Elements of Analyzing Works of Narrative Nonfiction

Remember that you should be reading your chosen novel, and you can use the nonfiction analysis tips and tricks to help you determine the author's purpose. Recall that analyzing nonfiction is similar to analyzing fictional texts. Analyzing nonfiction helps you fully understand the overall purpose of the nonfiction piece. With narrative nonfiction such as biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs, the purposes differ slightly:

Image with purpose of Historical and Biographical literature listed

Understanding the purpose of a narrative nonfiction type helps you understand the overall message or theme that the author is trying to tell you.

Point of View

Along with purpose, understanding point of view provides information for analyzing the text. Review the types of point of view below in relation to narrative nonfiction:

Reliability of the Narrator

You should always try to determine if the narrator is reliable, or someone you can believe. Certain characteristics prevent you from trusting the narrator. For example, if the narrator is a child, a mentally unstable person, or a criminal, you might be less likely to believe their claims or ideas. Also, remember that bias and propaganda exist in nonfiction texts. The writer might attempt to persuade the reader to believe a certain idea by misleading the reader or using propaganda. Review the differences between bias and propaganda below:

Bias and Propaganda definitions

Narrative Analysis Review Self-Assessment

After you feel comfortable with your understanding of the elements of narrative nonfiction analysis, practice your understanding below:

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