Notes on Literary Analysis Con't . . .

Theme – Theme refers to the point (often plural) that the author has imbedded in his work. In English 1101, the student is told to make the thesis statement explicit, place it in the first paragraph, and use the remainder of the paper to support that main idea. Works of FICTION and POETRY are quite different. The art of literature stems, in part, from the author’s ability to use the entire story, novel, poem or play (even the best movies) to REVEAL the main idea IMPLICITLY (in most cases). Those works which are called “classics” deal with themes that are UNIVERSAL. A UNIVERSAL THEME is one which reveals human nature or some aspect of life that is experienced by people in any era and in any location; the author may have chosen Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, or Vietnam, 1964, or London, 1605, as the setting of his/her work, but what is revealed about people remains true for any time period. Human beings and the situations in which they get themselves involved hasn’t changed a great deal.

As with the case for character, theme can be traced through the novel or play. UNIVERSAL THEMES  in the Crucible (not all of the themes, by the way) include:

·         Guilt by Association or Accusation

·         The Nature of Authority

·         Peer Pressure

·         The Individual vs. Society

Scapegoating

Irony – There are 3 types of IRONY, all of which are important. Irony can make an individual chuckle or wince, depending on how it is used. It is irony that gives a “twist” to a story’s end and irony that enriches plot:

Verbal Irony – often like sarcasm; the speaker usually means the opposite of what he says

Dramatic Irony – not surprising, this irony most often appears in drama, but is not exclusive to drama; dramatic irony occurs when the audience is aware of a situation on stage which the characters are presumably UNAWARE. Suspense is created as the audience watches to see how the act or scene will unfold. Examples:

·         The overriding irony of the innocent vs. guilty in Salem

·         The irony that surfaces when Hale asks the Proctors to repeat their commandments

·         The irony that holds the greatest dramatic suspense when Elizabeth Proctor is brought into the courtroom to testify

Situational Irony – very much akin to PARADOX; often this accompanies dramatic irony, but also appears in FICTION. Situational irony is created when the OPPOSITE of what one expects, happens. Example: Abigail’s one desire is John Proctor; she leads the girls in crying “witch” on their neighbors, and ironically, Mary Warren, the shyest of all the girls, cries “witch” on Proctor, which condemns the man Abigail loves.

Symbolism – concrete to abstract; metaphors

• name symbolism - e.g., title, The Crucible; Mercy Lewis
• color - red; white; black (or darkness)
• numbers - not so much in Miller's drama, but significant numbers in general: 3; 40, 7
• time -- morning vs. evening; spring vs. winter, etc.

Allusion - DO NOT CONFUSE WITH ILLUSION!! - an allusion is a reference to something or someone else, usually in the past; it is often either historical, Biblical or literary.
Example: Act II, John Proctor speaks to Rev. Hale, "Pontius Pilate! God will not allow you to wash your hands of this!"

And minor elements of literature as well:

Significance of title - look for connections, plays on words, in MOST major literary works, the author gives great attention to the title - ask yourself what the title suggests, what does it remind you of; why would the author CHOOSE this title?

Character Foils- "foil" reflects - a character foil is a person who is  placed in a play, story or novel who, in some way, is compared to a major character, but UNLIKE the foil that reflects, character foils are often opposites - or at least significantly different; the reader sees this difference between characters because the two are often placed side by side.  Examples:  Rev. Parris & Rev. Hale; Deputy Gov. Danforth & John Proctor;  Abigail Williams & Mary Warren


LOOK for character foils in all the works we read (except poetry--any occasionally, there, too)

Suspense - the characteristic that makes the reader want to know what will happen next

Climax - the turning point; the moment of greatest dramatic intensity; after this point, in either play or (most) novels or stories, a decision is made or an act committed that changes everything from that  point to the final scene

Denouement - how things wind up -- in some novels, it's simply closure -- loose ends are tied up and a neat ending ensues--but not always; in dramas and thoughtful novels, the reader may be left hanging or wondering . . .  "the end" may not be so neat and tidy--more like real life