Posted: October 10th, 2022

How to Analyze a Short Story

How to Analyze a Short Story

Here’s how to analyze a short story, using Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” as an example.

Start by figuring out what “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor is about (its theme).

The main goals of analyzing a short story are:

Show that you know how to use the type of literary criticism you chose.

Homework help – Write an essay with a strong thesis statement in one sentence.

Use at least two quotes from the story to back up what you think happened.

If you used literary criticism (which isn’t required) to figure out your answer, give credit to the source by So far as…

How to Break Down a Short Story:

For analyzing a short story, Paper Masters suggests the following outline:

Introduction

Hook: Draw the reader in.

Choose your story.

Tell us about the setting.

Use two good transitional sentences to get to your main point.

Say your thesis in one strong sentence that outlines the rest of your paper.

Body Paragraph #1-2

SUMMARY of the story (assume your reader has not read the story)

BREIF Character description

Start with the first point of your thesis (provide evidence to support your point)

Body Paragraphs 3 and 4

Explain the main problems in the story (use quotes)

Bring up the second point in your thesis (provide evidence to support your point)

Body Paragraphs #5-6

Talk about how the above parts of fiction work together to make the theme emotional for the reader (and intellectually if relevant). Be as clear as you can about what the theme is. Use quotes from the story to back up what you think the theme is.

Bring up the last point of your thesis (provide evidence to support your point)

Conclusion

Repeat your main point

Finish the story with a personal note (consider reconnecting with the hook)

Your Thesis in Brief

You must start by writing a good thesis for your research paper. Here’s what a good thesis looks like:

In “The Story of an Hour,” a middle-class setting, characters who are both static and dynamic, an ironic plot, and typical conflicts show that not all marriages are what they seem to be.

Make sure your thesis is a statement, not a question, and figure out what the main point of the story is that you want to make.

About the Content

When writing an essay about how a short story’s setting, characters, plot (including conflict and resolution), theme, and personal appeal show the story’s theme, you should use at least these essential elements of fiction. Other things that could be useful but might be hard to use in a short essay are tone, imagery, symbolism, motifs, form, or technique for telling a story. If you choose to include the more complicated parts, make sure to explain what they are.

Academic writing is usually done in the third person, so keep that in mind (he, she, it, they). Please don’t talk directly to the reader or use the first person (I, my) in your essay. Make sure to put your thesis at the end of the first paragraph and underline it.

How to Format an Analysis of a Short Story

In general, your analysis research paper should be written in five paragraphs.

It should also have a clear start, middle, and finish.

Quotes should always be backed up; use quotation marks and make sure the reader knows who said or did what by putting their name next to it.

If you use literary criticism, start the quote with “According to… (name of critic)”.

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