The purpose of a literary analysis is to carefully and meticulously examine a work of literature, a passage from a work of literature, or a particular characteristic or aspect of a work of literature.To do this, you must break down your subject into its component parts. Study the fine detail of your selected text. You must identify how the text works, how it conveys meaning, how it elicits reactions from a reader.A literary analysis is done to better understand and appreciate the work of literature under study.Here are some possible routes to take in your analysis:Figurative language: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperboleA subplot and its relationship to the main plotThe development of a particular characterImageryA major theme of the work of literatureUnusual or interesting uses of languageSymbolismAllusion to mythology, classical literature, the Bible, or other textsAllusion to historical events or peopleThe narrator of the work and his or her reliability and motives for telling the storyRemember, this essay should be concerned with how these elements contribute to the overall meaning of the literary work, not merely with their presence in it.Your essay must have a precise, concise, and clearly worded thesis. The thesis should state the point you are trying to make in your essay.
