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Critical Analysis of Literature
Last Updated 10/16/2002 by Henri Dongieux
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Critical Analysis of Literature
When you are asked to write an analysis of a short story or novel, you should use the skills of literary
analysis. Critical papers analyze and explain some important points about a piece of literature. They do not
repeat the plot.
The following items will help you organize and plan your paper. You do not need to include every one of
these items in every paper you write, but you should select the elements that are most necessary for your
topic. Use this as a checklist for your literary analysis.
Introduction
Write a draft of the introduction first. Revise it after you have completed the paper.
Statement of Topic: Your topic is the work of literature, taken as a whole. Be sure to indicate this by
naming the work and its author early on, in the first part of the paper.
Statement of Interest: Explain the point that interests you.
Statement of Problem: Explain the critical disagreement, textual problem, or other problem you are
considering. This can be a broad statement such as “In this paper, I would like to explore the presence and
effects of Irish Catholicism throughout James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” A more specific
problem statement might read like this: “Here, I will closely examine the descriptive language that James
Joyce uses in Chapter 3 of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.”
Your way to solve the Problem: Explain how your paper will try to solve that problem or analyze a central
point. Any of these methods may be useful in this section:
• Analysis of theme
• Close textual analysis
• Sociological, psychological, or historical context
• Survey of other critical opinions
• Analysis of images of figurative language
• Analysis of structure
• Analysis of character
• Interpretation of lines
Statement of Thesis: What is the main point your paper will illustrate and/or explain? Give a clear
statement, preferably in one sentence.
Forecast of Organization: In longer papers especially, give the reader a map of a guide to the organization
that you will follow. If, for example, you will examine three important passages in the work, then say so in
this section.