L4 Critical Reading Strategies in Literature

Objectives

1. Differentiate between various critical reading strategies and their uses.

2. Analyze a literary text using these strategies.

Key Concepts

Modes of Analysis (Daniel J. Kurland, 2000)

• What a text says: Restating the text's content.

• What a text does: Describing the text's actions or methods.

• What a text means: Interpreting its deeper significance.

Three Main Goals of Critical Reading (Kurland, 2000)

1. Recognize the author’s purpose: Understand why the text was written.

2. Understand tone and persuasive elements: Identify emotional cues and techniques used to persuade.

3. Recognize bias: Detect any partiality or subjectivity in the text.

Critical Reading Strategies

1. Previewing

• Purpose: Gather essential information before reading.

• Guiding Questions:

  • Who is the author, and what are their other works?

  • When and where was the text published?

  • What major events occurred around its creation?

  • What can the title or headings reveal about its content?

  • Why are you reading this text?

2. Annotating

• Highlight or underline important ideas like the thesis, topic sentences, and key concepts.

• Mark unfamiliar words for later reference.

• Write notes, questions, and responses in the margins.

• Use symbols to make your notes more organized.

3. Contextualizing

• Consider the historical, cultural, or biographical background of the text to understand its context and significance.

4. Outlining and Summarizing

• Outlining: Identify the basic structure and main ideas of the text.

• Summarizing: Synthesize key points and restate them in your own words for clarity.

5. Analyzing

• Examine the information presented to support the author’s argument.

• Key Questions:

  • Is the evidence sufficient and relevant to the thesis?

  • Are the sources credible and up-to-date?

  • Why does the author hold their position? What background might influence them?

6. Rereading

• Revisit the text to deepen comprehension and notice overlooked details.

7. Responding

• Draw meaning from the text and present your insights:

  • Write a response or critique.

  • Discuss the text with others to clarify your thoughts.