memory-literary-analysis

name	memory-literary-analysis
description	Analyze a complete literary work into a structured Basic Memory knowledge graph. Covers schema design, entity seeding, chapter-by-chapter processing, cross-referencing, validation, and visualization.
permalink	moby-dick/skills/memory-literary-analysis/skill

Memory Literary Analysis

Transform a complete literary work into a structured knowledge graph. Characters, themes, chapters, locations, symbols, and literary devices become interconnected notes — searchable, validatable, and visualizable.

When to Use

• Analyzing a novel, play, poem, or non-fiction book end-to-end
• Building a teaching or study resource for a literary text
• Creating a book club companion knowledge base
• Research projects requiring structured close reading
• Stress-testing Basic Memory at scale (~200+ notes, 1000+ relations)

Pipeline Overview

Phase 0: Setup         → project, schemas, directory structure
Phase 1: Seed          → stub notes for known major entities
Phase 2: Process       → chapter-by-chapter notes in batches
Phase 3: Cross-ref     → enrich arcs, add parallels, write analysis
Phase 4: Validate      → schema checks, drift detection, consistency
Phase 5: Visualize     → canvas files for character webs, timelines

Phase 0: Setup

Create the Project

create_memory_project(name="moby-dick", path="~/basic-memory/moby-dick")

Define Schemas

Write 6 schema notes to schema/. Each schema defines the entity type's fields, observation categories, and relation types.

Character Schema

write_note(
  title="Character",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "Character",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "role(enum)": "[protagonist, antagonist, supporting, minor], character's narrative role",
      "description": "string, brief character description",
      "first_appearance?": "string, chapter or scene of first appearance",
      "status?(enum)": "[alive, dead, unknown], character status at end of work",
      "rank?": "string, formal rank or title",
      "crew_role?": "string, role aboard ship or in group"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# Character

Schema for character entity notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Major characters in characters/major/, minor in characters/minor/
- [convention] Observation categories: trait, motivation, arc, quote, appearance, relationship, symbolism, fate
- [convention] Relations: appears_in, contrasts_with, allied_with, commands, symbolizes, associated_with"""
)

Theme Schema

write_note(
  title="Theme",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "Theme",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "description": "string, what this theme explores",
      "prevalence(enum)": "[major, minor], how central to the work",
      "first_introduced?": "string, where theme first appears"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# Theme

Schema for thematic analysis notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Observation categories: definition, manifestation, evolution, counterpoint, quote, interpretation
- [convention] Relations: embodied_by, contrasts_with, reinforced_by, explored_in, expressed_through"""
)

Chapter Schema

write_note(
  title="Chapter",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "Chapter",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "chapter_number": "integer, sequential chapter number",
      "pov?": "string, point-of-view character or narrator mode",
      "setting?": "string, primary location",
      "narrative_mode?(enum)": "[dramatic, expository, soliloquy, cetological, mixed], chapter's primary mode"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# Chapter

Schema for chapter-level analysis notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Chapters stored in chapters/ directory
- [convention] Observation categories: summary, event, tone, technique, quote, significance, foreshadowing
- [convention] Relations: features, set_in, explores, contains, employs, follows, precedes, parallels"""
)

Location Schema

write_note(
  title="Location",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "Location",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "description": "string, what this place is",
      "location_type(enum)": "[ship, town, building, body_of_water, region, fictional], type of place",
      "real_or_fictional(enum)": "[real, fictional, both], whether the place exists"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# Location

Schema for location and setting notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Observation categories: description, atmosphere, symbolism, significance, geography
- [convention] Relations: setting_for, associated_with, symbolizes, contains, part_of"""
)

Symbol Schema

write_note(
  title="Symbol",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "Symbol",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "description": "string, what the symbol is literally",
      "symbol_type(enum)": "[object, animal, color, action, natural_phenomenon], category of symbol",
      "primary_meaning": "string, most common interpretation"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# Symbol

Schema for symbolic element notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Observation categories: meaning, appearance, ambiguity, interpretation, quote, evolution
- [convention] Relations: represents, associated_with, appears_in, contrasts_with, located_at"""
)

LiteraryDevice Schema

write_note(
  title="LiteraryDevice",
  directory="schema",
  note_type="schema",
  metadata={
    "entity": "LiteraryDevice",
    "version": 1,
    "schema": {
      "description": "string, what the device is",
      "device_type(enum)": "[rhetorical, structural, figurative, narrative, dramatic], category",
      "frequency(enum)": "[pervasive, frequent, occasional, rare], how often used"
    },
    "settings": {"validation": "warn"}
  },
  content="""# LiteraryDevice

Schema for literary technique and device notes.

