SDSU The Literary Analysis La Siguanaba Essay

La Siguanaba Literary Analysis Paper

Do a close reading of the text. Annotate the text thoroughly and choose a theoretical approach to guide your analysis. 

Add extra resources, outside research of anything in the story

At least two sources

When was the text written?

What does the text make you:

See?

1. Feel?
2. Think?

Who is the ideal or intended reader/audience?

1. How do you compare to that reader/audience?
2. Does a particular critical perspective “jump out at you” as being appropriate or obvious?
3. Does the text surprise you?
4. What kind of text is it?
5. What is the purpose of the text?
6. Speaker
7. Is there an identifiable speaker? Who is it?
8. Reliable or unreliable?
9. Does the speaker show a bias?

What is revealed about the speaker?

Situation

1. When is it taking place?
2. Where is it taking place?
3. What is happening?
4. Is someone listening?

Is the situation important or unimportant?

Are there multiple settings or situations?

1. Theme
2. The topic is what the text is about.
3. The theme says something about the topic.
4. Tone is the way it says something about the topic.
5. What does the text say?
6. How does the text say it?

Is there one central theme or are there multiple themes?

How does the theme relate to

1. You?
2. Others?
3. Other texts?
4. Language
5. Is it precise?
6. Is it ambiguous?
7. Do words have multiple meanings?

Is there a progression or diversity of meanings for a word throughout the text?

1. What are the literal meanings to the word?
2. Word order
3. Is odd syntax used?

Repetition?

Different perspectives used?

1. Allusions or references?
2. Visual imagery
3. Is figurative language used? (metaphor, simile, personification)
4. Why is a comparison being made?
5. Why is that comparison being made?

Is there a dominant image?

Is there a progression, focus, or repetition of images?

1. Symbols
2. They represent ideas or feelings.
3. They may be significant and/or repeated.
4. Different types:

Invented

Traditional

1. Symbolic
2. What is the symbol?
3. Why is it used?
4. Is it expected or divergent, surprising?