Literary analysis entails dissecting all aspects of a novel, play, short story, or poem—character, setting, tone, and imagery—and considering how the author employs those elements to achieve specific effects. A literary essay is not a book review: you are not asked if you liked a book or would recommend it to another reader. A literary essay is also not the same as a book report, in which your teacher expected you to summarise the book's plot. A literary analysis is always more than just a synopsis of a literary work. An argument about the work, on the other hand, expresses a writer's perspective, interpretation, judgment, or critical evaluation of the work.