## Observations
- [convention] Observation categories: definition, usage, effect, example, significance
- [convention] Relations: used_in, characterizes, expresses, related_to"""
)

Directory Structure

<project>/
  schema/            # 6 schema definitions
  chapters/          # one note per chapter + epilogue
  characters/
    major/           # protagonist, antagonist, key supporting
    minor/           # named characters with limited roles
  themes/            # thematic analysis notes
  locations/         # settings and places
  symbols/           # symbolic elements
  literary-devices/  # techniques and devices
  analysis/          # cross-cutting synthesis
  tasks/             # processing tracker

Phase 1: Seed Entities

Before processing chapters, create stub notes for major entities so [[wiki-links]] resolve from the start.

Characters (major)

For each major character, create a stub with known metadata:

write_note(
  title="Captain Ahab",
  directory="characters/major",
  note_type="Character",
  tags=["character", "major", "protagonist"],
  metadata={"role": "protagonist", "description": "Captain of the Pequod, monomaniacally obsessed with the White Whale"},
  content="""# Captain Ahab

## Observations
- [role] Captain of the Pequod, protagonist and tragic figure
- [appearance] Scarred, one-legged, with a whalebone prosthetic

## Relations
- commands [[The Pequod]]
- hunts [[Moby Dick (White Whale)]]
- contrasts_with [[Starbuck]]"""
)

Seed Checklist

Type	Count	Examples
Characters (major)	~15	Ishmael, Ahab, Queequeg, Starbuck, Stubb, Flask, Tashtego, Daggoo, Pip, Fedallah, Father Mapple, Bildad, Peleg, Elijah, Moby Dick
Themes	~10	Obsession, Nature/Sublime, Fate/Free Will, Race/Class, Knowledge/Limits, Religion/Mythology, Revenge, Isolation, The Unknowable, Masculinity
Locations	~6-8	The Pequod, Nantucket, New Bedford, Spouter-Inn, The Chapel, Pacific Ocean
Symbols	~6-8	The White Whale, The Doubloon, The Coffin/Life-Buoy, Whiteness, The Try-Works, Queequeg's Tattoos

Stubs don't need to be complete — they give [[wiki-link]] targets and will be enriched during chapter processing.

Phase 2: Chapter Processing

Source Text Preparation

Download the full text and split by chapter headings. Chapters in Moby Dick are marked with CHAPTER N. or ETYMOLOGY / EXTRACTS / Epilogue.

Batching Strategy

Process ~10 chapters per batch to balance depth with progress:

Batch	Chapters	Narrative Focus
1	1-9	Shore: New Bedford, Spouter-Inn, Chapel, Sermon
2	10-23	Queequeg friendship, Nantucket, boarding the Pequod
3	24-35	Early voyage, cetology digressions begin
4	36-42	Quarter-Deck oath, Sunset/Dusk soliloquies, Whiteness
5-13	43-130	Voyage: whale encounters, gams, Pip's madness, cetology
14	131-Epilogue	The three-day Chase, destruction, survival

Per-Chapter Workflow

For each chapter:

1. Create the chapter note:

write_note(
  title="Chapter 36 - The Quarter-Deck",
  directory="chapters",
  note_type="Chapter",
  tags=["chapter", "pivotal", "dramatic"],
  metadata={
    "chapter_number": 36,
    "pov": "Ishmael (dramatic mode)",
    "setting": "The Pequod, quarter-deck",
    "narrative_mode": "dramatic"
  },
  content="""# Chapter 36 - The Quarter-Deck

## Observations
- [summary] Ahab reveals his true purpose: hunting Moby Dick. Nails a gold doubloon to the mast as reward.
- [event] Ahab administers the oath — crew drinks to the death of Moby Dick
- [event] Starbuck protests but is overridden by Ahab's charisma and the crew's frenzy
- [tone] Theatrical, ritualistic, escalating from inquiry to frenzy
- [technique] Written almost entirely as stage directions and dialogue — a play within the novel
- [quote] "He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it."
- [significance] The pivotal scene that transforms a commercial voyage into a revenge quest
- [foreshadowing] The oath-taking ceremony echoes dark pacts and dooms the enterprise

## Relations
- features [[Captain Ahab]]
- features [[Starbuck]]
- features [[Stubb]]
- features [[Flask]]
- set_in [[The Pequod]]
- explores [[Obsession]]
- explores [[Fate and Free Will]]
- contains [[The Doubloon]]
- employs [[Dramatic Monologue]]
- follows [[Chapter 35 - The Mast-Head]]
- precedes [[Chapter 37 - Sunset]]"""
)

2. Enrich related entities:

edit_note(
  identifier="characters/major/captain-ahab",
  operation="append",
  heading="Observations",
  content="""- [arc] Ch.36: Reveals obsession publicly, nails doubloon, administers blood oath
- [quote] "He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength" (Ch.36)"""
)

3. Track progress using the memory-tasks skill to create a processing task that survives context compaction.

What to Capture Per Chapter

Category	What to Look For
[summary]	1-2 sentence chapter synopsis
[event]	Key plot events (actions, revelations, arrivals)
[tone]	Emotional and stylistic atmosphere
[technique]	Narrative innovations (soliloquy, stage direction, catalog)
[quote]	Memorable or thematically significant passages
[significance]	Why this chapter matters to the whole
[foreshadowing]	Hints at future events

Entity Enrichment Per Chapter

As each chapter is processed, append observations to relevant entities:

• Characters: [arc] moments, new [trait] revelations, [quote] attributions
• Themes: [manifestation] in this chapter, [evolution] shifts
• Symbols: [appearance] with context, new [interpretation] angles
• Locations: [atmosphere] as described, [significance] in scene
• Literary devices: [example] from this chapter

Phase 3: Cross-Referencing

After all chapters are processed:

Character Arcs

For each major character, write a full [arc] summary observation covering their trajectory across the work.

