Taryn MacLean

Dr. Seglem

TCH 238

23 April 2017

Reading Analysis

Reader Response

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares is a fictional novel about four

young girls who have been best friends their whole lives. For the first summer ever, they are

spending the three months apart. What connects them are their letters and the pair of traveling

pants, which is just an old pair of jeans that Carmen found at a thrift store. The novel follows the

four of them, Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby, in their various locations. Lena spends the

summer in Greece with her sister, visiting her grandparents for the first time. Carmen goes to

South Carolina to visit her dad for the summer, but the trip is not what she expected. Bridget

goes to soccer camp in California and becomes interested in a boy. Tibby is left at home by

herself to work a summer job while all of her friends are away on their trips. Each of their

journeys has its ups and downs, and they all come back together in the end.

The structure of this book was one of the things that stood out to me the most. Besides

the prologue and epilogue, written in Carmens first-person voice, the novel is told in third

person with each girl having an equal part in the narration. In the middle of a chapter,

perspectives switch out of nowhere, and the reader has to jump back into another girls story

right where they left off however many pages before. There is a question and answer section in

the back of the book where the author talks about structuring the book that way. She commented

that she wrote each part separately, then put the pieces together, like a movie editor. I found this
fascinating. I have read books that are from multiple perspectives before but none quite like this

one. I think writing the book in this way definitely added to the overall quality of the book.

Jumping into different stories every few pages kept the book moving forward quickly and

allowed me, as a reader, to feel involved in every girls story.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the character development. When it started

out with four main characters, it was hard to keep up at first. But as it progressed, I got to know

the characters so well that I felt they were my friends, too. The author did this by having each

girl be fairly introspective. The girls also know each other so well and sometimes described each

other for the reader to better understand each character. An example of when Brashares does this

is when Lena is describing Bridget:

Lena had known Bee well enough and long enough to be worried. She knew Bees life

had been remade at one time. There were fault lines from then. Bee sprinted along in a

torrent of activity, but once in a while something unexpected slammed her hard. It left

Bee slow and uncertain. She fretted. She wasnt good at putting herself back together.

Bridget was like a toddler sometimes. She grasped for power. She demanded it. But when

she got her way, she was left only with herself, and that terrified her. Her mom was gone,

and her dad was timid and out of touch. She needed to know someone was looking out

for her. She needed someone to promise her that the world wasnt empty. (Brashares 285)

This is not the first time they describe Bridgets desire for power and getting her way.

Throughout the novel, the reader learns that Bridget is confident, sure of herself, and talented in

a multitude of ways. I almost disliked the way that the author portrayed Bridget at first because

she seemed almost perfect. However, when something happens with the boy she likes, she is left

feeling unlike herself and needs a friend to come and pick up the pieces. Bridgets depth is just
one example of character development in the novel, and the same can be said for all four of

them. They have such strong personalities that the reader can leave the book knowing several

adjectives to describe each one of them.

I wish that the author would have described what actually happened to Bridget. All that

the reader knows is that she was with the boy she liked and that they were intimate with one

another. This left me with questions about what actually happened. I suppose leaving the details

out was intentional because it was not about what happened, rather the way that it affected

Bridget. Still, it felt like hers was the only story that was slightly unfinished in the end.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know these strong characters with

their unique stories. In reflecting upon the book in this way, I realized the most important aspects

of the story for me were the way that the book was structured and the way that the characters

were given such complex descriptions. This story drew me in and made me want to continue

following the girls throughout the rest of the series.

