Responding to Literature
Critical reading strategies- To analyze any piece of writing-any rhetoric- it is essential to know the subject of the piece, the occasion for it being written, the audience for whom it is written, the purpose of the piece, and the actual speaker (may differ from the author). In other words, use the SOAPS strategy. SOAPSTONE
Subject The general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text. You should be able to state the main subjects in a few words or a short phrase.
Occasion The time, place, context. Or current situation of the piece. It is important that you understand the context that encouraged the writing to happen, but don’t confuse occasion with purpose. Also think of it as the “genesis” of the writing, or what possibly got it stated. Why did the author sit down and write about this?
Audience The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. The audience may be one person, a small group, or a large group; it may be a certain person or a certain people. *Try to be as specific as possible in your description. Authors do not just write and hope someone will read; they write for a specific audience and hope for a possible broader audience then intended. Imagine the author having a conversation. Who is he sitting across from?
Purpose The reason behind the text. This is especially important for examining rhetoric. You cannot examine the logic or argument of a piece until you know the reason for piece, or what the author is trying to tell you. What does the author want the audience to take away? You might remember to think “to”, for example, to inform or to persuade.
Speaker The voice which tell the story. You might believe that the author and the speaker are the same, but that is often no the case. In fiction, the author may choose to tell the story from any number of different points of view or through different methods of narration and characterization. There might be a gender difference. You need to be able to differentiate between the author and the narrator, understanding that what the narrator believes may not be true for the author. In nonfiction, it is important not just to identify the author but also analyze that author’s attitude toward the subject and audience and the “tone of voice” that is used in the selection.
What is his attitude? What is his tone?
What is the author’s style? An author’s style is what makes his or her writing unique. The author has the choice of many different options or rhetorical strategies. Some rhetorical strategies are: imagery, details, language, and syntax. Some relate to the type of appeals made by the author. What does that author choose to use and what does the author choose to sue and what effect does the author’s selections have on the piece?
