LITERARY COMPOSITION

Instructor: Dr SORO Adama

Phone: 0102 638 217/ 0707 741 651

E-mail: [email protected]

Alassane Ouattara University

 INTRODUCTION

This course introduces students to strategies for reading and writing about
literature. The emphasis will be placed on how to read literature insightfully and how
to write competently. Writing About Literature is intended to guide students to
develop strategies for literary analysis and to apply frameworks for interpretation;
as well as to decode essay questions and to plan, research, draft and revise critical
essays. Where possible, Writing About Literature will make linkages with the
introductory novel, poetry and drama courses, so as to encourage students to master
and apply primary essay writing skills.

This course is strongly recommended for students in English whose major is

either Literatures in English or English Language. The purpose of the course is to
assist students in developing sound analytical writing skills that will enable them to
critically assess prose, poetry and drama, and produce related essays that are well-
researched and documented.

The aim of this course is to build students’ analytical and critical thinking skills
in the analysis of the traditional genres of literature and the production of academic
writing based on sound research and documentation appropriate to studies in English
literature and language.

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 At the end of the course, students should be able to:
• explore the purpose of literature and of literary criticism;
• define literary genres;
• analyse the elements of fiction;
• apply a range of critical approaches to the analysis of literature;
• apply tools of critical reading to evaluate the quality of a literary work;
• Conduct research on literary assignments;
• interpret and plan a literary essay, and
• produce a well-researched and documented essay utilising selected strategies and
the approved MLA documentation format.

I. WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE

There are many ways to write about literature, many ways of reading, interpreting,
and appreciating literature. Assignments in literature can range from close reading
of passages to very broad discussion of its themes and ideas. The following are some
of the ways instructors may ask you to approach and understand literature:

1. Ideas or themes analysis, or detailed discussion and evaluation of the

author's ideas
2. Plot analysis, or an examination of plot elements and why the author has so
arranged them
3. Character analysis, for example, discussing characters' motivations or how
they externalize themes and ideas
4. Point-of-view analysis, or who tells the story and how this affects the telling
5. setting analysis, that is, how a piece reflects the beliefs and values of the
time and place that produced it, or how history can shed light on a work for
modern readers
6. Metrical analysis, that is, looking at how the rhythms and patterns of language
communicate ideas
7. Style analysis in prose, or examining how an author says what he says
8. Tone analysis, or discerning the overall mood of a work
9. Comparing and contrasting to demonstrate similarity, difference, or
superiority
10. Imagery analysis, or the sensory impact created by words
11. Symbolism analysis, or how the things in a story simultaneously represent
something else

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 The different ways of examining literature frequently overlap; for example,
characters or authors' styles can be compared or contrasted, a passage analysis
might focus on ideas, or an author's imagery can be found to contribute to the tone
of a composition. Bearing in mind this overlap, the following are suggestions for ways
to organize papers that are commonly assigned in literature classes. Adapt these
suggestions as needed to suit your particular situation.

1. Ideas and Themes Analysis

The theme of a literary work is its controlling idea, some observation or insight about
life or the conditions and terms of living. Many literary works suggest several
themes: sometimes one primary motif and several related ones, sometimes a number
of unrelated motifs. Theme is a central to a work of literature; frequently all of the
other elements help develop and support it.

On occasion, the writer or a character states the theme directly. Ordinarily, though,
the theme remains unstated and must be deduced by examining the other elements
of the literary work.

While the theme of a work is usually implied by the events, characters, and other
devices of the work, the ideas typically are explicitly stated. You might find the
ideas put into the mouth of a principal character, or they may be revealed by a third-
person narrator. If the author's own voice is heard overtly in the work (in the person
of an observer, perhaps, or in a first-person narrative), it may be the one to
articulate the ideas.

To identify ideas and themes, look for some of these:

 Direct statements by the the narrator

 Dramatic statements made by the characters in the work
 Characters who stand for ideas or themes

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2. Plot Analysis

As outlined by Aristotle, “Plot is the arrangement of incidents.” Plot is a story or the

foundation of the novel. It is an essential element of a novel. Plot is like a pillar of
the building. In case we remove the pillar, the whole building will certainly collapse.
Similarly, without a plot the structure of a novel is impossible.

