Students may be assigned a literary analysis essay when taking an English, literature, or writing class. This essay aims to analyze a particular work or body of work within the context of literature.
Students giving this type of writing assignment often find that while they can understand the texts being studied, they have difficulty putting their thoughts about them into words. This can be frustrating because literary analysis requires both interpretation and evaluation, two skills that can be challenging to put on paper.
Fortunately, we’ve created an expert guide to help students write the best literary analysis essay possible. Additionally, we’ve included 120 literary analysis essay topics that offer a wide range of interesting options for students to choose from.
What Does Analysis Mean?
While students may have written essays with different purposes in the past, a literary analysis essay asks them to take a different approach. When students engage in literary analysis, they explore the text deeply and in detail. They are not simply summarizing the plot or retelling the story. Instead, they are looking at the how and why of the text, delving into its deeper meaning.
Students must learn how to go beyond simple surface-level analysis and move towards a more complex understanding of the text. This can be achieved by asking the right questions, such as:
- How does the author use literary devices?
- What is the author’s purpose in writing this text?
- What are the underlying themes in the text?
- What does the text reveal about the author’s point of view?
Answering these questions can help students move beyond simply understanding a text to being able to analyze it effectively.
Types of Literary Analysis Essays
There are three common types of literary analysis essays that students may be asked to write. Each has its own unique purpose and focus.
Character Analysis
In a character analysis, students are asked to analyze a character from a literary work. This could be a protagonist, an antagonist, or a minor character. This type of essay aims to help students understand the role that characters play in a work of literature. To do this effectively, students must pay close attention to how the author develops the character throughout the text.
For example, if a student were asked to write a character analysis of Jay Gatsby from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, they would need to consider how Gatsby is developed throughout the novel. This might involve looking at how Fitzgerald uses symbolism, narration, and dialogue to reveal things about Gatsby’s character.
Theme Analysis
A theme analysis essay focuses on a work of literature’s central theme. The purpose of this type of essay is to help students understand the theme’s role in the work as a whole. To do this effectively, students need to identify the work’s major themes and understand how they are developed throughout the course of the text.
For example, if students were asked to write a theme analysis of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, they might identify the book’s central themes of teenage angst and rebellion. They would then need to examine how these themes are developed throughout the course of the novel.
Symbolism Analysis
A symbolism analysis essay focuses on how a work of literature uses symbols to represent ideas or themes. The purpose of this type of essay is to help students understand how symbols are used to convey ideas and messages in a work of literature. To do this effectively, students need to be able to identify the work’s major symbols and understand their significance.
For example, suppose a student was asked to write a symbolism analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. In that case, they might examine the ways in which the green light, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, and the valley of ashes function as symbols in the novel.
How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay
When writing a literary analysis essay, it is important to be sure that you are clear about your thesis statement. Your thesis statement is the main point of your essay and should be concise and easy to understand. Some good examples of thesis statements for literary analysis essays include:
“In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses symbols to represent the teenage experience.”
“Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism in The Great Gatsby reveals the theme of the corruption of the American dream.”
Once you have your thesis statement, you will need to support it with evidence from the text. This could be done through the use of quotes, examples, or other types of evidence. Be sure that you are clear on what your evidence is and how it supports your thesis.
Another important aspect of writing a literary analysis essay is organization. Your essay should be well-organized and flow smoothly from point to point. Each body paragraph should have a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph and supporting evidence to back it up. Be sure to transition smoothly between paragraphs to make your essay easy to follow.
Finally, the conclusion of your essay should sum up the main points of your argument and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your position. A good conclusion will also restate your thesis in different words than how it was stated in your introduction.
120 Literary Analysis Essay Topics
Students stuck on a topic for their essay can use any of these 120 literary analysis essay topics to get inspired.
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Symbolism
- How does the author use symbols to represent ideas in the text?
- What is the significance of the book’s title?
- How do the book’s characters embody the themes of the text?
- What objects or images appear throughout the book, and what do they symbolize?
- How does the author use color to convey ideas in the text?
- What is the significance of the book’s setting?
- What does the narrator’s point of view reveal about the characters and events in the text?
- How does the author use foreshadowing to build suspense in the story?
- What motifs appear in the text, and what do they symbolize?
- How does the author’s use of irony contribute to the text’s overall theme?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Theme
- What is the book’s central theme? Why?
- How does the author explore the book’s main theme?
- What messages does the author convey about the book’s main theme?
- How does the author develop the book’s secondary themes?
- What messages does the author convey about the book’s secondary themes?
- How does the author’s choice of words contribute to the development of the theme in the text?
- What characters embody the book’s central themes, and how do they represent them?
- How does the author’s use of figurative language contribute to developing a theme in the text?
- What events in the book support the main theme, and how do they contribute to its development?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in the text?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Character
- How do the book’s characters develop throughout the story?
- How do the book’s characters contribute to the development of the plot?
- How does the author use dialogue to reveal information about the book’s characters?
- What physical traits do the book’s characters possess, and how do they contribute to the story?
- What psychological traits do the book’s characters possess, and how do they contribute to the story?
- How do the book’s characters interact with each other, and what does this reveal about them?
- What motivates the book’s characters, and how does this contribute to the development of the plot?
- How does the author’s use of point of view contribute to the development of the book’s characters?
- What conflicts do the book’s characters face, and how do they resolve them?
