Literature Analysis : Questions for understanding.

Questions to ask yourself as you dig into the meaning and ideas of a delicious story

What is the title of the book, and why do you think they chose it?

Does it matter? Does it tell something important about the story inside? How does it set up your expectations for what’s inside? Does your understanding of the title change after you’ve finished reading it?

What is the cover design of the book, and why do you think they chose it?

Does it matter? Does it tell something important about the story inside? How does it set up your expectations for what’s inside?

What is the point of view?

Who’s telling the story? Can you trust the narrator (reliable or unreliable)?

What is the setting?

What kind of world is being portrayed? What is the physical world like? Is it a real place or an imagined place?

What is the time period?

Is it set in the present? The recent past or recent future? Distant past or distant future?

How are the characters named?

What do their names seem to mean? How are they tied into their characters? Do they provide any information about the worlds they come from?

How is the story structured?

Is the chronology linear, or is it broken up? Why is the story told in the order it’s told?

What type of language is used?

Is the language simple or elegant? Short or long sentences? Straightforward or descriptive? Are words from other languages used frequently, or there words and phrases that are made up?

What’s the pace?

What time period does the story take place over - centuries? Decades? A year? Months, weeks, days? An hour? A minute?

What is the form?

Is it written in 1st or 3rd person style? Are there other devices used throughout, such as using texts, emails, or letters?

What are the important ideas or themes?

What are recurring images or symbols?

The most famous, of course, is the white whale in Moby-Dick.

How does the era of the book relate to the story?

Is there an historical backdrop that provides additional context for the story?

So you’re the main character : what would you do different?

Does the protagonist make good choices? How would you behave differently if you were in their shoes?

What is the main conflict? Is it external or internal?

What motivates the protagonist?

There’s something in the protagonist’s way. This is the conflict; these are the obstacles. Otherwise it’s not a story. So what is it? What do they have to get past, climb over, or conquer in order to succeed? And importantly: why are they driven to do it? In a nutshell: what does the main character want?

How well do the characters understand the situation they’re in?

Is there information that you, the reader has, about the story that the characters in it don’t?