Typically, plot of every novel consists of Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling
Action and Dénouement.

 Exposition

Exposition is the very first phase of the plot. Every single novel starts with the
introduction of a number of characters. These characters interact with each other
and advance the story head

 Rising Action

Rising action is the consequence of exposition. Action of the novel steadily moves
forward and goes on till it reaches up to its peak, often referred to as Climax of a
plot. It is a series of events, animosity, conflicts, and adversary. It is additionally
labeled as complication.

 Climax

Climax is the most essential stage of a plot. It is actually the heightened peak of
Rising Action. The culmination of Rising Action is the starting point of Climax. In
almost any novel, this phase is considered the most poignant, turbulent, thought
provoking and also inciting position in the plot. In Charles Dickens’ Great
Expectations, the climax of the novel is the identity of the benefactor of Pip. Pip’s
understanding of his real benefactor is the climax in the novel.

 Falling Action

The culmination of Climax is the onset of Falling Action in the plot. In a plot, each
time the action gets reversed and the main character undergoes a significant change,
then it is the Falling Action of a plot.

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  Dénouement

Dénouement is also called Resolution. It is the final stage of plot. It brings an end
to the plot and thereby settles the long lasting conflict.

Now let’s move to discuss some types of plots in a novel. William Foster-Harris, in
his book, The Basic Patterns of Plot, has discussed the following three types of plot:

 Conflict:

The struggle between opposing forces in the story. Conflict provides interest and
suspense. There are various types of conflict, which can usually be categorized as
one of the following:

(a) a character struggling against nature

(b) a struggle between two or more characters

(c) a struggle between the main character and some aspect of society

(d) a struggle of opposing forces within one character

The reader usually follows the actions of one main character throughout the novel;
this character is referred to as the protagonist. The force with which the
protagonist is in conflict is called the antagonist. In the case of the fourth type of
conflict listed, the antagonist would be another internal force within the
protagonist, e.g., self-doubt.

3. Character Analysis

Characterization is an essential element of a novel. It is the craft of creating

characters in a novel or drama. The author unveils the personality of the character
through characterization. There are two different types of characterization:
Direct Characterization and Indirect Characterization. In direct characterization,
the author straightforwardly lets us know about the identity of the character. He
can make use of different descriptive words to expose the disposition of the
character. Identity incorporates many things i.e., name, location, relationship, age ,
profession , mindset , behaviour , etc. .

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In indirect characterization, the author employs multiple techniques to bring out
the personality of the character. He uses his behaviour, speech, action, and
appearance to reveal the personality of the character.

Every author needs to create a number of characters in his novel to help out him
develop his story. These kinds are: Flat Characters and Round Characters. Flat
characters are those characters, who don’t change throughout the story, while
round characters are those characters, who change throughout the story. Round
characters are of immense importance in any sort of novel. They are the one, who
advance the story ahead.
A character analysis is a detailed examination of some aspect of a
character or characters. For example, you might describe the behavior of
characters as it reveals their motivation. Or, you might discuss how the author
develops a character to embody themes or ideas. You may compare similar
characters or contrast diverse characters-the possibilities for character analysis
are probably endless.

There are several ways an author can reveal character:

 By what the person himself says (or thinks, in the first-person or third
person omniscient point-of-view)
 By what the person does
 By what other characters say about him or her
 By what the author says about him or her, speaking as the storyteller
or as an observer of the action

4. Point-of-view analysis
The point of view is the vantage point from which the writer of a literary work
views its events.

In first-person narration, someone in the work tells what happens and is identified
by works like I, me, mine, and my. A third-person narrator stays completely out of
the story and is never mentioned in any way.

With limited omniscience, one enters the heads of several characters, while still
others display full omniscience and know everything in the literary work, including all
thoughts and feelings of all characters.

