University of California Berkeley Genre Analysis Essay
Question Description
Guided Pre-Writing: Genre Analysis Essay
- Is the title of the novel informative? What does it mean or suggest? Did the meaning seem to change after you read the work? Does the title connect to a larger meaning?
- Take a look at what you have written under #1. Is there anything there that leads you to think that the text is best understood in light of a particular historical context? How is it influenced by that context
- Does the plot grow out of the characters, or does it depend on chance or coincidence? Did something at first strike you as irrelevant that you later perceived as relevant? Do some parts continue to strike you as irrelevant? Does surprise play an important role, or does foreshadowing? If surprise is very important, can the work be read a second time with any interest? If so, what gives it this further interest?
- What conflicts does the story include? Conflicts of one character against another? Of one character against the setting, or against society? Conflicts within a single character? Are the conflicts resolved? If so, how?
- Take a look at what you have written under # 6. Answer as with question 3.
- Are certain episodes narrated out of chronological order? If so, were you puzzled? Annoyed? On reflection, does the arrangement of episodes contribute to some larger meaning? How? Are certain situations repeated? If so, what do you make of the repetitions? List the major structural units of the story. Write a sentence or two summarizing each unit you have listed.
- Take a look at what you have written under # 8. Answer as with question 3.
- Use the Writing about Literature handout on Canvas to produce 4 more pages of pre-writing for next class.
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