3rd STAGE OF CRITICAL READING
JUDGING OR EVALUATING THE TEXT STAGE
The judging/evaluating stage includes the reading for comprehension and interpretation stages, but it also goes further than either of these in that the reader evaluates, passes personal judgment on the quality, the value, the accuracy, and the truthfulness of what is read. These skills should not be included under interpretation stage. This stage could be called “reading beyond the lines”.
END PRODUCT: Make critical judgments of the feasibility of what the author states and implies; evaluate the message instead of merely accepting it; draw conclusions, form generalizations; and apply the ideas gained from the interpretation to other situations.
LOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Logical Perspective takes into account the
reasoning used by an author to reach a conclusion.
ARGUMENT
A form of thinking in which
certain reasons are offered to
support a conclusion.
REASONS CONCLUSION
A listing of facts/statements Summary statement that explains,
upon which a conclusion is asserts, predicts, and is based on
based. previously stated evidence
(reasons).
FORMS
DEDUCTIVE REASONING INDUCTIVE REASONING
A process of reasoning whereby conclusions A process of reasoning whereby separate
are reached by the application of generalfacts or data are brought together as evidence
categories to specific observations.to support a hypothesis. Scientific conclusions
Example #1:that result from experiments are the product
General category: All people are mortal.of inductive reasoning.
Specific observation: Jane is a person.Example #1: A recent Gallup poll reported that
Conclusion: Therefore, Jane is mortal.74% of the American public believe that abortion
Example #2should remain legalized.
General category: Only the living canExample #2: On the average, a person with a
save democracy.college degree will earn over $300,000 more in his or
Specific observation: We are the living.her lifetime than a person with just a high school
Conclusion: Only we can save democracy. diploma.
FALLACY
Fallacies are formal indefensible charges
made against an opponent’s reasoning; they
Include question begging, hasty generalization,
stereotyping, and so on.
Logical Perspective Summary
However well-reasoned the argument of a text may be, almost any conclusion remains open to question or future debate. That is because logic alone cannot account for everything. Deductive reasoning depends on premises that in turn depend on the author’s personal beliefs; Inductive reasoning depends on the ability of a hypothesis to apply in all future cases. Because deductive premises are “givens” based on faith, and because inductive hypothesis can be overturned by future exceptions to the rule, argument remains a process in which opposing views are always possible.
In order for us to logically evaluate any text, whether it is an essay, short story, newspaper editorial, poem, fiction/non-fiction, and film we must understand their structure and intent.
WHAT IS FICTION?
Fiction is a means of communication from one person to another. Through fiction, we can communicate our understanding of the world, self, and human situations in concrete terms.
Fiction presents characters located somewhere and engaged in something. From these characters, we get involved in feelings - the feelings of characters within the fiction and the feelings aroused in the reader. Although people and places in fiction are drawn from the outside world, every piece of fiction creates its own world. We must interpret meaning for ourselves. In other words, we must construct our own theme.
WHY READ FICTION?
Fiction means “untrue” so why read it?
Every piece of fiction is a story that to some extent is “made up.” It is untrue in the limited sense that it is not restricted to facts. This is not to say that fiction does not contain facts, but we read fiction for something other than fact.
The truth of fiction is not the truth of textbooks, but the more personal truth of human feelings. Our emotions are touched. Therefore, the emotional perspective is an important aspect of interpretation for fiction. Characters in the book become vulnerable allowing us to share their feelings, desires, conflicts, and lives.
We read fiction for intimate sense of the inner lives of people, their deepest feelings, their conflicts, confusions, and their most secret joys and fears - some of which we can relate to in our own personal lives. Reading fiction is meant to be entertaining and pleasurable.
HOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND FICTION?
Part of coming to terms with a story is looking to see how it is constructed or how the elements it is made of are used. While reading short stories, critical readers should ask questions like these:
Of PLOT: What happens in the story? How are its incidents linked? What is the significance of what happens?
Of THEME: What is the general or overall implied meaning of the story?
Of SETTING: Where does the story take place? Is its setting merely backdrop or does it have some particular significance?
Of CHARACTER: What kind of people does the story present? How are they developed? What makes them do what they do? Is there anything to be learned from them?
Of NARRATORS AND NARRATION: Who tells the story? Is the narrator one of the characters? What is the narrator’s point of view?
Of TONE: What is the author’s attitude (feelings)toward his subject?
Of MOOD: How does the story make the reader feel? How do I feel because of the story?
Of CONFLICT: Is there a struggle between characters or forces?
