BIG 8 LITERARY DEVICES:
1. Plot- The sequence of events in a poem, play, novel, or short story.
Analysis starting points: Why does the author order the events in this manner? What is the effect of the events in this order? What is the impact of an event in context to another event?
2. Characterization- The manner in which the author creates the character. (Characters are vehicles for the author's purpose)
Analysis starting points: How do elements of direct characterization and indirect characterization work to create the character? How is this character being used in this text? Why does the author create the character in this manner? How do we learn more about the tone, theme, historical context through this character?
3. Setting- The location, time or period, and general environment of the work.
Analysis starting points: What further information does the setting provide to support the meaning of the text? How does the setting impact the mood of the text or scene? How does the events of the plot interact with the setting? Supportive? Paradoxical?
4. Theme- The central idea or ideas that the writer explores through a text. (The thematic issue is the central concept. The thematic STATEMENT is the message that the author makes about that issue)
Analysis starting points: What makes this issue universal? How is it developed in this text in contrast to other texts? How do motifs, tone, characterization, plot, symbolism, etc. all work to support and promote this thematic statement by the author?
5. Tone- The writers attitude toward the subject.
Analysis starting points: How does the author use diction, syntax, rhythm, repetition to develop or support a tone. How does the tone change in specific places and what is the goal of the author? How does tone support the thematic statement?
6. Conflict- The struggle that grows out of interplay between two opposing forces. (Conflict- internal or external. This is how an author often 'shows, not tells' their message of their text.
Analysis starting points: How does the conflict enhance the ultimate learning or message that a text is supplying? How does internal conflict often manifest itself? What can we learn from this? How does it contribute to other devices such as setting, characterization, tone, mood? How does external conflict supply information about internal matters?
7. Point-of-View- The way that the story is narrated. (All of the 1st, 3rd- L and O)
Analysis starting points: What is significant about the way that the author chooses to tell this story? How is the POV supportive of the story told? How would the story be different if it was from a different POV. Are the narrator(s) reliable or unreliable? Why? What does this tell us? How does the POV impact characterization (direct and indirect)?
8. Style- the individual way in which a writer has used language to express his/her ideas.
Analysis starting points: What is the impact of the diction choices? How would we describe the author's artistic choices and how do they work to support the purpose of the text? How can you tell that this is ______ (insert author). What is their signature style? How is it effective?
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