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5. Setting

Setting is yet another compelling element of a novel. Setting means the location,
where the events of the novel have been taken place. It might be one place or it
might covers more than one places like in Henry Fielding’s novel The History of Tom
Jones. Setting generates a visual sketch in the minds of readers, which in turn,
causes it to be easier for the readers to have an understanding of the environment
around the characters. An ambiguous and non-realistic setting can mar the quality
of a novel. The novelist has got to showcase the location to the readers like a mirror
reflecting an image. The more vivid the description of the setting, the more the
reader will grasp the meaning of the novel.

Setting encompasses quite a few factors like weather, geography, socio-economic

status, surroundings etc. These elements have an effect on the entire atmosphere
of the novel. The weather conditions give the reader an insight into the emotional
conditions of the characters. You might have observed the dreary and scary sounds
of wolves in Wuthering Heights, which give us an impression how the Wuthering
Heights is . It reveals the gloomy atmosphere of the novel. There are several
aspects to setting:

 (a) Place: This is the geographical location of the story. Since novels are
lengthy, the story may move from one place to another.
 When asked to describe the setting, you may give the general geographical
location (e.g., in a novel which takes place in numerous locations around Italy,
you may mention only the country) or you may describe several specific
locations.
 (b) Time: First, this refers to the period of history, if the story is set in the
past. If the story could happen now or at some recent unspecified time, we
say that it is "contemporary." If it is a science fiction story, it may be set in
the future. When describing setting, be as specific as the author is. Novels
usually span (take place over) a much longer period of time than short stories,
so you may need to say that a novel's setting in time is from 1937 to 1956.
When describing the setting of a portion of the novel, you may be able to
specify the season, month, and even time of day.
 (c) Climate/Weather: This is an aspect of setting which is often forgotten,
but it can be important to the novel. If the story begins in the midst of a
hurricane, it is significant to the story.
 (d) Lifestyle: This refers to the daily life of the characters. If a story takes
place in a particular historical period, the lifestyle of the characters (e.g.,

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 whether they are poor farmers or residents of the court) is part of the
setting.
 (e) Atmosphere
 The mood or feeling of the story, the emotional quality that the
 story gives to the reader. This is usually evoked by the setting and, like the
setting, may change throughout the novel. You may say that a novel opens with
a mysterious atmosphere, a gloomy atmosphere, a light, carefree atmosphere,
etc.

6. Metrical Analysis
Metrical analysis, or prosody, gives you the opportunity to develop your sensitivity
to the sound of language and to become aware of the power of sound and rhythm to
communicate and amplify meaning.

William Carlos Williams' descriptive poem "The Dance" illustrates how patterns of
stressed and unstressed syllables help convey the writer's meaning, in this case
suggesting the relentless rhythm and whirling dance of fair-goers. The author also
uses onomatopoeia in the stressed words chosen to approximate the sounds of the
bagpipes:

In Breughel's great picture, The Kermess,

The dancers go round, they go round and
Around, the squeal and the blare and the
Tweedle of bagpipes, a bugle and fiddles
Tipping their bellies...

And in the lines below from Edna St. Vincent Millay, the longer vowels and flowing
cadence of the first line contrast with the crisper sound and slightly choppy rhythm
of the second to suggest the movement, look, and sound of the waters:

The larger streams run still and deep,

Noisy and swift the small brooks run...

A metrical analysis may include discussions of foot (a unit of accented and

unaccented syllables), meter (a predominant pattern of feet), rhythm (which, as in
music, drives a sense of movement), rhyme (an echoing of sound and structure), and
stanza (group of lines).

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7. Style Analysis in Prose
Style means all the ways in which a writer uses words, phrases, and sentences to
achieve his desired results. In particular, the connotative and symbolic values of
words, their rhythm and sound, and the complexity or simplicity of grammar
combine to reveal the style of a writer.

Diction, or word choice, might be the easiest element to observe in style analysis.
Words do not exist by themselves, but jostle each other in a context in which one
word affects another. The connotation, or implied "color" of a word, the symbolic
value of some words, and words' functions in similes, metaphors, and other figures
can all be fruitful to examine.

