Literary Analysis Web Directions

Literary Analysis Web

Making meaning by relating the parts to the whole and the whole to the parts

The Process and the Question
Over the summer we've thought about the following questions: What could each of you do to show that you understand how the parts contribute to a whole? How can you show that a writer’s choices -- choices of individual events, of the order of events, of the (sometimes strange) descriptions and details, of the repeated images, of the characters and characterization, etc. -- fit together to suggest something the significance of the work as a whole?

You will answer these questions by creating a literary analysis web in response to Invisible Cities, Invisible Man, or Wide Sargasso Sea.

The Web, part one: the center
Each student will make a web. At the center of the web will be a robust paragraph (100 words to 300 words or so), explaining in your own words, your understanding of what the novel you’ve chosen is fundamentally all about. What exactly do you think the novel suggests?

(Hint: To begin thinking about the essential themes in the novels review your passage responses and the summaries of summer session discussions written by Mr. Telles.)

The "introductory" paragraph will explain your "big idea," your "bold, insightful assertion" about the novel's meaning. Spend some time with this. The GHS schoolwide rubric says that in order for such paragraphs to be considered proficient they must be clear, supportable, debatable, and insightful; the ones that are advanced will also be sophisticated and/or original . (Warning: Do not turn to the internet looking for an answer. Rely on your own interpretive skills, your own heart and mind. Each year several students ignore this warning and end up receiving no credit (0) for one or more summer reading assignment.)

The Web, part two: the threads
Then you will connect the central paragraph to interpretations of how at least four passages in the novel support your "big idea," your "bold assertion," your "central insight". Choose passages that show development over the course of the novel (beginning, middle, and end) as well as a range of choices made by the author that contribute to the novel’s development.  (Let me make it clear that four is a minimum and to create a thoroughly convincing web you might need to refer to more passages.)

These "interpretations" need to show two things: an understanding of the passage itself and an understanding of how the passage supports your "big idea," your central insight about the significance of the whole. How you show your understanding of the passage and your understanding of its connection with the "big idea" is up to you.

To show your understanding of a passage what will you do? Will you write a paragraph (in the manner of a standard essay) explaining how the passage supports the central paragraph? Will you quote the passage in one font and offer an explication (an unfolding of meaning) in relation to your big idea by using another font? Will you create a picture that shows an understanding of the passage (and its relationship with the central paragraph)? Will this picture show symbolic understanding as well as literal understanding of the passage?

To show the connections what will you do? Will you draw lines? Will each connecting line include a sentence linking the passage with the big idea? Will you use a "footnote" or "endnote" system in which you put numbers in your central paragraph that will lead to numbers which offer explanations of how passages support the central paragraph? Will you create Powerpoint slides to show connections?

And, finally, will you go beyond? Will you show not only how the big idea is connected with passages but also how the passages are connected with each other? What else might you do to show the relationship between the parts of the novel and your understanding of the whole?

Note:

I know some of you are thinking, just tell me what to do! This is too vague.

Part of AP English Lit & Comp is learning how to be a critical, creative, resourceful, and independent reader and writer. I want you to show me that you don't need to be led by the hand but can come up with appropriate, innovative solutions to challenges. In this case I've given you a few parameters (write a central assertion of a, connect that central assertion to an understanding of at least four passages). I've given you some examples of how you might complete the assignment. I've left the rest up to you.

The Web, part three: teaching your peersYou will be creating a physical object -- a web -- and you will be called upon to explain the web at some point during the second week of class.

Due DatesThe physical "web" in whatever form you create is due Monday, Sept. 10th.
The "teaching your peers" part of the assignment will take place during the week of Tuesday, September 10 through Friday, September 14.

GradingAdvanced webs will offer an insightful, sophisticated, perhaps original understanding of the novel as a whole. This overall understanding will be linked to persuasive, nuanced understanding and interpretation of how at least four passages drawn from key moments throughout the novel support your understanding of the whole. These webs may go "beyond" the parameters of the assignment in some significant, meaningful way.
Proficient webs will offer a clear, thoughtful, plausible, understanding of the novel as a whole. This overall understanding will be linked to a reasonable understanding and interpretation of how at least four passages from the beginning, middle, and end of the novel contribute to the whole. The webs are generally considered to have succeeded in fulfilling the assignment but not to have exceeded expectations for a student entering an introductory college-level course at a competitive college or university.

