Writing Homework Help

Reader-response suggests that the role of the reader is essential to the meaning of a text, for only in the reading experience does the literary work come alive. The purpose of a reader response essay is examining, explaining, and defending your personal reaction to a text.

Your critical reading of a text asks you to explore:

• why you like or dislike the text;
• explain whether you agree or disagree with the author;
• identify the text’s purpose; and
• critique the text.

There is no “right” or “wrong” answer to a reading response. In theory. Nonetheless, it is important that you demonstrate an understanding of the reading and clearly explain and support your reactions. Do not use the standard approach of just writing: “I liked this text because it is so cool and the ending made me feel happy,” or “I hated it because it was stupid, and had nothing at all to do with my life, and was too negative and boring.” This will earn a very low score.

In writing a response you should assume the reader has already read the text. I certainly have. Thus, do not use too much time when you summarize the contents of the text. There are prompts in a Template (linked below) for you to follow. Be sure to take a systematic, analytical approach to the text.

Essay 4 Template (note this Essay 4 Template is different from the Essay 1, Essay 2, and Essay 3 Template)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17-BmROofPYPpYcCORIKucIn-GW-DTkRKRO19H3j0eaQ/edit?usp=sharing

Write as a Scholar

When writing a reader-response write as an educated adult addressing other adults or fellow scholars. As a beginning scholar, if you write that something has nothing to do with you or does not pass your “Who cares?” test, but many other people think that it is important and great, readers will probably not agree with you that the text is dull or boring. Instead, they may conclude that you are dull and boring, that you are too immature or uneducated to understand what important things the author wrote.

Key Takeaways

In reader-response, the reader is essential to the meaning of a text, because readers bring the text to life. The purpose of a reading response is examining, explaining, and defending your personal reaction to a text. When writing a reader-response, write as an educated adult addressing other adults or fellow scholars. As a beginning scholar, be cautious of criticizing any text as “boring,” “crazy,” or “dull.” If you do criticize, base your criticism on the principles and form of the text itself. The challenge of a reader-response is to show how you connected with the text.

The Structure of the Reader-Response Essay

In the beginning paragraph of your reader-response essay, be sure to mention the following:

• title of the work to which you are responding;
• the author;
• short summary of the story (no more than 4 sentences);
• the main thesis of the text.

Then, do your best to answer the questions below. Remember, however, that you are writing an essay, not filling out a short-answer worksheet. Work through these questions in order, one by one, in your essay. Each should be its own paragraph. See the Template as a guide.

In the next three supporting paragraphs following the beginning paragraph, address the following:

supporting paragraph 1: Who are the people discussed in this text? What do you think happened? When did it happen? Where is the “speaker” as he’s communicating to the reader? Why is he telling the reader the things he tells us? How is he dealing with what happened? Use your thoughts and support them with quotes or examples to illustrate the answers.

supporting paragraph 2: What is the Human experience in this text? Use quotes or examples to illustrate how the text relates to the Human experience.

supporting paragraph 3: Answer all of the following prompts, adding textual evidence to demonstrate the validity or the “why” of your analysis. Word Choice… is the way words are used by the author. Formal words, slang, unusual words, words in another language, repeating words, etc. Sentences: lengths and structures… What kinds of sentences? Short? Conversational -sounding? Formal? Dialogue… shows the reader how the characters speak and can show the character’s background. Sensory language and descriptive writing… appeals to the five senses and creates a certain style. Writing that helps the reader to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell the action of the story.

For the concluding paragraph, discuss:

• your overall reaction to the text;
• whether you would read something else like this in the future;
• whether you would read something else by this author; and
• if you would recommend reading this text to someone else and why.

Reader-response suggests that the role of the reader is essential to the meaning of a text, for only in the reading experience does the literary work come alive. The purpose of a reading response is examining, explaining, and defending your personal reaction to a text.

Do not use any outside sources other than the literary work.