Summary v. Analysis
Summary is a method of condensing the main points of a literary piece into a briefer form. Analysis is an in-depth look at one or more aspects of a literary piece. For instance, an analysis might look at the motive of an author in writing on a certain subject matter, or how accurately an author portrays a certain historical period. There are several reasons that literary analysis is preferable to summary when writing about literature. One of the primary reasons that this is true is because it demands that the reader truly analyze and absorb the details of a piece as opposed to simply regurgitating information.
Analyzing a piece of literature requires that the reader think critically about the details and imagery as he reads. Also when the reader goes to write his analysis, he is required to choose and support an argument that makes an assertion about the piece of literature. First, this requires that the reader understand the piece well enough to actually support an argument about it. This can be difficult because when the argument is compared with the whole of the piece contradictions can arise, so the reader must choose his argument carefully and check it repeatedly against the text.
Second, to do a thorough analysis the reader might have to take a look at several different criteria. If the reader is making an argument about the motive of an author he might have to take in the historical views of the time. Reading a Charles Dickens book or a Mark Twain book would require the reader to adopt a slightly different perspective. For instance, if the reader were to assert that Mark Twain was trying to change the racial perceptions of the time when writing “Huckleberry Finn”, they would first have to analyze what those perceptions were at that time. The reader might find that themes in the story that seem racially charged might only have been incidental to the story to Mark Twain.
Basically, we prefer analyzing because it is interesting. It tells us something new about the story and attempts to make it accessible. Some stories speak for themselves, but others benefit greatly from being analyzed.
I found this link interesting reading. Is the term being removed because it was used hatefully against a group or because it's an uncomfortable reminder of the way some people still feel?
Image and link:
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2011/01/07/change-original-language-in-huckleberry-finn/
No comments:
Post a Comment