Literature: An
Introduction to
Reading and Writing
Chapter 1
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What is Literature, and
Why Do We Study It?
• “compositions that tell stories,
dramatize situations, express
emotions, and analyze or advocate
ideas”
• Most began as oral tradition.
• “[W]e gain much from it.”
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What is Literature, and
Why Do We Study It?
• “Literature helps us grow, both
personally and intellectually. It
opens doors for us. It stretches our
understanding, and enlarges our
power of sympathy. It helps us see
beauty in the world around us.
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What is Literature, and
Why Do We Study It?
• It links us with the cultural,
philosophical, and religious world of
which we are a part….It enables us to
see worthiness in the aims of all
people.”
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What is Literature, and
Why Do We Study It?
• “It makes us human.”
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Types of Literature:
The Genres
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Prose fiction
Poetry
Drama
Non-fiction prose
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Fiction
• Short stories
• Novels
• “The essence of fiction is narration,
the relating or recounting of a
sequence of events or actions.”
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Poetry
• “If prose is expansive, poetry tends
toward brevity….Poetry’s power lies
not only in its words and thoughts,
but also in its music, using rhyme and
variety of rhythms to intensify its
emotional impact.”
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Drama
• “Drama is literature designed for
stage or film….The essence of drama
is the development of character and
situation through speech and action.”
• Early drama was poetry.
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Types of Literature:
The Genres
• Prose fiction
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myths
parables
romances
novels
short stories
• Poetry
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sonnet and villanelle
ballad and epic
blank verse
couplets
elegies
epigrams
hymns
limericks
songs or lyrics
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Types of Literature:
The Genres
• Non-fiction prose
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news reports
feature articles
essays
editorials
textbooks
diaries
journals
– historical and
biographical works
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Guidelines for Reading
• Observations for basic understanding
– “Explain words, situations, and
concepts.”
– “Determine what is happening in the
work” – setting, characters, point of
view
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Guidelines for Reading
• Notes on first impressions
– “Make a record of your reactions and
responses.”
– “Describe interesting characterizations,
events, techniques, and ideas.”
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Guidelines for Reading
• “Development of ideas and
enlargement of responses”
– “Trace developing patterns….conflicts.”
– “Write expanded notes about
characters, situations, and actions.”
– “Always write down questions that come
up during your reading.”
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Raise and Answer Your
Own Questions
• “What is happening as the work
unfolds? How does an action at the
work’s beginning bring about the
work’s later actions and speeches?”
• Who are the main characters? What
seems unusual or different about
what they do in the work?”
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Raise and Answer Your
Own Questions
• “What conclusions can you draw about the
work’s actions, scenes, and situations?
Explain these conclusions.”
• “What are the characters and speakers
like? What do they do and say about
themselves, their goals, the people around
them, their families, their friends,, their
work, and the general circumstances of
their lives?”
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Raise and Answer Your
Own Questions
• “What kinds of words do the
characters use: formal or informal
words, slang or profanity?”
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Writing Essays on
Literary Topics
• “Writing does not come easily for
anyone.”
• “A major purpose of your being in
college…is to develop your capacity to
think and to express thoughts clearly
and fully.”
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The Writing Process
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Planning
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brainstorming, clustering, freewriting,
outlining
Drafting
Revising and editing
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Use the process carefully. Use your
colored pencils.
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The Goal of Writing: To
Show a Process of Thought
• Do not rehash the
plot.
• “[Y]our goal should
always be to
explain the work
you are analyzing.”
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I disagree.
• I totally disagree with Roberts’s
assertion about assuming the reader
knows the work. Instead, include the
plot summary in the opening
paragraph that includes the whole
story, not just a teaser.
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“The Need to Present an
Argument When Writing
Essays about Literature”
• “prove—or demonstrate—a point or
idea about it.”
• use the material from the story to
prove your assertion (specifics)
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Approaches
• “Determine the Work’s Historical
Period and Background”
• “Describe the Economic and Social
Conditions Depicted in the Work”
• “Explain the Work’s Major Ideas”
• “Learn about and Describe the
Work’s Artistic Qualities”
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Verb tense
• “[W]hen writing about literature, you
should use the present tense of verbs.”
• “Mathilde and her husband work and
economize [not worked and
economized] for ten years to pay off
the 18,000-franc debt they undertake
[not undertook] to
pay for the lost necklace.”
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Introduction
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Title
Author
Plot summary
transition
Thesis: topic and assertion
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Author’s Name
• In the first sentence, use the author’s
whole name.
• Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is the story
of an old African-American woman by the
name of Phoenix Jackson, who walks the
long miles into town to get much-needed
medicine for her sick grandchild that
swallowed lye years ago.
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Author’s Name
• In later paragraphs, use the author’s
last name only.
• Welty’s Phoenix Jackson is a model
for love, dedication, bravery, and
determination.
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Body
• The specifics with references to the
text.
• Incorporate quotes smoothly into
your text.
• Phoenix’s “eyes [are] blue with age”
(139), meaning that she can hardly
see due to cataracts.
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Conclusion
• Restate what you have proven.
• Broaden out.
– If there were more people in the world
with the drive and determination of
Phoenix, the world would be a better
place. Young people need role models
like her.
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Guidelines
• “Never just retell the story or
summarize the work. Bring in story
materials only when you can use them
as support for your central idea or
argument.”
• “Throughout your essay, keep
reminding the reader of your central
idea.”
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Guidelines
• “Within each paragraph, make sure
that you stress your topic idea.”
• “Develop your subject. Make it
bigger than it was when you began.”
• Always make your statements exact,
comprehensive, and forceful.
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Guidelines
• “[R]emember, never just
retell the story or
summarize the work.”
Not just plot!
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