Close Reading
Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances by Walt Whitman
Of the terrible doubt of appearances,
Of the uncertainty after allthat we may be deluded,
That may-be reliance and hope are but speculations after all,
That may-be identity beyond the grave is a beautiful fable only,
May-be the things I perceivethe animals, plants, men, hills, shining and flowing waters, 5
The skies of day and nightcolors, densities, formsMay-be these are, (as doubtless they
are,) only apparitions, and the real something has yet to be known;
(How often they dart out of themselves, as if to confound me and mock me!
How often I think neither I know, nor any man knows, aught of them;)
May-be seeming to me what they are, (as doubtless they indeed but seem,) as from my
present point of viewAnd might prove, (as of course they would,) naught of what they
appear, or naught any how, from entirely changed points of view;
10
To me, these, and the like of these, are curiously answerd by my lovers, my dear friends;
When he whom I love travels with me, or sits a long while holding me by the hand,
When the subtle air, the impalpable, the sense that words and reason hold not, surround us
and pervade us,
Then I am charged with untold and untellable wisdomI am silentI require nothing
further,
I cannot answer the question of appearances, or that of identity beyond the grave;
15
But I walk or sit indifferentI am satisfied,
He ahold of my hand has completely satisfied me.

Upon my first reading of this text, Of the Terrible Doubt of Appearances by Walt

Whitman, I was only able to take away so much. Based on the title, I figured Whitman was

talking about the way that people present themselves, as well as the way they are perceived. It

seemed as if the narrator was confused in the first half of the poem, or at least questioning. The

meaning behind it was still unclear to me. The second half seemed to be talking about his friends,

To me, these, and the likes of these, are curiously answerd by my lovers, my dear friends;

however, I was still unsure of what he message he was trying to convey about his friends. I

thought that a key idea of the poem was that he felt comforted by his friends. It seemed as if he

was still left questioning everything that he had in the first half, as seen in line 14, but the

presence of his friends seems to make it better. The last two lines describe how he feels better

because of them. Whitman used words that sounded both reflective and questioning, words such

as uncertainty, speculations, and may-be, that made me picture the narrator sitting down

somewhere pondering life.

When I read the poem again, I decided that it could be split up into two parts. Everything

up until line 10 seemed to be Whitman asking all of the questions that I had realized upon my

first reading. The first four lines seemed to be incomplete thoughts. They were all dependent

clauses without independent clauses to be connected to. This adds to the feeling that the narrator

is thinking deeply. He moves from one thought to another, all connected but unfinished. A few

lines in, he talks about the things he perceives, separating the specific descriptions with dashes in

lines five through seven. Everything that he perceives is what we take as reality. He talks about
plants, colors, animals, men, etc. It seems as if he is questioning whether these things truly exist.

May-be these are, (as doubtless / they are,) only apparitions, and the real something has yet to

be known; The interruption of the parentheses in this section, and in the few lines to come,

shows his back and forth. While he wonders if all of these things are apparitions, he

acknowledges the fact that they are a given in life as we know it, which is why he describes them

as doubtless. The parentheses stop after the first half of the poem, but Whitman continues to use

punctuation as a way to show that this is one, unraveling thought. He uses commas, semicolons,

and dashes, but the only period in the entire poem is at the very end. I think the message

Whitman is trying to convey with this is that we all have our doubts and uncertainties, but close

relationships with other people can help us to feel comforted.

When I read the poem a third time, I tried to look for the deeper, overall meaning. I think

that all of the questioning in the beginning of the poem about his surroundings and his reality is

really about him questioning his own identity. He talks about dying, That may-be identity

beyond the grave is a beautiful fable only, and how that relates to his identity. That line, to me,

means that he is questioning whether life really goes on after death. However, I do not think that

the loss of his identity after death is the focus of the first half. I think the focus is that in

questioning his surroundings, he is also questioning himself and how he fits into the world. The

second half, then, focuses on his loved ones. He starts two lines with the word when. He sets

up this situation where somebody he loves is with him and describes what happens then. Then I

am charged with untold and untellable wisdomI am silentI require nothing / further, The

untold and untellable wisdom is that friendship, or close relationship. He is able to sit with this

other person and feel completed, despite all of these unanswered questions. The question of his

identity no longer seems as pressing of an issue. I cannot answer the question of appearances, or
that of identity beyond the grave; / But I walk or sit indifferentI am satisfied, Whitman is

