Foundations of Literary Analysis: Deconstructing Short Fiction

Direct Characterization

The narrator explicitly describes a character's traits.

Indirect Characterization

The author shows character traits through details, requiring inference.

STEAL

An acronym for analyzing indirect characterization: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, Looks.

Internal Conflict

A struggle within a character's mind, such as duty vs. desire.

Perspective

How characters understand their circumstances based on their background and biases.

Protagonist

The main character driving the action of the narrative.

Antagonist

The force opposing the protagonist, which can be a person, nature, or internal flaw.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes a significant internal change.

Static Character

A character who remains largely the same throughout the story.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight specific qualities.

Setting

The time and place of a narrative, often playing a significant role in the story.

Physical Location

The immediate surroundings in which the story takes place.

Temporal Setting

The time period in which the story occurs, such as historical context or time of day.

Social/Cultural Environment

The values and beliefs of the society depicted in the narrative.

Mood

The feeling the reader gets from the setting.

Atmosphere

The external environmental feeling created by the setting.

Pathetic Fallacy

A personification in which the environment reflects the internal emotional state of a character.

Narrator

The entity telling the story.

Point of View (POV)

The perspective from which the story is told.

First Person

A narrative perspective where the narrator is a character in the story, using 'I'.

Third Person Limited

A narrator outside the story focusing on the thoughts and feelings of one character.

Third Person Omniscient

An all-knowing narrator who can access the thoughts of any character.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised due to various factors.

Narrative Distance

The physical or psychological gap between the narrator and the events.

Character Complexity

The presence of contradictory traits or internal struggles within a character.

Common Mistake in Analysis

Confusing the author with the narrator and failing to analyze instead of describe.