Webs that need improvement may not offer a clear or plausible understanding of the novel as a whole. The central paragraph may point out themes but may not offer interpretation or insight as to the meaning of the themes in the novel. These webs refer to at least four passages but may not adequately show an understanding of the passage or of how the passage contributes to the work as a whole. The understanding and connection of some passages may be effective The passages may not be drawn from the beginning, middle, and end of the novel. In general these webs do not meet the expectations for a student entering an introductory college-level course at a competitive college or university.

Webs that receive warning status may include the weaknesses cited above but also fail to adhere to the basic parameters of the assignment. They may show little to no understanding of the novel or of the passages.

Any web that includes language or material taken directly from another source will receive a zero.

Invisible Man pt. Two, August 10

We rearranged the time of this meeting a little bit to try to get out of Mr. Kearns' way and accommodate a few students, but even after doing this, we unfortunately had a record low turn-out.  So it was hard to get a discussion moving very well as the few people in attendance became tapped-out rather quickly.  We were able to hit on a few important things, and there were some fascinating and instructive insights offered by those who attended.

I started off by once again reiterating that the goal for the summer is to do our best to move from the level of making significant observations (not always easy in itself) to making assertions about why those observations are meaningful in the context of the book as a whole.  I then moved on to describe the nature of Questions 1-3 on the AP exam, taking more time to describe question 2, known as a passage analysis.  I brought up the skill of "close reading" in relation to question 2, for which there is no solid definition, but I offered the following advice: a) look closely at words in a passage for multiple meanings, echoes of other words, shades of meaning, levels of diction, or groups of words that may suggest irony, patterns of words etc. b) pay attention to the syntax of sentences and what the syntax may suggest, particularly regarding tone, and c) do your best to associate all you have observed re: words, syntax, tone, phrasing, etc to what you determine is meaningful about the passage as a whole.  Use your quotation response journals as a chance to practice these skills, and we will be practicing them during the school year in a formal setting.

As for The Invisible Man, we returned to Trueblood's dream (which few of us wanted to think about last time) and took notes -- passage analysis style -- on what we noticed going on in the passage.  Most of us primarily noted the dominant images in the passage: the grandfather clock, the white room, the white woman who is both seductive and threatening, the warm and cold water, and so on.  We thought through the book and tried to connect these dominant images to other parts of the book, and students brought up the woman at the Battle Royal, for instance.  We then discussed how the passage dramatizes sexual relationships as a power struggle or struggle for control, as in the scene at the end of the book when the Invisible Man meets Sybil.  One of the students noted the slightly humorous tone of the passage, and another brought up other borderline absurd images such as Ras on horseback with a spear, and Jack's glass eye falling out.  Someone mentioned that the humor in the book relieves the heavy-handedness of the metaphors, but the humor does this without losing the impact or seriousness that is suggested by the metaphor.  We then thought about some of the big metaphors, such as Clifton's sambo dolls, and how every detail is so suggestive: it is what we could call a controlling image, embedding a tremendous amount of meaning in a single object. Several students brought up the Invisible Man's first speech to the Brotherhood as a meaningful moment, and one student pointed out how the tone of the narrative or speech changes dramatically according to the level of emotion experienced by the narrator, as though the "thinking brain" gives way to the "reptilian brain."  These students were analyzing the text on the level of tone and figurative imagery, which are essential skills. Retelling the story was not a concern, for they saw the story embedded in the images and language choices of the author.

I'm really hoping to see more of you next time, for all of our sakes!  I need to address a few things, however:

a) if you are not able to make a meeting, you are expected to post a comment in the comment box for that meeting.  They need to be at least 250 words and should extend the discussion of the book in some way.  I'll be looking at, and marking these, very soon.

b) If are not able to make a meeting, you must send me a quotation journal by email.  I am very concerned about some students that have not been giving me any work.  I am not accepting late papers -- this is an AP class and everyone was informed of the expectations in the commitment letters.  The three quotation response journals and one creative project (detailed at next meeting) as well as the blog comments will be averaged and rolled into your first quarter grade.  Those who attended meetings will receive some form of credit for coming, although if you did not attend meetings you will not be downgraded for anything -- only if you did not turn in work.

And finally: the next meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 24 at 9:00.  The book: Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.  Hopefully that will accommodate everyone, even band campers (!).  Thanks for reading, Mr. Telles.