Despite the difference between poetry and prose, various "poetic" devices such as
alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia may be at work in prose. Read the passage
aloud and listen for its rises and falls, its rhythms and lengths of utterance.

Grammatical analysis can reveal complexity or simplicity in an author's style.

Sentences may fall into patterns, or an author may use recurring rhetorical devices.
A mere description of grammar, however, can be deadly dull if it leads to no
generalizations.

8. Tone Analysis
Tone is the overall atmosphere, or mood, of a work. An author's tone suggests his
or her attitudes (though tone and attitude are often used synonymously). Tone is
not so much seen as sensed, not so much stated as implied. Tone pervades the
entire work, not just individual parts, settings, or characters.

An author uses every story element to reveal tone–diction, character development,

point of view, grammar, structure–everything. Words carry connotative or emotional
overtones in addition to their denotative or dictionary meaning; characters can be
nefarious or sincere; even grammar can be redolent of meaning or sparse, austere,
direct. In addition, the structure of a work can be linear or complex, reinforcing or
contrasting with the dominant mood.

9. Comparing and Contrasting

You may compare (show similarity with) or contrast (show differences between)
almost any of a great many elements within a work or between two works–
characters, motivations, point of view, tone, or themes, for example. You may
compare or contrast the works or characters of two different authors or of two

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by the same author. You might compare or contrast two authors' styles. Whatever
you compare or contrast, your purpose is to demonstrate their similarities and/or
differences, or the superiority of one over the other.

10. Imagery Analysis

Imagery communicates meaning on a level even more basic, perhaps, than words. It
is the use of figurative language to evoke sensory, emotional, psychological, or
intellectual responses in a reader by showing rather than by telling. Figurative
language, including allusion, metaphor, simile, allegory, personification, symbolic
embodiment, all use sensory details–seeing, smelling, hearing, touching, tasting–to
conjure sympathetic feelings in the reader.

Meaningful, thoughtfully constructed imagery creates mood, externalizes thought,

and increases dramatic effects (especially if there are abrupt changes in imagery).
Imagery might exploit the etymology, or origin and history, of words, to subtly revive
their original meanings.

11. Symbolism Analysis

When a thing in a story–a person, place, thing, or action–represents more than
itself, either by association, resemblance, or convention, it is a symbol. To some
extent, symbols are cultural icons, allusions to important historical or mythical
events or religious customs. A certain amount of cultural immersion may be
necessary to pick out and appreciate the symbols in a work. Other symbols seem
almost universal, or at least frequently recurring. For example, water often
represents life no matter when or where you live. And the image of the ubiquitous
trickster-hero appears in many cultures (think Coyote, Loki, Br'er Rabbit, Bugs
Bunny).

To identify literary symbols, look for something that recurs in a work. Does this
"something" appear when the author is making related points? The interpretion of
literary symbols is fluid, as objects can carry meaning at several levels. Take the
symbol of a ring, which in western culture symbolizes commitment-and possibly
entrapment.

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12. Passage Analysis

Passage analysis, a close reading of a selected or shorter passage

If you are asked to analyze a passage of a longer work, don't be tempted to cheat–
first read the entire work to make sure that you understand the relation of the part
to the whole. What are the central ideas or themes of the whole work? Then study
the passage you are to write about. What is its central idea?

In general, organize a passage analysis paper as follows:

 In the introduction, describe the particular circumstances of the passage,

placing it in the context of the longer work. Who speaks? What is the setting?
State a general reaction to the passage.
 In the body, combine the results of your close reading of the passage with
one of the central ideas you have discovered in the work as a whole. Do they
reinforce each other, or does tension exist between the two? Use examples
from the passage to back up your claims. Always explain how the material you
quote supports your point.
 End with a restatement of your thesis and a conclusion based on the points
you have made.

