The words you write on a paper are literally an open book of the way you’ve decided to organize your words in the best format.
You don’t want to be embarrassed especially in a literature class and be the subject of your professor’s lecture.
Make the best impression by writing several drafts and have a proffessor or someone in the same department check what you've written.
The is not necessarily what the 'real world' wants, it's just how your professors and literature class wants you to write. Writing as well as art is very subjective, especially at a high level so if an authority figure doesn't enjoy your work, somebody else will.
Writing can be something very personal, so when it comes to assignments take criticism on the chin and evolve.
Do what you have to do for the class, but don't let a paper drastically change your creative process, embrace it. Before submitting your paper to your lecturer read on.
Step by Step
Does the text frequently change between past and present? This can present an instability you might want to analyze. Are there unanswered or unanswerable questions, either by the situations or by the characters themselves? This can be explored as literary theory if you so wish.
Look at the scenes and situations. If the story takes place in one location does the author want to show the static nature of the characters? Look at the transitions if many locations are used (cars, airplanes, trains, horses etc).
If there is only one point of view, question the reliability of it and the motives behind it. You only see one side of the story when looking through a filter of one character.