For openers, you need to begin and finish reading the short novel by Mark Haddon titled “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”. To read this shouldn’t take you any longer than a few hours. This said, there are a few things that you should know before you get started.
For openers this particular assignment will be submitted through Turnitin.com, which means you definitely should not borrow information from other sources without proper MLA citation.
Below is background information on how to conduct a literary analysis. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Know that writing a literary analysis involves examining all parts of the novel—elements such as character, setting, tone, and imagery—and thinking about how the author uses these elements to create certain effects. A literary analysis isn’t a book review; you’re not being asked whether or not you liked the book or whether you’d recommend it to a friend.
Here are seven steps to consider when writing a literary analysis.
Ask questions: What struck you as interesting? What confused you? Did you notice any contradictions or ironies? Remember, you’re looking for something you can prove or argue based on evidence you find in the text.
Collect evidence: Keep track of the various elements of story and style—passages, symbols, quotes, conflicts, that deal with your topic. Eventually, you’ll start making connections between these examples and your thesis.
Construct a thesis: Once you’ve examined all the evidence you’ve collected and know how you want to answer the essay’s topic, it’s time to write (and prove with evidence) your thesis.
Develop / organize an argument: There’s no single method on how to develop and organize your arguments, but definitely your reasons and examples should support your thesis and will probably form the middle paragraphs.
- Write the introduction: Be sure to provide any necessary context for your essay by letting the reader know what book you’re discussing, what to expect, and which characters or topics you’ll be addressing.
Write the body paragraphs: Begin with a strong topic sentence. Be sure to fully and completely develop a single thought before moving on to the next thought. And use transitions effectively.
- Write the conclusion: Use the conclusion to quickly summarize the specifics learned, and then hint at the broader implications of your topic. Consider revisiting the “So what?” question.
Select one of the essay topics below for an essay response (3-4 pages) to the book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon.
- Potential Essay Topics
Christopher employs a number of pictographs—drawings, maps, and figures—over the course of his narrative. Identify 2-3 key pictographs in the novel, describe how Christopher uses them, and explain what insight it grants into his character.
- Christopher’s condition causes him to see the world in a very subjective way, and as a result the reader may often interpret events differently from Christopher. What role does this difference between Christopher’s understanding of events and the reader’s understanding of events play in the novel?
To what extent is Christopher’s condition responsible for the conflicts that arise in this particular novel?
- Describe the significant ways in which Christopher’s character has or has not changed over the course of the novel.