What is annotation? 

Annotating a passage is reading with a pen in your hand. As you read a text, you note down questions you have, connections you make, important quotes, and ideas that come to mind. You can take these notes in the margin of your book, on a separate sheet of paper, or type them into an electronic note.

Why should I annotate? 

Have you ever read a book or article for school, went to do an assignment, and felt like you completely forgot the entire text? Annotating helps to keep you engaged with the text as you read. Since you will be asking questions and making connections, your brain will be much more likely to remember important ideas from the text. It's similar to taking notes when you hear a sermon or speech. 

Annotating is also a great habit to develop that will help you if you pursue higher education and as you prepare for a new job. Learning to pay close attention to a text will help you when you are required to read and absorb large volumes of information. You can also annotate as you read the Bible, jotting down your questions and new things you learn. 

How to Annotate

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  1

  Gather your materials. You might find it easiest to keep a notebook and pen ready to go as you read. You could also annotate electronically—just ensure you save your work often. However you initially take your notes, you will be submitting your annotations on the provided chart. 

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  2

  As you read, try to focus on these categories: (Read more about each category and see examples in the boxes below) 

  1. Characters

  2. Modernism

  3. Theme: Appearance vs. Heart

  4.  Theme: Upper class vs. Lower class/Societal expectations 

  5. Theme: Science vs. Humanity

  6. Observations/Questions

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  3

  Write your annotation into the provided chart. Ensure you clearly indicate where the annotation is from (Act and Scene number). You can summarize a selection from the play or use a direct quotation.

Characters

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As you read, keep track of who the characters are and how they grow or change.

Note down any major changes the characters experience or any philosophical reveals they make. 

Example

Higgins reveals his arrogance and lack of care for other humans: "She's so deliciously low - so horribly dirty" (Act II, Scene I). 

Modernism

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Note areas of the play that seem to point to the modernist mindset or cultural reality of England in the late 1800s. You are looking for examples of:

• A bleak, realistic look at life and society

• A lack of hope

• A pragmatic, realistic way of looking at the world rather than an emotional personal way

• Discussions of morality, politics, philosophy, and other human concerns

• Settings that are rooted in reality, such as drawing rooms and personal homes

• A focus on middle or lower-class characters rather than an elevation of the monarchy 

• An exploration of the person's inner thought life

Example: Act II, Scene 1 takes place in Higgins' drawing room, furnished normally "comfortable" as described by the stage directions.

Theme: Appearance vs. Heart

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Note examples of how appearances can be deceiving. Higgins attempts to sneak Eliza into high society by making her look and sound like a rich woman; however, she is still a poor flower seller. Higgins often feels better than Eliza because he is wealthy and educated, and she is not. Trace these ideas throughout the play. 

Example: 

Higgins: "Shall we ask this baggage to sit down, or shall we throw her out of the window?" (Act II) - Higgins shows his personal disdain for Eliza, who is "lower" than him, and fails to treat her as a valuable human.

Theme: Science vs. Humanity

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Look for ways that Eliza's humanity is passed over in favor of Higgins' experiment. Who does see her as a valuable human, and why?

Example: Mrs. Pearce: ... "When you get what you call interested in people's accents, you never think or care what may happen to them or you" (Act II). 

Theme: Upper class vs. Lower class/Societal expectations

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Look for examples of how the upper and lower classes are contrasted in appearance, manner, and personality. 

Example: Higgins tells Eliza to leave if she is going to make so much noise, and Eliza retorts she has just as much right to be there as him. Higgins replies: "A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere - no right to live" (Act 1). Higgins thinks the lower class do not have as much value if they do not speak properly.

Observations/Questions

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This box is for any questions you'd like to investigate, interesting parts of the play you'd like to remember, or it can be used for overflow from other boxes.