The narrator is the person telling the story. Point of view: whose eyes the story is being told through. Who is the narrator or speaker in the story? Is the narrator the main character? Does the author speak through one of the characters? Is the story written in the first person “I” point of view? Is the story written in a detached third person “he/she/they” point of view? Is the story written in an “all-knowing” third person who can reveal what all the characters are thinking and doing at all times and in all places?

Characterization deals with how the characters are described. through dialogue? by the way they speak? physical appearance? thoughts and feelings? interaction – the way they act towards other characters? Are they static characters who do not change? Do they develop by the end of the story? What type of characters are they? What qualities stand out? Are they stereotypes? Are the characters believable?

Setting is a description of where and when the story takes place. What aspects make up the setting? Geography, weather, time of day, social conditions? What role does setting play in the story? Is it an important part of the plot or theme? Or is it just a backdrop against which the action takes place? Study the time period which is also part of the setting When was the story written? Does it take place in the present, the past, or the future? How does the time period affect the language, atmosphere, or social circumstances of the novel?

Before you dive straight into your analysis of symbolism, diction, imagery, or any other rhetorical device, you need to have a grasp of the basic elements of what you're reading. When we read critically or analytically, we might disregard character, plot, setting, and theme as surface elements of a text. Aside from noting what they are and how they drive a story, we sometimes don't pay much attention to these elements. However, characters and their interactions can reveal a great deal about the story's themes. Plot can act as a stand-in for real-world events just as setting can represent our world or an allegorical one. Theme is the heart of literature, exploring everything from love and war to childhood and aging.

With this in mind, you can begin your examination of literature with a “who, what, when, where, how?” approach. Ask yourself “Who are the characters?” “What is happening?” “When and where is it happening?” and “How does it happen?” The answers will give you character (who), plot (what and how), and setting (when and where). When you put these answers together, you can begin to figure out theme, and you will have a solid foundation on which to base your analysis. We will be exploring several of the following literary elements in the following pages so that we can have a common vocabulary to talk about fiction: