Critically Reading a Text
Sage advice borrowed from Andrew Durkin, Assistant Lecturer and Course Coordinator at USC
On this website (and in our class in general), we’ll use the word “text” to refer to anything that can be read (or looked at critically). Thus, on the one hand, “texts” would include traditional documents like books, essays, and other types of literature. However, your concept of this word should also include things like advertisements, films, websites, comics, buildings, cars, clothing, and even hairstyles.
Sizing up a text -- Although the old cliché about how you “shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” can certainly be true, at the same time there is a lot you can learn about a text before you even read it. Take a moment to consider this question: what kinds of information can you glean from a text just by “sizing it up”? What can you learn about a book by considering things like font size and text layout, title page layout, chapter headings, frequency of images, back-of-the-book blurbs, and other seemingly simple descriptors? I say you can learn a lot—though you should always keep an open mind, keeping aware that some of your initial responses might be invalidated somewhere down the line.
Writing in your texts -- We all know the grammar and high school warnings against vandalizing books, but in college usually you will own the book (or the text) in question, and thus you should also make it yours intellectually by writing in it. Marginal commentary in your texts—on the order of what I provide for you in my responses to papers—will usually ensure better intellectual results than mere highlighting or underlining. If you are able to use language (and not just abstract symbols) to question, analyze or otherwise remark on a passage, word or section from the text, it shows that you have been able to internalize the idea at hand, and that you understand it, and are not merely “going though the motions” of note-taking. Very often the germ of a key idea for your paper will develop in your marginal commentary for one of the readings.
Strange words -- Each text will have its own lexicon; be prepared for this! In addition to your note-taking, it is always a good idea to keep a list of new, unusual or confusing words from the text. A dictionary is always a helpful tool to have nearby, but also be aware that certain terms won’t be defined in a standard dictionary (particularly if you are dealing with a theoretically-based text). People who are “in the know” can usually explain these terms -- just make sure you ask after you’ve already consulted the dictionary. Finding out the meanings of these words not only helps you understand the text but enables you to properly use them yourself as you are writing your essay.
Believing vs. Doubting -- A useful approach to textual analysis is to read the text twice, each time with a different mindset. Successfully adopting these very different reading stances (outlined below) will greatly enhance your ability to address the issue at hand when the time comes to launch into your own analysis. First, consider reading the text as a believer, or one who accepts the position and argument outlined by the writer. You might ask yourself the following questions:
* What issue is the writer addressing? What question(s) is the writer trying to answer?
* Why does the writer think the issue and its attendant questions(s) are important?
* What is the single most important idea of the piece (i.e., the thesis)?
* What are the main reasons the writer gives for his or her position?
* What types of support does the writer offer for those reasons? (Statistics? Precedents? Analogies?)
Next, read the text as a doubter, or one who is skeptical of the arguments presented in the piece. The following questions might be pertinent here:
* Did you “lose” the argument at any point? Was it due to a gap in the author’s reasoning?
* What assumptions does the writer make? Do you agree with those assumptions?
* Do the writer’s reasons logically support his or her position?
* Does the writer offer enough support for his or her position?
* Are the writer’s facts verifiable and representative?
* What tone does the writer take toward the opposition? Toward the audience?
* Do the reasons and support fit together in a logical manner?
* Does the writer address the opposing viewpoint (in other words, include counterargument)?
If you get lost… -- It is natural enough to miss the point of a given passage, particularly if you are dealing with a genre of writing with which you have little previous experience. One approach to this problem is to mark the passage in question (a big question mark next to it should suffice), and go on with the text, trying to get a “global understanding” of the author’s perspective. Sometimes the context of this global understanding can help you to figure out the mysteries of specific passages. Time, if you let it, can often work wonders on your understanding of a text. Come back to the confusing passage later and try to determine exactly where you lost the thread. Was it at a specific sentence? Was it because of a single word? Try to get a better sense of the exact boundaries of the section you don’t understand. Take the time to write down a few questions, worded so that you know you are asking for exactly the piece that you feel is missing. Often the process of becoming more and more specific can help you figure out what the author is trying to say. But if it doesn’t, by all means, bring these questions to class so that you can get the answers you seek.
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