Literary Analysis
Literary interpretation is fundamentally interested in the question of what a text means. What is this text about? What ideas does this text communicate?
To answer the fundamental questions, we pursue a diagnostic analysis of the text, assessing the structure of a work and its component parts. Then we step back and analyze the text from a conceptual standpoint.
If you are a student looking for a solid and straightforward explanation of what you are being asked to do in English class, learn more here: “What is literary analysis, exactly?”
If you’re an instructor looking for helpful resources to make sure your students are informed about the practices and conventions of literary analysis, take a look at some of the open resources at Philo Culturo:
Analyzing Literature
What Is Literary Analysis, Exactly?
20 Questions for Analyzing Fiction
Literary Analysis Terms Selected Glossary
Conventions for Writing Literary Analysis Essays
Composing Literary Analysis – A Sample of the Process
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