Unless your instructor specifically asks you to, do not summarize the story, assignment, or material. You must assume your audience is already conversant with the topic at hand. Only include those details necessary to get your point across. For instance, in response to the question, "What is symbolic about the wallpaper in Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’?", do not write:

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," a woman arrives at a spooky house ready to spend her summer vacation with her husband, and getting some much-needed rest. She winds up staying in an upstairs bedroom with barred windows and furniture nailed to the floor. She keeps a daily journal, even though her husband, who is also her doctor, disapproves of her spending time doing anything but resting. Eventually, the woman becomes aware that the wallpaper in the room seems to have strange properties. By the end of the story, the wallpaper has created so much confusion in the character that it has become symbolic of her madness.

Instead, try to write something more to the point:

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the wallpaper symbolizes the way a woman’s husband does not allow her to participate in everyday life. She is covered up by her husband’s love, just as the walls in her room are covered by old and moldy wallpaper.

When writing about literature, make sure you refer to events in the story in the present tense. In a very real way, the events occur each time a reader picks up the text; therefore, we can discuss these events as though they are ongoing.