Of IRONY: Is there wit, paradox, incongruity, or just saying one thing and meaning another evident in the text.
How do the blocks to Critical Thinking/Reading relate to fiction?
Fiction, as we have seen, relates to stories about human actions and emotions. Therefore, much of the fiction you will read contains evidence of the blocks to Critical Thinking. As you read each story, it is important to be aware of the blocks portrayed by the characters’ actions and emotions.
The blocks are listed below showing the underlying relationship of Cultural Conditioning to the other seven blocks.
CULTURAL CONDITIONING
Reliance onHasty MoralBlack/White Labeling Resistance Frame Wishful
AuthorityJudgmentThinking to Change of Thinking
Reference
WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S TONE?
The tone of an author’s writing is similar to the tone of a speaker’s voice. For listeners, it is fairly easy to tell the difference between an angry tone and a romantic tone by noticing the speaker’s voice. Distinguishing between humor, sarcasm, and irony, however, may be more difficult. Humorous remarks are designed to be comical and amusing while sarcastic remarks are designed to cut or give pain. Ironic remarks, on the other hand, express something other than the literal meaning and are designed to show the incongruity between the actual and the expected. Making such distinctions requires more than just listening to sounds; it requires a careful evaluation of what is said. Because the sound of the voice is not heard in reading, clues to the tone must come from the writer’s presentation of the message. The reader’s job is to look for clues to answer the question, “What is the author’s attitude toward the topic or subject?”
The following is a list of some words that can be used to describe the author’s tone/attitude.
angryhatefulironicprofessional
bitterhopefuljovialrespectful
cynicalhorrifyinglonelysarcastic
defensivehostilelovingsatirical
depressinghumorousmiserablescornful
enthusiastichypocriticalnostalgicserious
fearfulhystericalobjectivesincere
gloomyinsultingoptimisticsympathetic
happyintellectualpessimisticthreatening
Form: Non-Fiction - Genre: Essay
- What is an Essay?
Essay is exposition designed to "expose," that is, to set forth facts, ideas, and informed opinions in an orderly fashion direct to a specific audience. "In an orderly fashion" is the key phrase here. Because essays have ready understanding as the primary goal, their greatest asset is clarity which demands that facts, ideas, and informed opinions from point to point must clearly be followed. they will be built around a central message and be elaborated upon using facts, experiences, opinions, conclusion, generalizations, comparisons, contrasts, and analogies. If the central message is stated directly, the author has used a thesis. Essays are either personal or impersonal. Style will be either formal or informal (conversational) with the author's pattern of organization or method of organizing writing to serve a particular function called a mode.
- Why Read an Essay?
We include essays because this type of writing (Non-Fictional Form) - one that is relatively brief and that usually develops one central idea - is part of the reading requirement of most disciplines. Some essays resemble literature both in overall intent and treatment of an idea, while others resemble the factual treatment more typical of textbooks.
IMAGINATIVE LITERATURE (POETRY)
Why read Poetry?
1. Poetry forces the reader to look closely at semantics (word meaning - both denotative
and connotative) and syntax (structure).
2. Poetry requires thoughtful interpretation rather than rapid, literal reading.
3. Poetry requires personal, emotional involvement (an essential part of critical reading).
4. Poetry elicits a visual image through the use of the words selected by the poet. The
poet paints a visual image, using words as an artist use paint. The rhythm and pattern
of the words create both a visual and aural (sound) image for the reader. Therefore,
poetry is best when read aloud.
How Does Poetry Differ From Prose (Short Story)?
Poetry contains three characteristics that distinguish it from prose:
1. Compact language - Language used in poetry is generally more condensed in its
structure. Poetry makes use of strong and often minimal images to convey emotions
to the reader. Poetry often uses figurative (symbolic) language, i.e., metaphors,
similes, images, and personification.
2. Sound and rhythm patterns - Poetry often contains its own tempo and sound patterns,
which in turn enhances the message the poet is attempting to convey.
3. Poems can be multi-dimensional in meaning. Therefore, a good poem can be read
and reread allowing the reader to develop a deeper interpretation each time.
What Are the Elements to Identify in Poetry?
1. The author
2. The topic
3. The tone
4. The mood
5. The theme
6. The conflict type(s)
Which of the Perspectives Seem to be Most Dominant in Poetry?
1. The Social Perspective
- Social concern(s)?
- Relationship to the past or present?
2. The Emotional Perspective
- Object(s) of emotion?
- Tone?
- Emotional conflict?