Yesterday, you were asked these three
questions…
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Prompt #1
In many works of literature, a physical journey—the literal movement from one place to another—
plays a central role. Based on the text Life of Pi, consider how a physical journey adds to the
meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid plot summary.
Prompt #2
One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you
discuss how a character in Life of Pi struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this
power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work as a whole.
Prompt #3
Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre
nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may
be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. In a well-developed
essay, identify the mystery in Life of Pi and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of
the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Yesterday, you were asked these three
questions…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Prompt #1
In many works of literature, a physical journey—the literal movement from one place to another—
plays a central role. Based on the text Life of Pi, consider how a physical journey adds to the
meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid plot summary.
Prompt #2
One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you
discuss how a character in Life of Pi struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or
seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this
power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work as a whole.
Prompt #3
Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre
nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may
be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. In a well-developed
essay, identify the mystery in Life of Pi and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of
the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Micro and Macro Reading Skills
Micro Vs. Macro
• Micro-Reading Skills:
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Plot
Characterization
Setting
Point of View
Symbolism
Irony
• Macro-Reading Skills
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Genre
Time period
Author’s background
Political and
philosophical
movements
MOWOW
“Meaning of the Work as a Whole”
(It’s a fancy term for “theme” )
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Characterization
– Who are the main characters?
– Why would the author highlight this/these specific
characters, as opposed to other characters?
– What are the characters’ motivations? How do
you know?
– How would you describe the characters?
– Can the characters be considered stock characters
or are they breaking the mold?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Conflict
– What is the central conflict in the story?
– Who is in conflict? Why?
– Can the conflict be symbolic of anything?
– Is the conflict resolved? How? What is left
unresolved?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Dialogue
– What is unique about the dialogue? Does it reveal
a specific time period?
– Who is doing most of the speaking? Who is doing
the least speaking? What might be important
about that?
– What is left unsaid? What might be important
about what’s left unsaid?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Imagery
– What imagery do you recognize in the text?
– How is the imagery creating a certain mood in the
text?
– Are there any places when the imagery changes?
Or stops altogether? What might be important
about that?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Setting
– What is the setting of the story (when and where)?
– How do the characters feel about the setting? Do they
all feel the same? Do certain characters care
differently about the setting? What might this say
about their characters?
– Is the time of year significant? What might be
important about the season? Does it change? Why?
– How does the weather change in the story? Can the
weather symbolize anything significant in the story?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Point of View
– Who is the narrator of the story? How do you
know?
– How does the narrator feel about the events in
the text?
– How does the narrator feel about the characters?
Does he or she like them? Pity them? Detest
them? How do you know?
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Symbolism
– What important ideas, images, or places recur in the
text?
– Is there an idea, image, or place that the narrator
focuses intently on? Why?
– What might that idea, image, or place represent?
*Remember that symbol is different than metaphor! A
symbol is an actual part of the story; a metaphor is a
figurative device used to describe something in a story.
Questions to ask yourself as the reader
• Tone
– Based on the narration, how does the author feel
about the events in the text?
– How does the author feel about particular
characters? How do you know?
Task
• Today, we are going to focus on a short piece
called “The Sunflower.” Each of you has been
given one literary device to read for. Read
through the short story on your own, reading
for the specific device. Then, answer the
questions you’ve been given. We will debrief
as a class.
Character
Setting
Symbolism
POV
Conflict
Tone