories, or the use of form and metaphor in two poems, or the tragic heroes in two plays.

You might learn some literary theory in your course and be asked to apply theory—feminist, Marxist, reader-response, psychoanalytic, new historicist, for example—to one or more of the works on your reading list. But the seminal assignment in a literature course is the analysis of the single poem, story, novel, or play, and, even if you do not have to complete this assignment specifically, it will form the basis of most of the other writing assignments you will be required to undertake in your literature class. There are several ways of structuring a literary analysis, and your instructor might issue specific instructions on how he or she wants this assignment done. The method presented here might not be identical to the one your instructor wants you to follow, but it will be easy enough to modify, if your instructor expects something a bit different, and it is a good default method, if your instructor does not issue more specific guidelines.You want to begin your analysis with a paragraph that provides the context of the work you are analyzing and a brief account of what you believe to be the poem or story or play’s main theme. At a minimum, your account of the work’s context will include the name of the author, the title of the work, its genre, and the date and place of publication. If there is an important biographical or historical context to the work, you should include that, as well.Try to express the work’s theme in one or two sentences. Theme, you will recall, is that insight into human experience the author offers to readers, usually revealed as the content, the drama, the plot of the poem, story, or play unfolds and the characters interact. Assessing theme can be a complex task. Authors usually show the theme; they don’t tell it. They rarely say, at the end of the story, words to this effect: “and the moral of my story is…” They tell their story, develop their characters, provide some kind of conflict—and from all of this theme emerges. Because identifying theme can be challenging and subjective, it is often a good idea to work through the rest of the analysis, then return to the beginning and assess theme in light of your analysis of the work’s other literary elements.Here is a good example of an introductory paragraph from Ben’s analysis of William Butler Yeats’ poem, “Among School Children.”

“Among School Children” was published in Yeats’ 1928 collection of poems The Tower. It was inspired by a visit Yeats made in 1926 to school in Waterford, an official visit in his capacity as a senator of the Irish Free State. In the course of the tour, Yeats reflects upon his own youth and the experiences that shaped the “sixty-year old, smiling public man” (line 8) he has become. Through his reflection, the theme of the poem emerges: a life has meaning when connections among apparently disparate experiences are forged into a unified whole.

In the body of your literature analysis, you want to guide your readers through a tour of the poem, story, or play, pausing along the way to comment on, analyze, interpret, and explain key incidents, descriptions, dialogue, symbols, the writer’s use of figurative language—any of the elements of literature that are relevant to a sound analysis of this particular work. Your main goal is to explain how the elements of literature work to elucidate, augment, and develop the theme. The elements of literature are common across genres: a story, a narrative poem, and a play all have a plot and characters. But certain genres privilege certain literary elements. In a poem, for example, form, imagery and metaphor might be especially important; in a story, setting and point-of-view might be more important than they are in a poem; in a play, dialogue, stage directions, lighting serve functions rarely relevant in the analysis of a story or poem.

The length of the body of an analysis of a literary work will usually depend upon the length of work being analyzed—the longer the work, the longer the analysis—though your instructor will likely establish a word limit for this assignment. Make certain that you do not simply paraphrase the plot of the story or play or the content of the poem. This is a common weakness in student literary analyses, especially when the analysis is of a poem or a play.

Here is a good example of two body paragraphs from Amelia’s analysis of “Araby” by James Joyce.

Within the story’s first few paragraphs occur several religious references which will accumulate as the story progresses. The narrator is a student at the Christian Brothers’ School; the former tenant of his house was a priest; he left behind books called The Abbot and The Devout Communicant. Near the end of the story’s second paragraph the narrator describes a “central apple tree” in the garden, under which is “the late tenant’s rusty bicycle pump.” We may begin to suspect the tree symbolizes the apple tree in the Garden of Eden and the bicycle pump, the snake which corrupted Eve, a stretch, perhaps, until Joyce’s fall-of-innocence theme becomes more apparent.

The narrator must continue to help his aunt with her errands, but, even when he is so occupied, his mind is on Mangan’s sister, as he tries to sort out his feelings for her. Here Joyce provides vivid insight into the mind of an adolescent boy at once elated and bewildered by his first crush. He wants to tell her of his “confused adoration,” but he does not know if he will ever have the chance. Joyce’s description of the pleasant tension consuming the narrator is conveyed in a striking simile, which continues to develop the narrator’s character, while echoing the religious imagery, so important to the story’s theme: “But my body was like a harp, and her words and gestures were like fingers, running along the wires.”

