Thinking Outside the Box

In the array of literacy skills used by readers to comprehend what they read, literature analysis is one of the most deeply personal. Literature analysis asks the essential question of a work of fictional literature, "What does it mean?". For nonfiction the primary analytical question is "What is the point?" and requires a slightly different set of tools, such as knowledge of the writer and his/her possible biases as well as some background knowledge of the subject being discussed. Knowledge of the writer is also useful in analyzing fiction but not as essential.

The tools for analyzing fiction are various and subjective depending on the individual reader. Literature like visual art, speaks to each individual in a unique way. The reader may use any conceptual framework that he /she is familiar with as the starting point for beginning an exploration into the meaning of a work of literature.

I was introduced to this concept in a science fiction lit class by a professor who would analyze a work of sci-fi using various schools of psychology as his reference point. He would do a side-by-side analysis of a particular work using Freudian, Jungian, and Adlerian terminology and concepts. A religious scholar would have perhaps used the framework of one or more religions in their analysis, while a folklorist would take the culture of the writer and his/her subject into consideration, and a scientist might use their familiarity with scientific theories and paradigms to connect to the work.

There is no one way to analyze literature and if a work is strongly appealing to the reader it may lead the reader to explore multiple disciplines in order to gain a deeper understanding of its meaning. For example a work of historical fiction might move a reader to read actual historical accounts of the events depicted in the novel. The more "tools" (i.e. disciplines) readers are familiar with, the greater the opportunity for the reader to connect and connect more deeply to a work of literature. Looking at literature through an assortment of disciplinary lenses also helps a reader to connect to other readers and their takes on a work of fiction. Exploring different disciplines as they relate to a work of literature is also an excellent way to achieve the ultimate literacy goal: life-long learning.