Close-reading and Critical Thinking Breakdown

Breaking down literary interpretation into steps

Purpose: Producing ‘Critical Thinking’ in a college-level paragraph comes naturally for some, but can cause anxiety for others. It’s a good idea for everyone to feel confident about how to ‘unpack’ (or ‘close-read’) a passage from a literary text. Let’s review the steps we practiced last week. The following steps work for discussion, but it’s even more important we begin to write sentences that correspond to them. Note: the Basic Examples below are just ‘templates,’ or models. Feel free use your own language to accomplish the same step.

Step one: Identify a word or phrase in the text we find interesting, exciting, revealing, or worth contemplating.

Activity: In a sentence, draw the reader’s attention to the phase using direct quotes and MLA citation.

Basic Example: One important moment in the text occurs when _____ writes, “_______” (author’s last name [space] page number).

Step two: Discuss the word or phrase by explaining to your reader what it literally means in the text. This may require you to paraphrase the basic idea about the word or phrase.

Activity: In a sentence or two, paraphrase the basic idea behind the word or phrase, as if a reader might now anything about its meaning.

Basic Example: In this passage, ______ is trying to say ______. [And/Or] In this passage, the idea of “_____” stands out because __________. [You may want simply call attention the language itself here, and attempt simply to define it.]

Step three: Discuss the passage in the larger context of novel’s action, plot, and character.

Activity: In a sentence or two, explain how the idea of “____” is supposed to function at that particular point in the story. Why do you think the idea of “___” comes up at the moment? What does it reveal about that moment in the novel’s action? What perspective does it give us on the larger story of the novel, or on the character in question? How does the idea or language ‘mark’ this as a special moment in the story?

Basic Example: This passage is important to the novel’s plot because ____. This passage is important because it reveals ________ about [character, plot, action, point of view]. This passage is instructive because it shows ___________.

Step four: Discuss the ‘deeper’ meaning or ultimate significance of the passage.

Activity: In as many sentences as necessary, explain why this passage is meaningful. You may want to continue expanding on an idea raised in steps 1-3. You may want to connect the passage to an overall ‘thematic pattern’ in the novel. You may, too, want to explain how the passage fits into previous and on-going class themes and discussions, such as ‘moral authority,’ ‘violence,’ or ‘class conflict.’ You may also connect the passage to your own ‘big ideas.’ This is a chance to ‘play’ intellectually and have fun with thinking.

Basic Example: This passage is ultimately significant because ______. The idea of “____” matters because it reveals _______ about how and why American violence occurred at this time in history. The notion of “______” connects to ____, and shows us that ______. The author is trying to convey the importance of “____” to show readers that _____.