Final answer:
To analyze fiction, one must consider elements such as characterization, plot, and setting along with language use such as imagery, metaphors, and symbols, which create a richer narrative and thematic depth.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing fiction, it's important to consider various literary elements such as characterization, plot, and setting, but it's also crucial to look at the use of language, which includes the use of imagery, symbol, and figurative language like metaphor and simile. While characters and settings can provide insight into human nature and represent real or allegorical worlds, language devices like imagery and metaphors create visual pictures and comparisons to deepen our understanding of the text. Imagery can consist of concrete visuals which the reader can 'see' through the text, whereas symbols and metaphors offer a level of abstraction and depth, suggesting meanings beyond the literal.
For example, saying 'My love, you are a rose,' employs a metaphor to suggest that one's love is beautiful and possibly delicate, just like a rose. Similarly, a simile such as 'My darling, you are like a rose,' uses 'like' to compare one's love to the qualities of a rose. By examining the author's language, we see how these elements work together to enrich the narrative and its themes.