Understanding Literature

The Reading and Writing Program

At Western New England University
 Imagine living
your life with
no mirror or
reflecting pool.
 Notonly would you
never know when you
were having a bad hair
day…
 You would only
understand yourself
from one limited
perspective.
 In the same way that a Good
mirror shows you Evil
something important Life
about yourself, Death
 Literature reflects the Right
great themes of human Wrong
life…
Love
Hate
 Usually we
encounter
literature on the
page, but the
stage, podium,
and screen are
other possible
venues.
 Basic Elements
 Literature is built around several key elements. It
is important to understand these elements, if you
are going to appreciate the texts you’re reading.
Point of View – the perspective from which a story
is observed and told
Symbol – an object that represents an abstraction
(Doves symbolize peace.)
Theme – the main idea
 Basic Elements
Tone – the overall mood
Setting – the geographical, historical, and social
location
Plot – the sequence of events and action
 Often it takes more than one encounter with
literature to make us appreciate its value,
especially when we are reading.

 Reading is challenging because it requires an

active mind.
 Read Actively
 Consider the title carefully. Titles usually provide
basic information about a text.
 Here are some examples:
 Bonfire of the Vanities
 My Antonía
 The Waste Land
 The Inferno
 How to Read Actively
 Mark unfamiliar words and expressions, and look
them up in a dictionary or reference resource.
 Keep track of your feelings and responses to the
text.
 Label key passages.
 Ask questions while you are reading.
 How to Read Actively
 Listthemes, insights, and key quotations.
 Underline important ideas or passages that you
don’t understand.
 Make connections between related ideas or
expressions.
 Summarize the action or main ideas.
Annotating a Text
 If you follow the
guidelines for active
reading, you will create an
annotation of the text.
 Annotations serve as a
guide and help you
uncover key themes and
questions for writing
assignments.
 Don’t let your cultural
biases or beliefs
destroy your objective
approach to the text.
 Be open to new ways
of looking at the
world.
And Remember…

 Reading literature will

teach you many things
about yourself and the
world around you.