Literature essays are academic assignments given to students that require them to examine and evaluate a literary work as a whole or a part or aspect of it. This is done so students can identify and analyze hidden themes in a literary piece of work. But students often find this essay type to be quite complex as they do not have much knowledge about the various aspects of literature. This is the reason why students find it safer to take literature essay help services than risk writing it with their limited knowledge. If you are a student who feels that they lack knowledge of literature and gets confused by jargons like ‘archetype’, ‘dystopian’, ‘medieval’ etc. Then read this write-up till the end. By the end of this article, you will be able to understand the context of these commonly used themes.
Literature can be classified through many aspects. These are the four categories that it is generally distinguished by:
1. Genre
2. Themes
3. Time period
4. Socio-cultural context
Whenever you are given a literature essay to write, you will have to choose a topic and knowing the various genres, themes, time periods and socio-cultural context will help you make your decision more easily. At times teachers also specifically ask for a literature essay on a work of a particular genre or time period. Here is a guide to the 4 categories so you can navigate yourself easily through the preliminary process of your literature essay writing task:
1. Genre
Genre is a category of distinctive literary compositions. It is determined based on several aspects like tone, literary techniques, content and even the length of the writing. There are many genres and sub-genres that exist, with new emerging genres. Here are some of the basic ones:
Non-fiction
Detective & Mystery
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Personal Narrative
Apocalyptic & Dystopian
Children’s literature
Tragedy
Romance
Epic
Horror
v Comedy
2. Theme
In literature, a theme refers to a central topic or message within the narrative. According to assignment helpers, to determine the theme of a literary piece you need to analyze its characters, plot, setting, conflict etc. Here are the major types of themes found in literature:
Coming of age
Gender & sexuality
Realism
Sports
The antagonist & Villains
Archetypes
Censorship
The protagonist & Hero’s, Heroines
Mythology
Revenge
3. Time Period
The time period in literature refers to the era that the piece was written in. The work is reflective of the customs and philosophies of the age it was written in which is relevant in understanding the work. The Time-period of literature is classified into the following:
Ancient
Classical
Medieval
The Renaissance and Reformation
Neoclassical period
The Romantic Period
The Victorian Era
The Modern Period
The Post-modern Period
4. Socio-cultural Context
The socio-cultural context in literature refers to the language that is used. It represents the culture and society in which it is used. Here are some socio-cultural context used in literature :
British
American
Native American
Canadian
African American
Women and Feminist literature
LGBTQ
Religious
Colonial & Immigrant
These are some basic concepts of literature that every literature student must know about. Understanding these basics of literature will help you massively when writing a literary essay. But if you find yourself stuck somewhere while writing, you can always seek aid from a literature essay help service.