Very often, it is better to analyze large works by episodes. This part of the literary work, which has an independent meaning, this part is closed in space and time.
What does the episode analysis plan look like?
Each analysis is required to be carried out according to the plan in order to better understand a certain fragment and its significance.
The analysis of the episode may look like this:
- The first thing you can do with an episode analysis planliterary work, - the definition of boundaries, in order to be easier to navigate, with the fragment can be in the beginning, in the end or in the middle. For example, the novel "Crime and Punishment", when Raskolnikov is in the police station, or Borodino battle in the novel "War and Peace".
- Next, you should understand the significance of the episode:for what it was created by the author? Why did he paint it in such detail, paying attention to the details? The notion of significance will lead to an understanding of the character of the hero, his behavior, and, perhaps, clarification of the author's relationship to the hero or event.
- The third step is the type definition (narration or reasoning) and the events that occur in this part.
- In the next paragraph it is necessary to characterize the heroes and determine which artistic means are used not only in the description of the characters, but in the whole episode.
- The last thing that needs to be analyzed is to understand the role of this episode in the whole work (culmination, turning point, decisive moment).
Plan for analyzing the episode of the work: an example
War and Peace, written by L.N.Tolstoy, was released in 3 volumes, and each book had its own episodes, which require analysis to understand the meaning of the whole work. One of the main episodes in the whole book is the Battle of Borodino, which becomes an isolated part and closed in time and space.
First, where to start the analysis planepisode: to prove that this event played a decisive role in the victory over the French. Next, determine which characters are present in the episode (Pierre, Andrew, Drubetskaya, Dolokhov), what they experience feelings, for which they are shown by the author.
The next step is to split into micro episodes to better see and understand the characters. For example, you can divide it into parts such as "Pierre on the Battery" or "Prince Andrew in the Reserve."
The plan for analyzing the episode also takes into account the author's attitude toward the heroes. For example, how Tolstoy revealed the character of Kutuzov before the battle and after, how Napoleon behaves during the battle.
During the analysis, you can conduct examples of the use of artistic means to reveal the skill of the author and show the significance of certain moments.
Feature of analysis
Each episode analysis plan requiresevidence, and this can be an artistic text, a line or several sentences. Use quotes in sufficient measure to prove the arguments given.