The concluding paragraph of your analysis should realize two goals. First, it should present your own opinion on the quality of the poem or story or play about which you have been writing. And, second, it should comment on the current relevance of the work. You should certainly comment on the enduring social relevance of the work you are explicating. You may comment, though you should never be obliged to do so, on the personal relevance of the work. Here is the concluding paragraph from Dao-Ming’s analysis of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

First performed in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest has been made into a film, as recently as 2002 and is regularly revived by professional and amateur theatre companies. It endures not only because of the comic brilliance of its characters and their dialogue, but also because its satire still resonates with contemporary audiences. I am still amazed that I see in my own Asian mother a shadow of Lady Bracknell, with her obsession with finding for her daughter a husband who will maintain, if not, ideally, increase the family’s social status. We might like to think we are more liberated and socially sophisticated than our Victorian ancestors, but the starlets and eligible bachelors who star in current reality television programs illustrate the extent to which superficial concerns still influence decisions about love and even marriage. Even now, we can turn to Oscar Wilde to help us understand and laugh at those who are earnest in name only.

Dao-Ming’s conclusion is brief, but she does manage to praise the play, reaffirm its main theme, and explain its enduring appeal. And note how her last sentence cleverly establishes that sense of closure that is also a feature of an effective analysis.

You may, of course, modify the template that is presented here. Your instructor might favour a somewhat different approach to literary analysis. Its essence, though, will be your understanding and interpretation of the theme of the poem, story, or play and the skill with which the author shapes the elements of literature—plot, character, form, diction, setting, point of view—to support the theme.

Academic Writing Tips : How to Write a Literary Analysis Paper. Authored by: eHow. Located at: https://youtu.be/8adKfLwIrVk. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube license

BC Open Textbooks: English Literature Victorians and Moderns: https://opentextbc.ca/englishliterature/back-matter/appendix-5-writing-an-analysis-of-a-poem-story-and-play/

Literary Analysis

The challenges of writing about english literature.

Writing begins with the act of reading . While this statement is true for most college papers, strong English papers tend to be the product of highly attentive reading (and rereading). When your instructors ask you to do a “close reading,” they are asking you to read not only for content, but also for structures and patterns. When you perform a close reading, then, you observe how form and content interact. In some cases, form reinforces content: for example, in John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 14, where the speaker invites God’s “force” “to break, blow, burn and make [him] new.” Here, the stressed monosyllables of the verbs “break,” “blow” and “burn” evoke aurally the force that the speaker invites from God. In other cases, form raises questions about content: for example, a repeated denial of guilt will likely raise questions about the speaker’s professed innocence. When you close read, take an inductive approach. Start by observing particular details in the text, such as a repeated image or word, an unexpected development, or even a contradiction. Often, a detail–such as a repeated image–can help you to identify a question about the text that warrants further examination. So annotate details that strike you as you read. Some of those details will eventually help you to work towards a thesis. And don’t worry if a detail seems trivial. If you can make a case about how an apparently trivial detail reveals something significant about the text, then your paper will have a thought-provoking thesis to argue.

Common Types of English Papers Many assignments will ask you to analyze a single text. Others, however, will ask you to read two or more texts in relation to each other, or to consider a text in light of claims made by other scholars and critics. For most assignments, close reading will be central to your paper. While some assignment guidelines will suggest topics and spell out expectations in detail, others will offer little more than a page limit. Approaching the writing process in the absence of assigned topics can be daunting, but remember that you have resources: in section, you will probably have encountered some examples of close reading; in lecture, you will have encountered some of the course’s central questions and claims. The paper is a chance for you to extend a claim offered in lecture, or to analyze a passage neglected in lecture. In either case, your analysis should do more than recapitulate claims aired in lecture and section. Because different instructors have different goals for an assignment, you should always ask your professor or TF if you have questions. These general guidelines should apply in most cases:

