MHS Composition Guide

Literary Analysis guide

Manuscript Form
General Rules
Title Page
Outline Page
Body of Paper

Writing a Good Composition
Guidelines
Writing Conference
Grading Standards
Correcting Compositions

Literary Analysis Guide
Plot
Characters
Setting
Tone
Style
Point of View
Narrative Technique
Structure
Theme

Approaches to Literary Criticism
Biographical
Historical
Geographical
Political  
Philosophical &
Religious

Sociological/
Anthropological

Psychological



Structure

How is the novel organized?

  • Chronological organization:  exposition at the beginning, progression towards climax and denouement.

  • In media res:  action is going on at the beginning of the novel; we are given flashbacks to what  happened in the past.

  • Unchronological:  novel is presented to us in pieces like parts in a puzzle, and the reader has to put it together to get a sense of chronology.

Chapters and units, if any:

  • To what do chapters and units correspond (historical periods, division between characters, different settings, etc.)?

  • Does length of divisions (i.e. chapters or units) have any particular significance?