09 Nov Literary Analysis of “A romantic weekend” by mary gaitskill
Your analysis should include a thorough and articulate summary of the characters and plot that makes use of quotes and paraphrases the action and events. In performing this plot summary, you should seek to also indicate the ways in which these elements of plot and character support the general “theme,” “meaning” or ultimate revelation put forth by the work. You should refer to and make analytic use of the many concepts we’ve discussed in class (structure; P.O.V.; voice and prose style; temporality; cultural/socioeconomic realities… to name a few). You aim should be to evaluate what your chosen story/stories achieve in terms of both aesthetics and theme (the two are not mutually exclusive) and to scour every sentence and image within the story in the interest of understanding its utility, whether practical or artistic. Remember that in a masterful story everything counts. What sense can you make of the constituent parts of the story you have selected?
