NOVEL ANALYSIS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Reflect upon the various aspects of a literary analysis• Gain deeper understanding of the various concepts involved in

a literary analysis

TODAY: WRITE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR NOVEL

• Not more than 4-8 sentences• Hand in A/NA

ESSENTIAL

• Read with attention• Take notes as you read

DISCUSS IN PAIRS

• What has appealed to you (so far) with your novel?• The plot?• The theme?• Some of the characters? • The setting?

• Other things?

THE PLOT

• The story in a nutshell• Easiest to remember when discussing a literary text• Different kinds of plots with different purposes

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE STORY?

• Is there a lot of action?• If little happens, what is the point?• Are there any conflicts?• Is there a twist or a climax?

THE OPENING SITUATION• The opening situation• «The Salinas Valley is in

Northern California. It is a long narrow swale between two ranges of mountains, and the Salinas River winds and twists up the center until it falls at last into Monterey Bay.»Utdrag fra: John Steinbeck. «East of Eden», chapter 1

• Why has the author chosen these words?

THE EVENTS OR ACTIONS THAT FOLLOW

• «Young Samuel Hamilton came from the north of Ireland and so did his wife. »

• «When his youngest was born with some small obstruction and began to turn black, Samuel put his mouth against the baby’s mouth and blew air in and sucked it out until the baby could take over for himself. Samuel’s hands were so good and gentle that neighbors from twenty miles away would call on him to help with a birth. And he was equally good with mare, cow, or woman.»Utdrag fra: John Steinbeck. «East of Eden>>, chapter 3.

CHARACTERS

• In general, these are not real people• We usually get to know them fairly well• In order to portray his characters the author may use several means:• Names, physical appearance, speech and reactions, thoughts and feelings, aspects of

character such as attitudes, moral ideas, judgements, temperament, social background and language

• The author does this directly• He informs the reader about the character, giving his comments and judgements

about them • …or indirectly• Through the character’s behaviour, thoughts and speech

• The way characters talk and react to each other is also an important aspect; it shows the relationship between characters and how such relationships develop.

• « Then Augustus Waters reached into a pocket and pulled out, of all things, a pack of cigarettes. He flipped it open and put a cigarette between his lips.“Are you serious?” I asked. “You think that’s cool? Oh, my God, you just ruined the whole thing. [...] «Which whole thing?” he asked, turning to me. The cigarette dangled unlit from the unsmiling corner of his mouth.“The whole thing where a boy who is not unattractive or unintelligent or seemingly in any way unacceptable stares at me and points out incorrect uses of literality and compares me to actresses and asks me to watch a movie at his house. «But of course there is always a hamartia and yours is that oh, my God, even though you HAD FREAKING CANCER you give money to a company in exchange for the chance to acquire YET MORE CANCER. Oh, my God. Let me just assure you that not being able to breathe? SUCKS. Totally disappointing. Totally.»

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

• Be aware of the fact that your sympathies for the character also may change as the story progresses

• What kind of insight does the character gain?

SETTING

• The background of time and place against which the plot of the story takes place

• It may be a geographicla place or the social conditions in which the characters live, the historical period, or the season of the year to mention some of the aspects

• In this way it helps the reader in placing the characters in a social context

• The setting can also be used to create an atmosphere• It may be used for a symbolic purpose

THEME

• What the story is really about on a deeper level• Everything is relevant• The title of the novel• The plot• The characters• The setting• The conflicts

• Why has the author chosen to write? What message does he try to give to you?

• It is up to you to work out what this idea is

EAST OF EDEN

• Genesis 4:16 King James Version (KJV)16 • And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in

the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

THE NARRATION/ POINT OF VIEW

• The person who tells the story

FROM HUCKLEBERRY FINN BY MARK TWAIN

• YOU don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly—Tom’s Aunt Polly, she is—and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.

FROM SENSE AND SENSIBILITY BY JANE AUSTEN

• The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre of their property, where, for many generations, they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many years of his life, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister. But her death, which happened ten years before his own, produced a great alteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invited and received into his house the family of his nephew Mr. Henry Dashwood, the legal inheritor of the Norland estate, and the person to whom he intended to bequeath it. In the society of his nephew and niece, and their children, the old Gentleman's days were comfortably spent. His attachment to them all increased. The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence.

FROM NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND BY F. DOSTOYEVSKY

• I am a sick man.... I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man. I believe my liver is diseased. However, I know nothing at all about my disease, and do not know for certain what ails me. I don't consult a doctor for it, and never have, though I have a respect for medicine and doctors. Besides, I am extremely superstitious, sufficiently so to respect medicine, anyway (I am well-educated enough not to be superstitious, but I am superstitious). No, I refuse to consult a doctor from spite. That you probably will not understand. Well, I understand it, though. Of course, I can't explain who it is precisely that I am mortifying in this case by my spite: I am perfectly well aware that I cannot "pay out" the doctors by not consulting them; I know better than anyone that by all this I am only injuring myself and no one else. But still, if I don't consult a doctor it is from spite. My liver is bad, well--let it get worse!

LITERARY ANALYSIS

1. Make a brief summary of the story (plot)2. How is the story structured? Is there a climax? If the answer is yes,

where is the climax? (structure)3. Give a portrayal of the main characters (What is the relationship

between them? What changes do they go through?)4. Do you think the setting plays a role in the story? Give reasons for

your answer.5. What is the story really about? Love, war, old age, sacrifice,

forgiveness6. Who tells the story? What effect does it have

DATES

• Thursday jan 5th: Write• Tuesday 8th and Thursday 12th: present/ write/ deadline 2359

hrs.

ASSESSMENT

• 1st part of grade: written• 2nd part of grade: oral