Discussion Forum Guidelines

"DFs" are short writing assignments which discuss one or two "salient" (recurrent) elements that you notice in that day's reading (unless specified by the specific assignment). Keep your entry focused and analytical.  I may call on you to share your DF with your group or with the class, so do the best you can. DFs will become easier to write as the semester progresses. These observations will be used as springboards for class discussions, exams. and papers.

Each entry must:

  • have a THESIS (argument)
  • include quotations from the text to support your argument.
  • use MLA for documentation (ALWAYS INCLUDE A WORKS CITED PAGE)
  • include the date and an interesting title
  • 12 point Helvetica; 200-250 words (unless told otherwise).
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    DFs on a NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE

    These work towards sharpening your ability to derive meaning from a text through close, critical analysis. They will reveal your ability to:

  • use appropriate critical vocabulary (setting, theme, climax, ambiguity, narrative perspective)
  • identify patterns and details that may uncover meaning
  • express well reasoned opinions about the quality of a work based on textual evidence
    •      Isolate specific quotes or segments of the story which demonstrate this technique and show how they work together to make a point. Ask yourself:
  • Where does the author manipulate this writing technique?
  • How does the author manipulate this writing technique?
  • How does paying attention to these details enrich our reading of this story?
  • How would our perception of the story change if these details were absent?
    •      As the semester progresses, feel free to compare or contrast how authors use same literary technique. How do these similarities OR differences complement each other and enrich our understanding of the stories as a whole?

    Keep in mind that while your essays must be analytical and insightful, you can be creative. Below are a few options.

  • After a discussion of setting, consider a short proposal for on-site filming. Where would you set it? Why? Which important historical details would you re-create? Why? How are these important to the story?
  • During an analysis of character or point-of-view, consider an analysis of one character from another character's perspective.
  • After an analysis of climax, consider an alternate ending. Explain why this is necessary. What's wrong with /problematic about the author's ending?
  • After an analysis of character or theme, discuss how a character or theme relates to your experience, changes your beliefs or attitudes, etc.
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    DFs using Frames

    Apply an interdisciplinary frame to sharpen your ability to derive meaning from a text through close, critical analysis. They will reveal your ability to discuss how concepts & theories from various disciplines expose added insight and complicate interpretations.

    As you know, critics derive different interpretations of a work by analyzing the work from different frames. For example: if you read Gilman’s "The Yellow Wallpaper" from a feminist approach, you may decide that her behavior is the result of her husband’s oppression / restrictions. However, if you were to use a psychoanalytical approach, you might argue that she suffers from post-partum depression, which leads to her insanity. Each of these analyses would focus on different parts of the text to prove the argument. Yet, each is valid, as long as you supply evidence to support your interpretation.