saying here that even though all of these questions remain unanswered and he still cannot answer

the question about his own identity, he feels complete. He knows that with this close relationship

he is fulfilled in his life.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants relates to this Walt Whitman poem because all of

the girls are growing into their own identities over the course of the novel. They question

themselves and try to discover who they are. Lena is especially introspective and thinks about the

ways that she can be perceived as rude by other people. She questions why she is so different

from her family and wonders why she cannot make herself be more approachable. Carmen

knows when she is acting immature but does it anyway because it feels better to. Along with

these self-acknowledgements, they have their own questions as well. Tibby always wonders what

it would be like to have a simpler existence, like that of her guinea pig, and decides that she

needs to live a fuller life once her guinea pig and other close friend die over the summer. Bridget

knows that she is overly confident sometimes, and learns that sometimes she takes situations too

far. These all relate to Whitmans questioning of his identity. He looks more at his surroundings

while the girls look within themselves, but there are questions with no answers and feelings of

uncertainty in both the book and the poem.

Along with the girls questioning their identity, they still believe that their sisterhood is the

most important thing in their lives. Carmen comes crying home to Tibby when her life with her

father becomes too much for her. Lena goes to visit Bridget after her time in Greece because she

is worried about Bridget based on her letters. These friends support each other through all of the

uncertainties in their lives. Though they are all still discovering their own identities, they come

back together as one, complete group. They end their summer all sitting in a circle, surrounded
by the love and trust that comes with a lifetime of friendship. The last line of Whitmans poem

relates to the end of the book. He ahold of my hand has completely satisfied me. Whitman is

content with the friend, or other close relationship, that he has. This alone is enough to leave him

feeling completed. The four friends in the book had entirely different summers than one another

for the first time, which was scary to them at first. But in the end they came together with one

another and felt comfort in their togetherness.

Critical Literacy

In the novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, there are many

voices not being heard. Since the novel follows four young women, the obvious marginalized

voice is the male voice. While several of them do interact with boys, there are not very many

male voices being heard throughout the course of the novel. One way to look at this

marginalization is by imagining what the novel would be like with male characters as the leads.

They would likely not express their emotions in the same way, feel the same closeness, or be

connected by an item of clothing.

The expression of emotion is a big part of the novel that allows the reader to understand

each girl better. The girls use their emotions to describe situations and to give the reader insight

on the situation at hand. She was sad about what had happened to Kostos. And someplace under

that, she was sad that people like Bee and Kostos, who had lost everything, were still open to

love, and she, whod lost nothing, was not (Brashares 221). This quote shows Lena processing

her questions about identity, which go hand in hand with her emotions surrounding the topic. If

the novel had been written from the male perspective, the reader might not get as much of this

insight into the characters emotions. Even if the male character did describe his emotions

through his thoughts, he likely would not express them in the way that the girls do in the book.
While sometimes they do keep a bit more to themselves, a lot of the time they express their

emotions through writing letters to each other, talking to those around them, or crying. The

authors intent in leaving out this male perspective on emotions was likely that she wanted the

reader focus on how girls interpret their own emotions and how they use these emotions to make

sense of their lives. Her target audience was likely young females similar to the main characters

in the novel, so the author excluded the male perspective on emotions to emphasize the female

emotions and processing of emotions.

