Style

What are the characteristics of the author's style? ex. use of language; diction, denotaion, vocabulary; syntax (arrangement of words); voice; use of devices such as metaphors, similies etc. to achieve tone. Are they appropriate to the nature of his story?

Style: Symbol & Irony

Does the story make use of symbols? If so, do the symbols carry or merely reinforce the meaning of the story?

Style: Point of View

What advantages has the chosen point of view? Does it furnish any clues as to the purpose of the story?

Structure: Setting

What contribution to the story is made by its setting? Is the particular setting essential, or could the story have happened anywhere?

Style: Point of View

What point of view does the story use? Is it consistent in its use of this point of view? If shifts are made, are they justified?

Structure: Characters

What means does the author use to reveal characters [ex. what the character says, what the character does, what others say about him/her]? Are the characters sufficiently dramatized? What use is made of character contrasts?