Literary Artifacts: What Are These and How to Use Them in Your Essays

Literary Artifacts: What Are These and How to Use Them in Your Essays

Looking for ways to evoke curiosity in your readers? Communicate a specific meaning? Express your thoughts more clearly and powerfully? All of these things are possible if you use relevant literary artifacts to support your opinion. They allow you to engage with the material on a deeper level and draw stronger conclusions. Yet, to boost the quality of your writing, artifacts should be carefully researched and selected. In this article, we’ll discuss what an author can use as a literary artifact and how to employ them in an essay. 

What Is a Literary Artifact?

An artifact is an artificial creation that carries artistic, cultural, or historical value. It can be a physical object (painting, photograph, map, sculpture, etc.) or an intangible creation (dance, text, musical composition, etc.).

Literary artifacts are textual works that are characterized by creative expression and artistic qualities. They represent concepts and ideas of the culture in which they were created, as well as about their authors and intended audience. 

Any literary work or its element that has cultural or historical importance can become an artifact. For example:

  • Fiction;
  • Nonfiction;
  • Poetry;
  • Letters;
  • Speeches;
  • Collective works;
  • Manuscripts;
  • Pamphlets.

Artifacts often serve as evidence in academic assignments. Selecting and analyzing them is a valuable skill for students who pursue a humanities major. If you want to develop it and learn from experts, consider getting essay help online. You’ll discover how to interpret literary artifacts to gain a deeper understanding of their meaning. 

How to Choose Literary Artifacts for Your Essay

Considering the variety of literary artifacts created under the influence of diverse cultures and historical backgrounds, selecting them for your essay seems daunting. You want to find the most expressive and meaningful pieces that convey the intended message. This requires careful research and analysis. Look for information on an artifact and factors that have influenced its creation in reputable sources like books, encyclopedias, and scholarly articles. You should gather some background information on:

  • Creator;
  • Audience;
  • Intended message and function;
  • Context;
  • Genre and style;
  • Structural and formal characteristics. 

Besides, it’s crucial to have your essay planned out before you choose an artifact to analyze. Having a clear idea of the thesis statement and the direction of your argument will help you pick a relevant option.

However, if these steps seem too overwhelming, there is a quick fix. You can get research and writing help from one of the writing services. Check EssayService reviews by NoCramming.com to find professional writers and get an overview of their offers. It’s a useful resource to consult before getting academic assistance. 

How to Use Literary Artifacts

Literary artifacts are a useful source of evidence that allows you to build a strong argument and reach conclusions. They carry embedded messages about politics, technological progress, the economy, and social phenomena. You can approach the analysis of literary artifacts from various angles. This may include the interpretation of:

  • Direct quotations;
  • Symbolic meanings;
  • Aesthetics;
  • Philosophic foundations;
  • Characters that stand in for a particular idea;
  • Background historical events;
  • Social, political, or economic contexts in which an artifact was created;
  • Effect of culture on characters;
  • Figures of speech (metaphor, similes, etc.);
  • Imagery;
  • Dialogue;
  • Plot and setting;
  • Major ideas and themes.

Literary artifacts provide insights into various aspects of human life. You can analyze the ideology and philosophic foundations behind major historical events like movements, policies, and conflicts. 

It’s also a source of information about social development. They are especially useful when you need to discuss abstract concepts like justice or liberty. An artifact gives them specific meanings so you can have a solid standpoint to refer to and explain your argument.

You can also decode cultural messages from literary artifacts. Their content provides information about the external manifestations of culture as well as their deeper-level context. Being a representative of the environment in which they were created, literary artifacts express values, customs, and traditions. They provide reasoning and patterns of thinking behind cultural expressions.

Benefits of Using Literary Artifacts

Literary artifacts improve your writing in a variety of different ways. Use them to:

  • Evoke curiosity in yourself as an author and your readers;
  • Get an in-depth understanding of the subject matter;
  • Guide the development of your argument;
  • Make the writing process more enjoyable with a fresh and interesting angle drawn from a literary artifact;
  • Improve your skills in analytical writing;
  • Explore different ways in which meaning can be communicated;
  • Develop your critical thinking skills by breaking down the meaning that artifacts convey;
  • Demonstrate your skills and in-depth research.

The Bottom Line

A literary artifact is a valuable source of information about the time and place in which it was created. As an object of research and analysis, it provides insights into cultural, historical, economic, and social contexts. Use them in your writing to take it to the next level and set yourself up for success.

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