Skip to main content

How do you critically appreciate a text?

Critical text appreciation is based on the analysis of text from a number of different perspectives. While novices at the art of analysis might think that thinking about the details of a text might make the text boring, in fact, text analysis helps with appreciating a work even more (or, appreciating it in the first place, if the work seems mysterious or boring). 


Context is important, so the first questions to ask include:


  • When and...

Critical text appreciation is based on the analysis of text from a number of different perspectives. While novices at the art of analysis might think that thinking about the details of a text might make the text boring, in fact, text analysis helps with appreciating a work even more (or, appreciating it in the first place, if the work seems mysterious or boring). 


Context is important, so the first questions to ask include:


  • When and where was this text produced?

  • How does it relate to texts and other art forms that came before it?

  • How does it relate to text/art that came afterwards?

  • Who is the author?

  • How does the text fit into the author's life?

Beyond that, it is important to look at writing techniques. Here are some questions to think about:


  • What genre is the text in? Purpose of text?

  • Does the text keep the rules of genre or break them (usually texts do some of both)?

  • What are the characteristics of that genre? Given the historical period of the text, what were the characteristics of that genre when the text was written?

  • What are literary devices used in the text (imagery, analogy, sounds of words, etc.)?

  • How do textual characteristics contribute to the meanings you find in the text? Do they support or undermine them?

You'll find yourself learning a lot about a text through thinking through these questions. The next time you encounter a text like it or perhaps by the same author, you will be able to use what you learned here to understand and appreciate that text better.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more