Q&A for How to Analyze a Short Story

First, determine the type of point of view the author is using. Is it first person, third person, or (more rarely) second person? Is the point of view limited to one character, or is it an omnipotent narrator who can see inside the thoughts of multiple characters? Then, ask yourself how the point of view affects the story. For example, can you rely on what the narrator is telling you, or are they giving you an incomplete or misleading picture of what’s going on? How would the story be different if it were told from another point of view? Keep these kinds of questions in mind as you’re reading and writing your analysis.

There are a lot of ways to evaluate a short story. For example, you might focus on factors like character development, the originality of the prose, the mood of the story, or the complexity of the plot. Pick 1 or several criteria you’d like to focus on based on how much space you have to discuss the story.

Short stories have many distinguishing characteristics. However, 3 of the most important are that the story should be self-contained (that is, it should be able to stand by itself as a complete story); it should be short enough to be easily read in one sitting; and it should typically revolve around a single main event.

Analysis is usually done in multiple paragraphs just as in an academic essay. Big-picture ideas such as theme and setting tend to go in the introductory paragraph, while body paragraphs are usually about characters, the plot, and any symbolism in the story. The closing paragraph summarizes your take on the short story (your overall opinion on what it means, etc.).