• A close reading of a single text: Depending on the length of the text, you will need to be more or less selective about what you choose to consider. In the case of a sonnet, you will probably have enough room to analyze the text more thoroughly than you would in the case of a novel, for example, though even here you will probably not analyze every single detail. By contrast, in the case of a novel, you might analyze a repeated scene, image, or object (for example, scenes of train travel, images of decay, or objects such as or typewriters). Alternately, you might analyze a perplexing scene (such as a novel’s ending, albeit probably in relation to an earlier moment in the novel). But even when analyzing shorter works, you will need to be selective. Although you might notice numerous interesting details as you read, not all of those details will help you to organize a focused argument about the text. For example, if you are focusing on depictions of sensory experience in Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale,” you probably do not need to analyze the image of a homeless Ruth in stanza 7, unless this image helps you to develop your case about sensory experience in the poem.
• A theoretically-informed close reading. In some courses, you will be asked to analyze a poem, a play, or a novel by using a critical theory (psychoanalytic, postcolonial, gender, etc). For example, you might use Kristeva’s theory of abjection to analyze mother-daughter relations in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Critical theories provide focus for your analysis; if “abjection” is the guiding concept for your paper, you should focus on the scenes in the novel that are most relevant to the concept.
• A historically-informed close reading. In courses with a historicist orientation, you might use less self-consciously literary documents, such as newspapers or devotional manuals, to develop your analysis of a literary work. For example, to analyze how Robinson Crusoe makes sense of his island experiences, you might use Puritan tracts that narrate events in terms of how God organizes them. The tracts could help you to show not only how Robinson Crusoe draws on Puritan narrative conventions, but also—more significantly—how the novel revises those conventions.
• A comparison of two texts When analyzing two texts, you might look for unexpected contrasts between apparently similar texts, or unexpected similarities between apparently dissimilar texts, or for how one text revises or transforms the other. Keep in mind that not all of the similarities, differences, and transformations you identify will be relevant to an argument about the relationship between the two texts. As you work towards a thesis, you will need to decide which of those similarities, differences, or transformations to focus on. Moreover, unless instructed otherwise, you do not need to allot equal space to each text (unless this 50/50 allocation serves your thesis well, of course). Often you will find that one text helps to develop your analysis of another text. For example, you might analyze the transformation of Ariel’s song from The Tempest in T. S. Eliot’s poem, The Waste Land. Insofar as this analysis is interested in the afterlife of Ariel’s song in a later poem, you would likely allot more space to analyzing allusions to Ariel’s song in The Waste Land (after initially establishing the song’s significance in Shakespeare’s play, of course).
• A response paper A response paper is a great opportunity to practice your close reading skills without having to develop an entire argument. In most cases, a solid approach is to select a rich passage that rewards analysis (for example, one that depicts an important scene or a recurring image) and close read it. While response papers are a flexible genre, they are not invitations for impressionistic accounts of whether you liked the work or a particular character. Instead, you might use your close reading to raise a question about the text—to open up further investigation, rather than to supply a solution.
• A research paper. In most cases, you will receive guidance from the professor on the scope of the research paper. It is likely that you will be expected to consult sources other than the assigned readings. Hollis is your best bet for book titles, and the MLA bibliography (available through e-resources) for articles. When reading articles, make sure that they have been peer reviewed; you might also ask your TF to recommend reputable journals in the field.

Harvard College Writing Program: https://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/files/hwp/files/bg_writing_english.pdf

In the same way that we talk with our friends about the latest episode of Game of Thrones or newest Marvel movie, scholars communicate their ideas and interpretations of literature through written literary analysis essays. Literary analysis essays make us better readers of literature.

Only through careful reading and well-argued analysis can we reach new understandings and interpretations of texts that are sometimes hundreds of years old. Literary analysis brings new meaning and can shed new light on texts. Building from careful reading and selecting a topic that you are genuinely interested in, your argument supports how you read and understand a text. Using examples from the text you are discussing in the form of textual evidence further supports your reading. Well-researched literary analysis also includes information about what other scholars have written about a specific text or topic.

Literary analysis helps us to refine our ideas, question what we think we know, and often generates new knowledge about literature. Literary analysis essays allow you to discuss your own interpretation of a given text through careful examination of the choices the original author made in the text.

ENG134 – Literary Genres Copyright © by The American Women's College and Jessica Egan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book