A response to literature is a written record of your reactions to and thoughts about a given
text. It should be a well-developed piece of writing that may include statements about:
1. the feelings you experienced while reading (shocked by X, angry at Y, excited about Z)
2. your thoughts about the characters’ decisions (I agreed with so and so or I would not have done
what this character did because…)
3. other narratives (stories, myths, characters, books, films, TV shows) that you were reminded of
while reading and why
4. any questions you have about the text
5. your judgment of the text’s quality, or evaluative comments (this story was ____ because…)
6. your favorite part of the selection
7. the character you related to most easily
8. how interested you were in the outcome of the conflict
9. what changes you might make if you were the author
10. whether the text met your expectations (based on title, cover art, publisher’s blurbs, etc.)
11. why you think the author included certain scenes
12. aspects you didn’t enjoy and why not
13. special techniques the author used (flash forward, monologue, list)
14. various characters’ motivations
15. themes (statements about human nature) and how the author commented on them and whether you
agree (i.e. whether single parents should turn children against non-custodial parents, whether girls
are worth educating or how suffering changes us)
16. universal truths expressed by author
17. the writer’s style (long, flowing sentences or choppy ones, too much military imagery, clichéd
images)
18. the writer’s tone (sarcastic, humorous, vicious, sentimental)
19. the writer’s use of language (metaphors, word choice, voice, slang, dialect)
20. your thoughts about the setting