Analysing Narratives: Character, Setting and Perspective: Year 7 Study Guide
Year 7 students explain not just what happens in a story but how the author makes the reader respond.
Authors build characters through what they say, do and think, how they are described and how others react. Setting includes place, time and atmosphere and can reflect a character's feelings. The narrator's perspective (first or third person, limited or all-knowing) decides what the reader knows.
Literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, foreshadowing, flashback and irony create meaning. Analysing a text means identifying a device, giving a short quotation and explaining the effect.
Literary devices
| Device | Meaning | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Imagery | language that appeals to the senses | builds a picture |
| Symbolism | an object stands for an idea | adds deeper meaning |
| Foreshadowing | hints at what will happen | builds suspense |
| Flashback | returns to an earlier event | explains the present |
| Irony | contrast between expectation and outcome | surprise or humour |
How to write about a text
Use the TEEL structure: Topic sentence (your point), Evidence (a short quote), Explanation (how the quote supports the point and what effect it has) and Link (back to the question). Example: 'The author presents Jess as determined. When she 'gripped the rope tighter and kept climbing', the strong verbs show her refusal to give up. This invites the reader to admire her.'
About character, setting or theme.
Keep it short.
On meaning and reader.
To the question.
Perspective and voice
Rewrite a scene from a minor character's perspective to see how details change. Ask whose voice is heard and whose is silent. In Australian literature, stories by First Nations authors give perspectives on Country and history, and migrant authors explore belonging. Reading widely builds empathy and understanding.
Worked example and common mistakes
Example: 'The sky was a bruise' uses a metaphor that links the storm to pain and warns of conflict. Common mistakes: retelling the plot, quoting long passages with no comment and naming a device without saying its effect. After each quote ask 'so what?'
Check your understanding: model answers
1. Topic, Evidence, Explanation, Link. 2. A hint about what will happen later. 3. To show how the quote supports your point and affects the reader.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Characters are built through words, actions and reactions.
- Setting shapes mood.
- Always explain the effect of a device.
- Use TEEL to structure analysis.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- What does TEEL stand for?
- What is foreshadowing?
- Why explain the effect of a quote?