Literature in a New Light

According to author Thomas C. Foster, "When readers first read a piece of fiction, they focus on the story and the characters: who are these people, what are they doing, and what wonderful or terrible things are happening to them?  They will respond emotionally...This is what every author hopes for.  But when an English teacher reads, though he/she will respond emotionally as well, a lot of his/her attention will be fixed on other things" (How to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids).

During the past two weeks, the eighth graders have been practicing identifying and analyzing an author's use of "other things," such as archetypes and/or irony.  Part of this process required students to read several short stories and then write an analytical response in which they "fixed on" the tools an author uses. As students become more aware of what to look for in a story, they will read and understand literature in a new light.

In Josh D's response (an excerpt is typed in red below), he explains how the author's use of irony helps to highlight a character's change in perspective.

In Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," the author uses irony to portray the protagonist's change in opinion.  As the story begins, Rainsford, the main character, is sailing on a yacht in search of adventure.  When Rainsford, an expert hunter, remarks, "Who cares how a jaguar feels?" a reader learns of his callous attitude toward animals (1).  Later, Rainsford falls from the yacht and swims to a nearby island where another hunter, General Zaroff, lives.  General Zaroff says to Rainsford, "We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here" (5).  This is an example of irony because the General reveals to him that he intentionally traps sailors on his island in order to hunt them.  The next day, Zaroff supplies Rainsford, his next victim, with hunting equipment and a head start.  This displays situational irony because Rainsford, the hunter, becomes the hunted.  As a result, Rainsford learns how it feels to be a jaguar or any hunted prey.