Since the girls are able to express their emotions to one another in their letters, they

maintain this sense of closeness throughout the summer that they have always had. This

closeness can be seen when they ask one another for advice or wish to themselves that one of

their friends was with them. Carmen really cried. She sobbed. She shuddered and heaved and

gulped for breath like a four-year-old. Tibby put both arms around her, smelling and looking that

comforting Tibby way, and Carmen was so relieved to be in a safe place with someone who

knew her really, truly, that she let loose (Brashares 195). This closeness that Carmen feels with

Tibby, also tied in with emotion, is something often described from a female perspective in

novels. Females seek friendship in those who are able to support them and love them, those they

can feel close to. On the other hand, Males seek friends who can provide material support and

who will stand by them in times of trouble (Brown & Knowles 2014, p. 36). Males are looking

more for that loyalty and looking out for one another, as well as material support. Had the novel

been told from a male perspective, the main characters may have supported each other through

difficult situations by standing up for one another. The authors purpose in leaving out the male

perspective in this feeling of closeness and overall friendship was, again, that she wanted to
emphasize the female side of it. The reader is able to fully focus in on the close relationship of

the girls, without being distracted by a different interpretation of friendship and closeness.

The main symbol of the novel is, of course, the traveling pants. Before the girls are all

separated for the summer, they realize that this pair of pants miraculously fits every single one of

them. Carmen finally let out her breath. These are magic pants. (Brashares 18). They send the

pants to one another throughout the summer, and they become a symbol of their togetherness,

even though they are apart. Had the novel been written about boys, they might have some other

object connecting them. It is likely that it would not be a piece of clothing. Maybe from a boys

perspective, they would not feel as if they needed something symbolic to connect them at all.

The authors intent in marginalizing the male perspective in this aspect was likely to emphasize

the unique qualities of the pants. They made each girl feel confident in herself and like she could

do anything. They also reminded them of each of their friends and how they were with them

through both the happy and challenging times.

In examining these three aspects, one can see how the male perspective is left out of the

story. Presumably, the authors intent in doing so was to emphasize the unique time that is female

adolescence. The target audience would relate more to the novel from the girl perspective, since

they are able to relate to the emotions, closeness to friends, and sharing clothing with other

female friends. While the male voice is marginalized, there is a reason for this exclusion that

adds to the overall message of the story.

Final Reflection

As we discussed in class, the reader response was definitely the easiest of the three. I

talked about the aspects of the book that I enjoyed and what stood out to me, as a reader. The
difficult part of the reader response was mostly narrowing it down to only a few things. I could

have gone through many aspects of the book and explained why I liked them, but I decided to

narrow it down to only a few key points. I think this approach would definitely be beneficial

when asking students to reflect on a readers workshop novel. They would be not asked to look

at anything in particular in the novel to critique while reading, so it does not inhibit the aesthetic

mode of reading that they are engaged in. Rather, they would just be asked to reflect on the novel

after they have read it.

The most difficult approach, in my opinion, was the close reading. I do not have much

experience interpreting poetry, so it was very difficult to try to find a poem that was both

complex enough to get a lot out of and manageable to decipher. I looked at a lot of poems, but

for some reason it was hard to relate them back to my book. It was much different than the reader

response, where I just had to draw on my own experiences and write them down. If I were to do

this again, I know this would be the section that I need to work on. When I do it with my

students, I want to make sure to find a shorter text that really emphasizes the overall meaning of

the story. I would need to teach the students different ways that we can break the poem apart in

order to get a better look at it.

The critical literacy approach was difficult as well. The main idea that I tried to keep in

mind was that there are marginalized voices in every text. I think I correctly identified the

marginalized voices, and there were several to choose from; however, it was difficult to analyze

the authors intent in marginalizing these voices. This was something that I struggled with in

class when we discussed it, as well. I think my students would need to really draw upon their

critical thinking skills in order to effectively write with this approach in mind. What made this
approach easier was finding one aspect to focus on by doing a switch, in my case a gender

switch, then using that to help explain each claim.

There were things I liked and did not like about each approach, but I am glad that I have

now had experience with all three. In the future, this will help me to realize what skills I want my

students to develop and some of the different ways that I can have them show me those skills.
 Works Cited

Brashares, Ann. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. New York: Random House, 2001. Print.

Brown, Dave F., and Knowles, Trudy. What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know.

Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2014. Print.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Philadelphia: David McKay, [c1900]; Bartleby.com, 1999.

www.bartleby.com/142/.