Analytical essay on short story

Det følgende er et eksempel på, hvordan et 12-tals analytical essay om en short story kan se ud. Eksemplet er baseret på en opgaveformulering fra STX A (den analoge eksamensform):

Write an analytical essay (900-1200 words) in which you analyse and interpret Graham Swift’s short story “Fusilli”.

Part of your essay must focus on the narrative technique and on the use of symbols.

Opgaven handler om en novelle af Graham Swift. Vi anbefaler, at du læser novellen først, så du bedre kan forstå vores eksempelbesvarelse. Du kan også læse v…

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Analytical essay on “Fusilli” by Graham Swift

Losing a child is one of the most tragic things that can happen to a parent. Shocked by the loss, the people left behind often struggle to move on, becoming obsessed with the past and alternatively fighting to remember and fighting to forget. This emotional conflict is explored in the short story “Fusilli” by Graham Swift, which revolves around a father who lost his son in Afghanistan. Seemingly unable to move on after his loss, the father finds hope in an unexpected place.

Vores essay starter med den traditionelle tragtindledning, som i første omgang giver et bredt perspektiv på novellens hovedtema - det tragiske tab af et barn og forældrenes reaktion på det. Herefter zoomer vi ind på den konkrete tekst og præsenterer den kort (inklusiv forfatternavn og genre). Til sidst giver vi en kort forsmag på et af de centrale punkter i vores fortolkning, som dog ikke afslører alle detaljer. Dermed vækker indledningen læserens nysgerrighed.

The story starts in medias res, with a scene where a father is shopping in the supermarket (l. 1). We learn that it is two weeks before Christmas, but that the couple has decided to abolish it this year, making the day Remembrance Day instead. This foreshadows the fact that their child has been killed in war.

Soon, the narrative shifts to another day in the supermarket about a month before (ll. 9-10). This day is significant because it was the last time he ever spoke to his son, Doug. These shifts between past and present continue throughout…