I am Pajman,a student in this popular culture course, and I did a text analysis on the novel Narcissus and Goldmund, by Hermann Hesse.

There are a few things you should note before you do a text analysis on a novel: it might be difficult to find sufficient information on the internet, so don't be afraid of the local library/reference desk; they can be very helpful.

I had some specific ideas about the novel before I began doing some research; I later found that some of my ideas were completely off base, but some were right on target.

There are many types of novels that you can analyze, from classics to romance.

Don't forget the importance of the How to be Brilliant in Any Situation handout...Ethos, Pathos, Logos are essential in analyzing text, especially novels like these that other students did in the past:

Surfing the Himalayas, by Frederick Lenz which combined two popular trends in the Western culture, snowboarding and spirituality.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. Want to know the origins of the hippie movement? Read this novel and join the Merry Pranksters.

*Check out this site for Jack Kerouac's On The Road.

*For a discussion on the mega-hit book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, read this!

*For all you cool Stephen King fans, here's a great site.

Here's a winter 1998 top ten list of novels

 

Books:

Adventure, Mystery and Romance (1976) PN 3355 C 36

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