Understanding Literature

1. Understanding Literature The Reading and Writing Program At Western New England College

2. Imagine living your life with no mirror or reflecting pool.

3. Not only would you never know when you were having a bad hair day… You would only understand yourself from one limited perspective.

4. In the same way that a mirror shows you something important about yourself, • Literature reflects the great themes of human life… Good Evil Life Death Right Wrong Love Hate

5. Usually we encounter literature on the page, but the stage, podium, and screen are other possible venues.

6. Basic Elements • Literature is built around several key elements. It is important to understand these elements, if you are going to appreciate the texts you’re reading. • Point of View – the perspective from which a story is observed and told • Symbol – an object that represents an abstraction (Doves symbolize peace.) • Theme – the main idea

7. Basic Elements • Tone – the overall mood • Setting – the geographical, historical, and social location • Plot – the sequence of events and action

8. Often it takes more than one encounter with literature to make us appreciate its value, especially when we are reading. • Reading is challenging because it requires an active mind.

9. Read Actively • Consider the title carefully. Titles usually provide basic information about a text. • Here are some examples: • Bonfire of the Vanities • My Antonía • The Waste Land • The Inferno

10. How to Read Actively • Mark unfamiliar words and expressions, and look them up in a dictionary or reference resource. • Keep track of your feelings and responses to the text. • Label key passages. • Ask questions while you are reading.

11. How to Read Actively • List themes, insights, and key quotations. • Underline important ideas or passages that you don’t understand. • Make connections between related ideas or expressions. • Summarize the action or main ideas.

12. Annotating a Text • If you follow the guidelines for active reading, you will create an annotation of the text. • Annotations serve as a guide and help you uncover key themes and questions for writing assignments.

13. Don’t let your cultural biases or beliefs destroy your objective approach to the text. • Be open to new ways of looking at the world.

14. And Remember… • Reading literature will teach you many things about yourself and the world around you.