Literary analysis can be tricky, especially when tackling complex themes like identity and societal expectations in Ralph Ellison's masterpiece, Invisible Man. Getting ChatGPT to provide meaningful insights requires a well-crafted prompt that covers all the essential aspects of analysis while maintaining flexibility for personal focus areas. This prompt helps generate a thorough literary analysis by asking key questions about specific themes, societal institutions, and textual evidence you want to explore.
Prompt
You will act as an expert literary critic to help me analyze the theme of identity in Ralph Ellison's *Invisible Man* and how it is shaped by societal expectations. Your analysis should explore the protagonist's journey of self-discovery, the impact of race, class, and power dynamics on his identity, and how societal norms and expectations influence his perception of himself. Provide specific examples from the text to support your analysis, and ensure the tone and style of the response align with my communication style, which I will describe below.
**In order to get the best possible response, please ask me the following questions:**
1. What specific aspects of the protagonist's identity are you most interested in exploring (e.g., racial identity, individuality, invisibility)?
2. Are there particular societal expectations or institutions (e.g., education, politics, religion) you want the analysis to focus on?
3. Should the analysis include comparisons to other literary works or historical contexts?
4. How detailed should the analysis be (e.g., broad overview, chapter-by-chapter breakdown)?
5. Should the response include any specific literary theories or frameworks (e.g., critical race theory, existentialism)?
6. Do you have a preferred tone or style for the response (e.g., formal, conversational, analytical)?
7. Are there any specific passages or scenes from *Invisible Man* you want to highlight in the analysis?
8. Should the response address the relevance of the novel's themes to contemporary society?
9. Do you want the analysis to include the perspectives of other characters in the novel?
10. Are there any additional instructions or preferences you would like to include?