Theme Evolution

For each theme, add [evolution] observations tracing how it develops from introduction to resolution.

Chapter Parallels

Add parallels and contrasts_with relations between structurally similar chapters (e.g., the three soliloquy chapters 37-39, the three-day chase 133-135).

Analysis Notes

Create synthesis notes in analysis/:

write_note(
  title="Narrative Structure",
  directory="analysis",
  note_type="note",
  tags=["analysis", "structure"],
  content="""# Narrative Structure

Analysis of Moby Dick's narrative architecture...

## Observations
- [structure] Three-part arc: shore (1-23), voyage (24-130), chase (131-epilogue)
- [technique] Alternates dramatic chapters with cetological digressions
...

## Relations
- analyzes [[Captain Ahab]]
- analyzes [[Ishmael]]
- explores [[Knowledge and Its Limits]]
..."""
)

Recommended analysis notes:

• Narrative Structure — overall architecture and pacing
• Moby Dick Overview — synthesis of the complete work
• Critical Reception — historical and contemporary interpretations

Discover Emergent Entities

During chapter processing, new minor characters, locations, and symbols will emerge. Create notes for any that appear in 3+ chapters or carry thematic weight.

Phase 4: Validation

Schema Validation

# Validate each entity type
schema_validate(noteType="Character")
schema_validate(noteType="Theme")
schema_validate(noteType="Chapter")
schema_validate(noteType="Location")
schema_validate(noteType="Symbol")
schema_validate(noteType="LiteraryDevice")

Drift Detection

schema_diff(noteType="Character")
# ... for each type

Fix issues found — common fixes:

• Missing required observation categories → add them via edit_note
• Enum values outside allowed set → correct metadata
• Fields in notes but not schema → add as optional to schema if legitimate

Relation Consistency

Spot-check bidirectional relations: if Chapter X features [[Ahab]], does Ahab appears_in [[Chapter X]]? Fix gaps.

Phase 5: Visualization

Generate canvas files for visual exploration:

# Character relationship web
canvas(query="type:Character AND role:protagonist OR role:antagonist OR role:supporting")

# Theme connections
canvas(query="type:Theme")

# Chapter timeline with key events
canvas(query="type:Chapter", layout="timeline")

Adapting to Other Works

This pipeline works for any literary text. Adjust for genre:

Genre	Schema Adjustments
Play	Add Act and Scene schemas; Character gets speaking_lines field
Poetry collection	Replace Chapter with Poem; add form, meter, rhyme_scheme fields
Non-fiction	Replace Chapter with Section; add Argument, Evidence schemas
Short story collection	Add Story schema with narrator, setting, word_count
Epic/myth	Add Deity, Prophecy schemas; Location gets mythological_significance

Scaling Guidance

Work Length	Batch Size	Estimated Notes
Novella (~40K words)	5-10 chapters	~50-80
Novel (~80K words)	8-12 chapters	~100-150
Long novel (~200K+ words)	10-15 chapters	~200-300
Series (multiple volumes)	1 volume at a time	~200+ per volume

Related Skills

• memory-schema — Schema creation, validation, and drift detection
• memory-tasks — Track chapter processing progress across context compaction
• memory-notes — Note writing patterns, observation categories, wiki-links
• memory-ingest — Processing external input into structured entities
• memory-metadata-search — Querying notes by frontmatter fields
• memory-lifecycle — Archiving completed analysis phases

Guidelines

• Seed before processing. Create entity stubs first so wiki-links resolve immediately during chapter processing.
• Batch for sanity. Processing 10 chapters at a time balances depth with momentum. Track progress with a Task note.
• Observations are your index. The knowledge graph's value comes from categorized observations. Be generous with categories and specific with content.
• Relations are your web. Every chapter should link to characters, themes, locations, and devices. Every entity should link back to chapters where it appears.
• Enrich iteratively. Entity notes grow richer with each chapter. Don't try to write the perfect character note upfront — append as you go.
• Validate periodically. Run schema_validate after each batch, not just at the end. Catch drift early.
• Quote generously. Literary analysis lives on textual evidence. Include significant quotes as [quote] observations with chapter attribution.
• Analysis comes last. Synthesis notes in analysis/ should be written after all chapters are processed, when you have the full picture.