Here’s a brief summary of the various parts that compose each and every work of literature. These are the elements that you will analyze in your essay, and which you will offer as evidence to support your arguments.
Elements of Story
These are the whats of the work—what happens, where it happens, and to whom it happens.
- Plot
All of the events and actions of the work.
- Character
The people who act and are acted upon in a literary work. The main character of a work is known as the protagonist.
- Conflict
The central tension in the work. In most cases, the protagonist wants something, while opposing forces (antagonists) hinder the protagonist’s progress.
- Setting
When and where the work takes place. Elements of setting include location, time period, time of day, weather, social atmosphere, and economic conditions.
- Narrator
The person telling the story. The narrator may straightforwardly report what happens, convey the subjective opinions and perceptions of one or more characters, or provide commentary and opinion in his or her own voice.
- Themes
The main ideas or messages of the work—usually abstract ideas about people, society, or life in general. A work may have many themes, which may be in tension with one another.Elements of Style
These are the hows—how the characters speak, how the story is constructed, and how language is used throughout the work.
- Structure and organization
How the parts of the work are assembled. Some novels are narrated in a linear, chronological fashion, while others skip around in time. Some plays follow a traditional three-or five-act structure, while others are a series of loosely connected scenes. Some authors deliberately leave gaps in their works, leaving readers to puzzle out the missing information. A work’s structure and organization can tell you a lot about the kind of message it wants to convey.
- Point of view
The perspective from which a story is told. In first-person point of view, the narrator involves him or herself in the story. (“I went to the store”; “We watched in horror as the bird slammed into the window.”) A first-person narrator is usually the protagonist of the work, but not always. In third-person point of view, the narrator does not participate in the story. A third-person narrator may closely follow a specific character, recounting that individual character’s thoughts or experiences, or it may be what we call an omniscient narrator. Omniscient narrators see and know all: they can witness any event in any time or place and are privy to the inner thoughts and feelings of all characters. Remember that the narrator and the author are not the same thing!
- Diction
Word choice. Whether a character uses dry, clinical language or flowery prose with lots of exclamation points can tell you a lot about his or her attitude and personality.
- Syntax
Word order and sentence construction. Syntax is a crucial part of establishing an author’s narrative voice. Ernest Hemingway, for example, is known for writing in very short, straightforward sentences, while James Joyce characteristically wrote in long, incredibly complicated lines.
- Tone
The mood or feeling of the text. Diction and syntax often contribute to the tone of a work. A novel written in short, clipped sentences that use small, simple words might feel brusque, cold, or matter-of-fact.
- Imagery
Language that appeals to the senses, representing things that can be seen, smelled, heard, tasted, or touched.
- Figurative language
Language that is not meant to be interpreted literally. The most common types of figurative language are metaphors and similes, which compare two unlike things in order to suggest a similarity between them— for example, “All the world’s a stage,” or “The moon is like a ball of green cheese.” (Metaphors say one thing is another thing; similes claim that one thing is like another thing.)------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1. Ask Questions | 2. Collect Evidence | 3. Construct a Thesis | 4. Develop and Organize Arguments | 5. Write the Introduction | 6. Write the Body Paragraphs | 7. Write the Conclusion | Glossary of Literary Terms |
Source: Sparknotes
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