Thinking About

Literature

• Why Study Literature?

 Why Study
Literature?
• Literature is not the best source for factual
information.

• Writers of imaginative literature:

- often stretch facts

- play with historical events and characters
- alter geographic locations

• However, they often do these things in order to tell

us something about ourselves and the world we
live in.
 Why Study
Literature?
• As we explore the motivations, actions, thoughts
and ideas of an author or the characters or she
created, we consider the issues at hand, weigh
right and wrong, and contemplate how we would
react.

• In the process we learn something about ourselves.

 Why Study
Literature?
• Many find comfort in reading about the motivation
and thoughts of others—how they respond to
disappointment or confusion, come of age, deal
with the joys and challenges of family life, or come
with conflict and change.

• In this way we learn to empathize with people in

situations similar to our own, as well as those in
entirely different cultures, circumstances and even
time periods.

• Literature brings people together; it builds

community.
 Why Study
Literature?
• There are certain authors, works, allusions and
even phrases that contribute to our collective
identity.

• Familiarity with certain works gives us a kind of

common vocabulary with which to explore our day-
to-day world.

• The term associated with this phenomenon is

“cultural literacy”

Example: Even those who have not read the Bible

or had a Judeo-Christian upbringing are likely to
recognize references to the Garden of Eden.
 What Makes an Effective
Reader?
• Writers write because they have something to say,
and want to evoke an emotion.

• There are times reading can and should be done

just for enjoyment.

• However, there are also times—especially as a

student—wherein reading, rereading, and
examining closely and carefully, and thinking
critically about literature adds to our
understanding and appreciation of it.
 What Makes an Effective
Reader?

• As you read literary texts, many of them complex

and challenging, try to find a way where you can
appreciate and understand the work and also
analyze it in a way that deepens your appreciation
of it.
 What Makes an Effective
Reader?
• To get the most out of a literary text, try to develop good habits such
as the following:

- Fearlessness: Be excited about the next text. Take risks with

interpretation. Don’t be afraid to get it “wrong”

- Patience: Hold off on passing judgement on a text until you have

read it in its entirety. Your initial reaction to a literary work isn’t
always the most reliable.

- Many-mindedness: Be open to other ideas and interpretations.

-Attentiveness: Pay attention when you read. Note when you get
confused, frustrated or bored.

-Stamina: Concentrate when you read, think hard and keep thinking
hard. Literary analysis can be exhausting work.