Key Passage Analysis: Definitions, Terms and Helpful Hints Definitions and guidelines provided by IB on Key Passage Analysis

of a key passage The most important word here is key. The passage for study, whether a paragraph, a page, a chapter, or an extract from a poem, should have major significance for any of a variety of explorations that the candidate might choose to make, for example, prose or poetic style, character study, plot development or theme. The reason why the candidate has chosen the passage should be briefly explained and the body of the assignment should explain the significance of the passage to the larger work from which it has been taken. There are a number of possible approaches to this type of assignment: A formal essay A formal piece of writing which follows a logical sequence

The choice of a key passage or key passages for analysis should be guided by the following questions: Why is this passage (or why are these passages) central to our understanding of the work? In other words, why is it a key passage, or why are they key passages?

Graphic Representation of Key Passage Analysis

Character Development

Narrative Structure/Plot Development Passage

Authors Style/ Technique

Character relationships

Theme

The IB Diagram emphasizes that the main focus of a Key Passage Analysis is on the connections made FROM the passage TO the rest of the text. All of the literary elements in the web bubbles above are possibilities for these connections. They are NOT ALL REQUIRED. Your analysis should be focused, and not attempt to cover all of the literary elements of the text. It should be enough to cover three of these elements in support of a clear overall thesis. (See Sample 1 attached)