HOW TO ANALYZE FICTION

Theme

A recurring idea or insight in the text; the hidden meaning or underlying message.

Understanding Themes

Reflecting on what the story conveys about broad topics like love or good vs. evil.

Setting

The backdrop of the story that helps establish the mood, including geographical location, time, and social environment.

Purpose of Setting

Helps understand characters’ actions and motivations and provides context for the genre or themes.

Characterization

The method writers use to create life-like and believable characters through descriptions, perceptions, dialogue, and actions.

Language

Specific words and phrases used in a text and their impact on the reader.

Structure

The organization of the plot and how it’s presented to the reader.

How to Annotate

Techniques to enhance understanding and prepare for analysis, such as highlighting important text and writing notes in the margins.

Exam Question Response Steps

Read the extract, understand the question, re-read with focus, identify key phrases, and plan structured paragraphs.

PEE

A formula for structuring answers:Point/Evidence/Explain.

Types of Fiction Texts

Main types include prose, poetry, and drama.

Genres of Prose Fiction

Includes science fiction, historical fiction, romance fiction, and bildungsroman.

Elements of Setting

Time, location, and environment that influence narrative and themes.

Role of Setting

Influences the narrative and themes, creating mood or atmosphere.

Themes vs

A theme is the underlying idea, while a topic is the literal subject of the text.

Common Themes

Include power, love, money, death, and friendship.

Motifs

Repeated images or ideas that help develop a theme.

Analyzing Themes Through Extracts

Themes can be inferred from language choices and imagery.

Conflicting Themes

Examining opposite sides of a theme adds complexity to a text.

Language Techniques

Includes similes, metaphors, and personification to create vivid imagery.

Analyzing Structure

Refers to the arrangement of text to create meaning and affect reader response.

Structural Devices

Include repetition, connectives, and variations in sentence types for emphasis and pacing.

Practical Application in Analysis

Consider language choices, patterns, characterization, setting, and structural choices when analyzing a text.