Read the Primary Source Carefully

READ THE PRIMARY SOURCE CAREFULLY

Questions to ask:

What is the main plot of the work? Are there sub-plots?

Who are the central characters?

From what point of view is the story told - first person, or third person? Is the point of view omniscient or limited?

What is the setting? Does the work have a certain atmosphere or mood?

What is the central conflict?

What is the climax?

How is the conflict resolved?

What is the theme, or main idea, of the work?

What is distinctive about the author's style-choice and arrangement words, use of imagery, use of figurative language?

LITERARY TOPICS

In General:

1. In what ways is the novel representative of the time period in which it was written?

2. In what ways is the novel a unique example of the genre?

3. In what ways does the novel represent a literary movement?

Point of View:

4. What does the point of view do for the novel?

5. In what ways is the novel affected by the point of view?

6. In what ways is the reader affected by the point of view?

Setting/Atmosphere:

7. In what ways is the setting related to the action?

8. In what ways is the setting/atmosphere related to a theme?

9. In what ways is the setting/atmosphere reflective of a character's moods?

Characterization:

10. What traits make the protagonist appealing? good at what s/he does? noble? a hero? tragic? an anti-hero?

11. What traits cause the antagonist to lose? survive?

12. In what ways does a character grow and mature? deteriorate?

13. What does the contrast of two characters contribute to the novel?

14. How are the men portrayed in the novel? the women?

15. In what ways is one character more admirable than another?

Theme/A Major Idea:

16. In what ways is a major idea illustrated?

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