What is the primary function of a concordance in literature?

The primary function of a concordance in literature is to provide an index of key terms and locations. A concordance systematically catalogues words or phrases used in a particular text along with their occurrences and contexts. This tool is particularly valuable for scholars, researchers, and students, as it allows for quick reference and analysis of specific words and themes within a work. By providing easy access to where terms appear in the text, a concordance aids in understanding the author’s language choices, recurring motifs, and can facilitate deeper textual analysis.

The other options do not align with the main purpose of a concordance; summarizing the text oversimplifies literary works and doesn’t focus on specific terminology. Listing characters in a narrative might be part of other literary tools but is not the primary function of a concordance. Critiquing literary techniques involves analysis and interpretation, which is outside the scope of what a concordance provides, as it simply indexes rather than evaluates.