Analysing a short story

Plot/ situation Is it a carefully plotted narrative, or does it work simply by suggestion?
Is it about everyday, apparently trivial events, or is it a mystery/science fiction/supernatural story?
Does it take a serious look at life, or is its purpose primarily to entertain?
Are the plot actions authentic/convincing/believable?
Character
How are they revealed to us?
How far are they developed?
What are they like?
What is their role in the story?
Setting
What are the three setting elements: time, place, situation/society climate?
How important is the setting in the setting to the story?
To what extent is the setting described?
Point of View
From whose point of view is the story told?
Does the point of view change?
What is the relationship between point of view and the writer’s purpose?
Themes/
Ideas
What are they?
How are they revealed to us?
Writer’s purpose
To entertain, amuse, frighten, challenge, instruct, question or reveal?
It is the writer’s purpose that will shape all the other elements of the story.
Title
What information about the story do we get from the title?
Style
Look at the following aspects and note how they work together to create the whole tone of the story:
Types of sentences
Parts of speech
Figures of speech
Punctuation
Imagery
Symbolism
Mood/ atmosphere What mood is created?
What elements in the setting/characters/actions suggest the mood/atmosphere?
What is the relationship between the