13. Essay Writing

The first thing you have to know is what kind of essay you’re writing. Here’s a
breakdown of some of the different types of essays:

 Analytical Essay

An analytical essay is one in which you analyze and interpret the literature. Most of
the time, this will include a brief summary of the story, followed by an analysis of
the themes, literary devices, characters, or any other components. Sometimes, your
instructor will let you know what to write about. A prompt could be, “Analyze
symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.” Or it could ask you a question—for example, “Why
is Nick the narrator (and not Gatsby) in The Great Gatsby?“ However, you might also
have less direct instructions. Prompts can be more vague, such as, “Write a literary
analysis about ‘Mother Tongue.’” If your prompt is broad like this, don’t write about
every single literary device. Pick one or two, and give strong support.

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  Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is one in which you’re trying to prove your thesis is correct
among other options. This could mean arguing what an author is trying to prove in his
or her story, or which parts of the plot were most critical to the outcome of the
story.

In an argumentative essay, you’ll want to state what you’re arguing, but also be aware
of and address other arguments.

 Persuasive Essay

As the name suggests, in a persuasive essay, you’re trying to persuade your readers
to adopt your viewpoint. It’s very similar to the argumentative essay, except there
aren’t a finite number of arguments involved. Therefore, you don’t really have to
address other arguments.

Many of these essays involve questions about the actions of certain characters, such
as whether a character was right to do whatever he or she did. It also might involve
explaining why a certain theme is the most important of the story.

 Expository Essay

An expository essay is one where you explain an idea. This could mean explaining
what the author’s main idea is, or even explaining your reaction to literature.

 Recognizing and Using Literary Devices

No matter what type of essay you write, a large part of your body paragraphs will
include literary devices—such as symbolism, metaphors, personification,
foreshadowing, and others—as support.

When you’re reading a novel, play, or poem, read with these devices in mind and make
notes when you find them. This will help when you start putting ideas together for
your essay because you can see how often each literary device is used, by which
characters, and relating to which themes.

It’s easier when you have a prompt or topic assigned to you, so you aren’t writing
every detail down and can focus more closely on just one theme or issue.

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  The Thesis Statement

Why is thesis statement so important? To put it bluntly, a thesis statement tells

your readers what you intend to accomplish in your essay. For a persuasive essay, for
example, the thesis statement would let readers know what you’re trying to convince
them of. An argumentative essay would state your side of the argument and why you
think you’re right.

You don’t have to explain all the details up-front—your crew will know what to do
with new information as they get it. Just include the basic details for right now so
that you can get your readers on board.

A thesis statement for an essay on Lord of the Flies might go as follows:

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the symbolism of the conch shell, Piggy’s
glasses, and fire to depict the rise and fall of civilization.

In this example, you would stick to your course by ensuring each body paragraph
talks about either the conch, Piggy’s glasses, or fire.

 Supporting Vs Summarizing

Just like a sailboat needs strong winds to move it forward to its destination, you
need strong support for your essay. This means you cannot summarize.

Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between support and summary, especially
when you’re writing about literature. After all, all of your support comes from the
novel, play, or poem you’re reading.

There is, however, a difference between summary and support.

Summary means simply regurgitating what’s in the text. For example, you give a quote
from a character or write about a certain plot point.

Support, on the other hand, takes summary one step further—it links the quote or
the plot point back to your thesis statement and explains why it’s important. Don’t
assume your readers are going to make the same connections you did—spell it out
for them.

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  Writing a Great Conclusion

In terms of writing your essay, a great conclusion adds the final touches. Briefly
restate your thesis and your main supporting ideas. Don’t use the same words, of
course. You’ve made a long journey—you want to add some insights you’ve gained along
the way.

Before you put the final word on your paper, make sure you tie up any loose ends.
Your conclusion needs to give your essay a sense of wholeness or completeness.

 Contacting me:

Email is by far the best way to contact me as I check it regularly and generally

respond promptly. I also encourage you to talk with me during office hours (or by

appointment) about ideas, drafts, questions, etc.

 Class Conduct:

Disruptions are not acceptable. Cell phones, mp3 players, or other noise-

making items must be turned to silent before class begins. Never answer calls,

read or send text messages. This is a simple matter of respect. While you’re in

class, you should focus on class.

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