Part one: Main character (ca 300 words + quotes)
For the first part of the text, you should analyze the main character. Some novels have more than one main character; in that case you should pick one. Keep in mind that there is a difference between an analysis and a description. You should not simply describe the character, but discuss why you think the character acts the way they do.
You should use two quotes which you think show important aspects of the character. This can be about the character’s progression throughout the novel, certain traits (karaktärsdrag) that the character has, etc. Some questions you can ask yourself when reading:
– What is the main character like? How does the main character’s personality impact the story?
– What is the main character’s motivation?
– Does the main character change during the novel? If so, how and why?
– What role does the main character have in the story?
Part 2: Main Theme (ca 300 words + quotes)
The theme of a novel can be seen as the message the author wants to convey. Quite often the theme is not explicitly stated, so you have to read between the lines to figure out what the author wants to say. Keep in mind that the theme is not the same as the plot of the novel – for example, Harry Potter is about a teenage wizard, but that does not mean that “wizards” is a theme of the novel; one of the larger themes in Harry Potter would be “courage”, because the novel discusses different kinds of courage, why it is important etc.
You should base your analysis on two quotes which support your interpretation of the novel. A novel usually has more than one theme, so for this analysis you should focus on what you consider to be the main theme. Some questions you can ask yourself when reading:
– What message do you think the author wanted to convey to the reader?
– Does the novel tell us something about the world or life in general? Is there a general lesson to be learned from the novel?
Part three: Language (ca 200 words + quotes)
Finally, you should discuss the language of the novel. Just like the first part, there is a difference between description and analysis; for example, if you think that the novel has simple language, you should then think about why the novel is written like that.
Use one quote to exemplify something you think is important or interesting about the language of the novel. This can be anything from the way dialogue is written to how descriptions are used, what kind of vocabulary is in the novel, or even the formatting of the novel (see the example text for a good example of this). Some questions to ask yourself when reading:
– How does the language of the novel impact the reading experience?
– Is there something characteristic or unique about the way the novel is written? If so, what?
– Why do you think the author wrote the novel like they did?
