Short Story Analysis
CHARACTERS/CHARACTERIZATION
List each of the main characters in the story, and identify any important PHYSICAL, MENTAL and SOCIAL characteristics. Consider the following questions:
- What does he/she look like? How does he/she present himself/herself?
- How does he/she act and/or behave, both in general and towards others?
- What are his/her motivations? Why does he/she do what he/she does?
- What do other characters say and/or think about him/her?
- Is he/she a ROUND or FLAT character?
- Is he/she the PROTAGONIST? ANTAGONIST? A FOIL?
CONFLICTS
What types of conflict exist in this story? Which characters are involved in these conflicts?
- human vs. himself/herself
- human vs. human
- human vs. environment (nature, the government, society, etc.)
- human vs. the unknown (fate, God/gods, ghosts, etc.)
SETTING
- WHERE and WHEN does this story take place?
- What qualities of the setting are important to this story?
THEMES
- What are some of the most important topics in the story?
- What is the story saying about these topics? What message is it trying to put forth?
MOOD/TONE
- How does the story “feel” (e.g. suspenseful, exciting, secretive, optimistic, etc.)?
- How does the author create and develop this mood/tone?
SYMBOLISM
- Which objects, characters, settings, etc. may be intended to represent more than simply their literal meaning?
- What else (usually a concept or idea) could they represent? How?
- How do these symbols affect the story and potentially contribute to its themes?
NARRATIVE POINT-OF-VIEW
- Who is the story’s narrator?
- Through which point-of-view is the story told?
- THIRD-PERSON OMNISCIENT – The narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of two (2) or more characters (uses “he,” “she,” “they,” etc.).
- THIRD-PERSON LIMITED OMNISCIENT – Although the narrator can see and hear anything, he/she is limited to relating only one character’s opinions and experiences (similar to first-person, but uses “he,” “she,” “they,” etc.).
- THIRD-PERSON OBJECTIVE – As in a newspaper article, the author relates events as they occur, but does not contribute his/her thoughts or opinions (uses “he,” “she,” “they,” etc.).
- FIRST-PERSON – The story is told through the eyes and voice of either a major or minor character (uses “I,” “we,” etc.).
How does this narrative choice affect the story?
PLOT STRUCTURE
- What type of plot structure is used to tell this story (basic, flashback, open-ended)?
- How does this decision by the author affect the story?
LITERARY DEVICES
- Which literary devices does the author use to tell his/her story?
- For what purpose are they used? What affect do they have on the story?
- How do they contribute to the story’s mood/tone?
FORESHADOWING
- Are there any examples of foreshadowing in the story that hint what may take place at the end?
- If so, for what purpose is foreshadowing used?