Analysing fictional texts
When analysing fictional texts there are five main aspects that have to be dealt with. These
are: Stylistic devices, the setting, characterisation, narrative perspective and the plot
structure.
The introductory sentence includes the name, passage/chapter, author, date of release and
rough content (topic) of the given fictional text.
Stylistic devices
In fictional texts stylistic devices are mainly used by the author to create suspense and to
present the attitude of the narrator towards the action/characters etc.
Apart from the anyway often used metaphors, enumerations, similes and symbols,
commonly used stylistic devices in novels and short stories are irony, sarcasm and
personifications.
Sometimes the author uses symbols to give the story a moral (e.g. character stands for a
negative trait of humankind and is therefore killed/damned etc.).
The setting
The setting includes (historical) time, place, and environment, the physical surroundings, the
social and economic factors and background, and the spiritual and emotional atmosphere.
In some cases the setting can reflect the mood or attitude of a character (because the
description of the place is influenced by the character’s emotions). Furthermore the setting
can explain certain world-views of a character e.g. a character growing up in a slum/ghetto.
The setting can also illustrate the theme and/or atmosphere of the text.
Characterisation
In fictional texts people can be characterised in two ways:
Direct characterisation: The reader is informed about a character by the narrator, who
makes comments or judgements. (= “telling”)
Indirect characterisation: The reader draws his own conclusions about a character through
his/her behavior, opinions, use of language and his/her way of dealing with problems or
other people. (= “showing”)
When writing an own characterisation
A characterisation should consist of the name, position/role (e.g. job), social background,
physical/outward appearance, language, thoughts, actions of the character, interaction
towards others and in some cases the development of the character (round/flat character),
awkward or unusual behavior and hearsay (what others think of the character). (protagonist
v. antagonist)
Narrative perspective
The narrator is the "voice" that tells a story (Narrator ≠ Author).
The point of view is the perspective from which characters, events, etc. are presented in a
fictional text. The chosen point of view has a strong effect on the reader; for example a
character whose mind is "entered" in the first-person point of view tends to be more
sympathetic to the reader.
Characteristics of the first-person narrator are the limited point of view, that the character
is a character in the story (either the protagonist or a minor character/observer of the
protagonist), interior monologues (which present the thoughts, associations and memories
in the characters mind) and streams of consciousness (which are a continuous flow of
thoughts and emotions and reveal the spectrum of the character's mental processes).
Characteristics of the third-person narrator are that he can appear as an omniscient
narrator (the narrator knows everything about the characters and events, he has access to
the minds of all the characters, their feelings and motifs, he can move in time and place and
has the possibility to comment on actions and thoughts of the characters), a third-person
limited narrator (the narrator only reports about thoughts, associations and memories of
selected character/s as center/s of consciousness from outside of the action while using "he"
and/or "she " to refer to the characters) or by reported thought (the narrator reports in a
free indirect style as reported speech (past tense only), which gives an intimate access to the
mind/s of the character/s, while not using phrases like "he thought").
(degree of subjectivity // reliability??)
Plot structure
The plot is the arrangement of events chosen by the author (e.g. starting in the middle of
events (in medias res) and using flashbacks). The plot can cause a very detailed and
organized perception of the events for the reader or create suspense depending on the type
of text (e.g. historical novels/detective stories). Furthermore time is subjective. The author
can choose to summarize many years in one paragraph or dedicate many chapters to a
single event (fast-paced <-> slow-paced).
When analysing the plot possible stages like the introduction/exposition, the rising action,
the climax, the turning-point/crisis and the conclusion/denouement can be found.
Further aspects to consider are if a conflict and/or subplot are present. There are two maintypes of conflicts. The outer conflict, in which external forces cause a conflict with/for the
protagonist, and the inner conflict, in which the protagonist is forced to make a difficult
choice, which leads to a conflict. A subplot is a second story next to the main plot, which is
independent and only connects to the main plot in the ending or only has the task to give
the reader further understanding. (+ moment of retardation before the resolution of the
conflict)
Further possible aspects
Further possible aspects to consider are the tone (choice of word that the author uses to
convey his opinion on the action, characters, narrator and the action), choice of
words/language (simple/complex/formal/informal/colloquial - in science fiction possibly
new type of language e.g. newspeak) and the title as such.