It has been said that the key point of analytical discussion in American high school English classes is analysis. So what content are students usually asked to analyze? Why is it difficult?

There are many points that can be analyzed, such as plot, characters, author\'s background, etc. But the more common and difficult analysis mainly focuses on two aspects:

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  1. First, rhetorical techniques. For example, the teacher will ask students to analyze the role of certain rhetorical devices, such as similes, metaphors, symbols, personification, etc. But many times, Chinese students have not been exposed to these rhetorical techniques before, so this is a difficult point.

    Second, the theme. The so-called theme is the message that the author is conveying. There are many themes with two words, such as ambition, ambition, money, self-esteem, hero, etc. The most common problem with Chinese students' analysis of themes is that they are superficial. They briefly mention these themes in the article, but there is no in-depth analysis of how these themes are discussed in literary works and what their significance is.

    For example, a relatively shallow analysis would say that Macbeth is a very ambitious man. As we said above, anyone who has read this work can basically draw this conclusion. Therefore, if an article only proves that Macbeth is an ambitious person, then it will definitely not get high marks.

    An in-depth analysis will say that Macbeth has excessive ambition, and his excessive ambition also led to his ultimate failure. This kind of analysis is very layered. Students not only have to explain that Macbeth is an ambitious person, but also prove that he has excessive ambition, and how his ambition made him become an arrogant person step by step, and how it led to his final fate. fail. Students must not only analyze the development of the character Macbeth, but also analyze his environment, the events he experienced, and the changes in his heart, as well as how ambition affects him.

    From the comparison of the above two analyses, you can see that good and in-depth analysis requires students to explain and demonstrate the significance of a certain theme of a certain work in a layered manner. The quality and depth of the analysis are precisely The fundamental difference between getting a B or an A in an English literature course in an American high school.

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