CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Reading a Literary Analysis

Before you begin your own literary analysis, you should read a paper created by another student. As you read, note how the writer describes the key events in the life of an important character and connects the events to larger themes. He also paraphrases and quotes from the novel. Click on the side notes to study these and other features.

Reading a Student Model

This reading analyzes the character arc of Hazel from Watership Down, showing how his decisions, actions, and sacrifices slowly transform him into a leader. The overall structure includes a beginning paragraph, multiple body paragraphs, and an ending paragraph. The writer uses source citations as well as historical context and discussions of theme to show the significance of Hazel's transformation in the novel.

By Anonymous (not verified), 12 March, 2026

Warm-Up for Analyzing Literature

You arrive at the lunch table only to discover that your friends are chattering excitedly about something that happened in class. You, of course, want "the full story": Who was involved? What happened? Where and when? Why did it happen? How?

Every story, whether told around the lunch table or written in a work of literature, contains those basic elements: