READERS

RESPONSE
PREP
SHORT STORY UNIT

LITERARY ANALYSIS

There are different ways readers can respond to literature in

order to gain insights into text, reveal their thinking, and
interact with literature in meaningful ways.

A readers response focuses on your experience as a reader

with a literary work.

A reader response asks the reader [you] to examine, explain,

and defend her/his personal reaction to a reading. You will
be asked to identify the reading's purpose and critique the
text. It is important that you demonstrate an understanding
of the reading and clearly explain and support your reactions.

Writing a response you may assume the reader has already

read the text. Thus, do NOT summarize the contents of the
text at length. Instead, take a systematic, analytical approach
to the text.

PLOT
Exposition

This is the background information the reader needs in order for the
story to make sense. The information you include here should
answer the question:
What does the reader need to know to understand the text?
Sometimes this appears immediately in the beginning of the story;
sometimes the author withholds important information until
somewhere in the middle or the end.

If the author chooses to reveal some of the exposition information in

places other than the beginning, examine why he/she made that
choice. What effect does it have on the text?
Conflict

You should be able to identify more than one conflict in a story and
analyze it. Your analysis should explain why these conflicts are the
most important to the text and utilize supporting evidence to show
the conflict itself as well as why it is important.

Use the vocabulary man vs. man, man vs. himself, man vs.
society, etc. that you learned. You should utilize quotes to support
your opinion/analysis.

PLOT (CONT.)
Climax

Identify the climax/turning point of a text and analyze its importance and
effect.
How do you know this is the climax?
When does it take place in the story?
Why is that specific place the turning point and not another?
You will need to support what you believe using quotes/evidence from
the text.

Resolution

This is where everything in the text is wrapped up or resolved.

Typically it is at the end of the text, but there are exceptions.

You need to identify the resolution and then analyze it and form an
opinion.

Is it believable? Satisfying?
Does it cover all the conflicts in the story or does it leave some
unresolved? If some are unresolved, why would the author make this
choice?
You should analyze why the author chose to end his/her book this way.
You should utilize quotes/specific evidence to show the resolution.

CHARACTERS

Identify the most important/main characters and describe/analyze them

(do not just give a summary of what they do).

Show their character traits through use of the text.

If you are dealing with too many characters to feasibly discuss, look for
patterns of characters (all people who help or hinder the protagonist,
people who represent certain aspects of society, people who affect
others in certain ways, etc.)There is no right or wrong when naming
these groups, so do whatever you think it best.

Questions to consider:

Are they round (fully developed) or flat (under developed)?

Static (they dont change) or dynamic (they do change)?
Why would the author choose to make a character flat or static?
What purpose do they serve in the story?
Is the character believable? Likable?
What are some character traits that describe my character? What is my
characters overall purpose in the short story? WHY are they there at
all?

CHARACTERIZATION
Round Characters are characters who are fully developed
and are usually the protagonist and antagonist (although
there are exceptions). They tend to be more developed
physically, mentally, and emotionally, and they embody a
number of qualities and traits that make them seem real.
They are complex and multi-dimensional.
Flat Characters are characters who are one-sided and less
developed. They tend to be minor characters who are
stock characters, such as the stereotypical air head, tough
guy, class clown, etc. They represent a single
characteristic, trait or idea.

CHARACTERIZATION
(CONT.)
Dynamic Characters are characters who go through a
significant change during the course of the story. Changes
include ones of insight, understanding, commitment or
values. The protagonist is usually a dynamic character. A
physical change must also reflect change in self (insight,
understanding, or values). Changes in circumstance, even
physical circumstance, (such as location) do not apply
unless they result in some change within the character's
self
Static Characters are characters who do not change in the
story. They remain stable through the course of the story.
This does not make them necessarily bad characters, just
unchanging. Sometimes there is a very good reason for
having a character stay the same throughout the text.

SETTING

The setting of a book is much more than just a time and place. It is
the attitude of the people, the culture, the belief system, the morals
and values, as well as the time and place.

You need to analyze why an author chose all of these aspects and
what effect they have on the story.

Does it matter in the text about the setting or would the story be the
same regardless?
Additionally, look for specific settings within a book and analyze
why the author placed action or people there.

Authors tend to write dangerous or sacred places, and you should

be on the lookout for those.
The same place in two different books might represent two very
different settings depending on what the author includes and how it
is described.
Sometimes an author uses a setting to portray something larger
then itself and the setting becomes symbolic. Be on the lookout for
settings that may represent other themes or ideas from the text.

THEME

Essentially the theme of any text is why the author wrote the
book and what lessons they wanted the reader to learn after
reading.

When analyzing theme, you will explore what message(s) this

author wanted you to walk away with.

Also remember that a theme is not one word, it is a phrase or

idea.

For instance, the theme of Romeo and Juliet is not love.

Shakespeare included themes about rash decisions, the
harmful effects of judging people before you know them, the
importance of family, extreme teenage emotions, as well as
the effects and importance of love. You need to use
quotes/specific evidence from the text to support your chosen
themes.