- How do the book’s characters change by the end of the story, and what does this reveal about them?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Plot
- What is the book’s main plot?
- How does the author develop the book’s main plot?
- What messages does the author convey about the book’s main plot?
- How does the author develop the book’s secondary plots?
- What messages does the author convey about the book’s secondary plots?
- How does the author’s choice of words contribute to the development of the book’s plot?
- What events in the book support the main plot, and how do they contribute to its development?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the book’s plot?
- How does the author’s use of figurative language contribute to the development of the book’s plot?
- What characters embody the book’s main plot, and how do they represent it?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Setting
- How would a different setting affect the book’s plot?
- How does the book’s setting contribute to the development of its characters?
- What messages does the author convey about the book’s setting?
- How does the author use the book’s setting to develop the book’s mood?
- How do events in the book make the setting more or less real?
- How does the author’s use of description contribute to the development of the book’s setting?
- What physical traits does the book’s setting possess, and how do they contribute to the story?
- What psychological traits does the book’s setting possess, and how do they contribute to the story?
- How does the author use the book’s setting to develop the book’s theme?
- What symbols are present in the book’s setting, and what do they represent?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About American Classic Literature
- Compare and contrast the American Dream as it is portrayed in The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman.
- How does F. Scott Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in The Great Gatsby?
- What similarities and differences exist between the characters in The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird?
- In what ways does Harper Lee’s use of first-person point of view contribute to the development of Atticus Finch’s character?
- How does J.D. Salinger’s use of figurative language contribute to the development of Holden Caulfield’s character?
- What messages about society does Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman convey?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in All My Sons?
- What messages about family does Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie convey?
- How does the author’s use of point of view contribute to the development of the book’s characters?
- What messages about love and relationships does Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf convey?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About British Literature
- How does Shakespeare’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in Romeo and Juliet?
- What messages about family does William Golding’s Lord of the Flies convey?
- What messages about love and relationships does D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers convey?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in Women in Love?
- What messages about society does George Orwell’s Animal Farm convey?
Literary Analysis Topics About Poetry
- How does the author’s choice of words contribute to the development of the theme in a particular poem?
- What messages about society does the poem convey?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in the poem?
- What clues in the poem suggest the poet had a troubled life?
- What physical traits does the poem’s speaker possess, and how do they contribute to the poem’s development?
- What psychological traits does the poem’s speaker possess, and how do they contribute to the development of the poem?
- How would a different choice of words contribute to the development of the poem’s theme?
- What different images does the author use in the poem, and how do they contribute to its development?
- Compare and contrast the author’s use of imagery in two different poems.
- How does the author’s use of sound contribute to the development of the poem?
Literary Analysis Topics About Theater
- Examine how the playwright’s use of stage directions contributes to character development in the play.
- How does the playwright’s use of dialogue contribute to the development of the theme in the play?
- What messages about love and relationships does the play convey?
- How does the author’s use of symbolism contribute to the development of the theme in the play?
- What messages about family does the playwright’s use of figurative language convey?
- How does the author’s use of point of view contribute to the development of the play’s characters?
- In what ways does the playwright’s use of setting contribute to the development of the play’s plot?
- What messages about society does the play convey?
- How would a change in the play’s setting contribute to its development?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About YA Novels
- Explore the main differences between the book and its film adaptation.
- What messages about love and relationships does the novel convey?
- Examine the use of adolescent slang in the novel and its effects on the development of theme.
- Argue for or against including a particular novel in high school curriculums.
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Speeches
- Compare and contrast Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech with Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet
- Explore the symbolism in Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”
- Analyze the rhetoric in JFK’s “Moon Speech.”
- What messages about society does Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech convey?
- How does Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech contribute to his character development?
- What physical traits does the speaker possess, and how do they contribute to the development of the speech?
- What psychological traits does the speaker possess, and how do they contribute to the development of the speech?
- How would a different choice of words contribute to the development of the speech’s theme?
- What different images does the author use in the speech, and how do they contribute to its development?
- Compare and contrast the author’s use of imagery in two different speeches.
- Does the intensity of the rhetoric in the speech contribute to its effectiveness?
- How does the author’s use of sound contribute to the development of the speech?
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Books Turned into Movies
- Explore the themes of capitalism in Fight Club.
- Discuss how The Catcher in the Rye is an autobiographical novel.
- Analyze the character of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye.
- Compare and contrast the book and film versions of The Great Gatsby.
- Examine the use of color in The Great Gatsby.
- Explore the theme of betrayal in The Great Gatsby.
- Analyze the character of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby.
- Compare and contrast the book and film versions of To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Examine the use of point of view in To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Analyze the character of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Literary Analysis Essay Topics About Non-Fiction Books
- Compare and contrast two biographies of the same person.
- Analyze a section of the US Constitution.
- Compare and contrast two religious texts.
- Analyze the historical effects of the writings of Niccolo Machiavelli.
- Compare and contrast the ideas of Karl Marx and Adam Smith.
- Analyze the thoughts of Rousseau on education.
- Evaluate the methods used in a self-help book.
- Review a political science text.
- Compare and contrast the autobiographies of two different philosophers.
- Compare and contrast the claims made in two history books.
With any of these 120 literary essay topics, you’ll be able to deep-dive into the world of literature and create an impressive essay on any text you’ve read.
