When reading a novel for literature class, one of the most important parts of the process is analyzing the story. This means looking at themes, symbols, motifs, and more to understand what exactly the author is saying through this work. You'll also learn how to form arguments about the meaning of a text by using evidence from the text and thematic analyses to gain deeper insight into works. Fiveable's free literature guides are here to help you learn how to perform a literary analysis and apply that in writing essays!