Authentic Blackness in Toni Morrison’s ‘Tar Baby’

A brief analysis of Morrison’s 1981 novel Tar Baby is concerned with authenticity in a few ways, linking the notion of authenticity to sanity and to blackness. In this 1981 novel, Morrison navigates a strange exploration of these links in a moody narrative that places competing notions of Black authenticity at the problematic center of

Literature as Social Commentary

Some of the most powerful works of literature deal with these questions regarding the intricate and profound balancing act between individual and society.

The Fatal Secret

In narrative fiction, irony can occur on several levels. Perhaps the most meaningful mode of irony in any story is dramatic irony, which is what the “fatal secret” is all about.

Otherness & “the Other”

Some of the most popular modes of critical theory utilize the concept of “the Other,” an important social-political idea prevalent today in conversations about literature, film, television and advertising.

Composing Literary Analysis – A Sample of the Process

Here is a sample of the process of engaging with a literary text, analyzing that text, and writing about that text.

Conventions for Writing Literature Analysis Essays

Every branch of writing has its own set of stylistic preferences and rules. Literary analysis is no different. Here is a brief guide to the conventions of literary analysis composition.

Applying Literary Terms

This page provides a run-down of how we might apply several terms to an analysis of a sample text, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

Literary Analysis Terms – Selected Glossary

Literary Analysis Terms – Selected Glossary

20 Questions for Analyzing Fiction

Not every work of fiction is the same, but our approach to analyzing any story can be helped if we ask some key questions.

Analysis vs. Summary

There is sometimes confusion about what kinds of ideas and content to include when we write about literature. The short answer is that our focus should be on analysis.