Close Reading of Texts

1. Close Reading of Texts Dr. Gardner Ms. Baxter 10th Honors World Literature

2. What is a “text”? The word “text” comes from the Latin texere, “to weave.” Deriving from the Latin, most definitions place “text” as a linguistic structure woven out of words or signs. To call something a “text” implies that the words, phrases, lines or sentences of which it consists have not been arranged this way by chance, but have been produced by a person and with certain kinds of intentions. Therefore, a text contains meaning which is open to interpretation.

3. A Wider Definition: Others expand that definition beyond that of a literary text to say a text is anything (or anyone) that can be --analyzed --assessed --examined --explicated --deconstructed and thus is open to interpretation.

4. Excavation of room (and teacher) Your recent assignment was to excavate the class room. In your excavation you analyzed, assessed, examined, explicated, and deconstructed the room to interpret its meaning for you and your education. When you examined all the elements of the room, you were “reading” the text of the room; you were doing an active, close reading. This is what you will be doing for literary texts this year: You will be excavating texts just as you excavated the room. You will be doing an active, close reading.

5. How to Do a Close Reading: When you close read, (1) you observe facts and details about the text. • Focus on a particular passage or on the text as a whole. • Notice all striking features of the text: rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references, oppositions, correspondences, historical references.

6. Close Reading Con’t (2) Interpret your observations. (Inductive Reasoning—moving from the observation of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on these observations.) • Requires careful gathering of data (your observation). • Requires careful thinking about what these data add up to.

7. How do you begin? (1). Read with a pencil in hand and annotate the text with “thinking notes.” Annotation is active; it’s not just highlighting. (See examples at link below.) http://faculty.bucks.edu./specpop/annotate.htm

8. Your “thinking notes”—some ideas (2). Establish meaningful annotations as “thinking notes.” When you recognize • a main point, mark (in your own book or on a post-it note in a borrowed book) “aim/objective/main.” • important conclusions, mark with an asterisk (*). • unclear or confusing parts, mark with a question mark (?). • author viewpoint, mark “vp.” Come up with your own shorthand markings.

9. What do you look at/for? • Text structure • Chronological structure • Sequence of events • Comparative/contrasting issues • Similarities/contradictions • Repetitions/patterns • Cause and effects • Spatial/descriptive issues • Concrete vs. figurative language • Allusions • Authorial purpose

10. AND MOST IMPORTANT-- • Active reading requires knowing and understanding the words you are reading. • ALWAYS read with a dictionary (or dictionary app.) at your side. • Again—annotate definitions of words you don’t know. Expand your vocabulary!

11. So… As we read some very interesting texts this year, actively dig deep to --analyze --assess --examine --explicate --deconstruct and thus to interpret and gain knowledge! You are then making meaning from the text.