reading response

A reading response is due at the beginning of class every Thursday on the assigned reading to be discussed for that day. Students are responsible for bringing a printed copy in person to class. Late submissions of reading responses or non-in-person submissions are accepted with a penalty of ten points in reduction. The reading response must be typed in the following font: Times New Roman, size 12. It must be double-spaced and cover at least one full page. Choose a particular text (if there are more than one assigned) and do a close reading for your response. Strive for a strong thesis in your analysis.

Analysis (70%):

a) Interpretation of text (e.g., making sensible connections between text and context, understanding the textual mechanics, i.e., narrative perspectives, voices, ellipsis, narrator-reader relationship, characters, plot, social environment, imagery, trope, etc.)

b) Effectiveness of argument (e.g., strength of thesis, employment of relevant examples, logical development of thesis, proactive attention to counter-arguments, etc.).

Delivery (30%):

c) Quality of prose (e.g., flow of language or absence of awkwardness; precision in diction and phraseology; conformity to grammatical and stylistic conventions, etc.).