Passage based responses

The tone of a passage is key to understanding
the meaning- Beware- tones may shift!

Tone is also called “the attitude of the speaker”
or “the attitude of the narrator” or even the
“author’s attitude toward the ….”

Tone is mostly created by diction and syntax.

Determine tone before you begin- author’s
techniques are chosen to achieve the desired
tone.

In the following passage from Cormac McCarthy’s novel The
Crossing (1994), the narrator describes a dramatic experience.

In the following passage from The Spectator (March 4, 1712),
the English satirist Joseph Addison creates a character who
keeps a diary.

The passage below is taken from the novel Tom Jones (1749)
by the English novelist and playwright Henry Fielding. In this
scene, which occurs early in the novel, Squire Allworthy
discovers an infant in his bed.

In the following excerpt from a recent British novel, the
narrator, a young man in his early twenties, is attending a play
with his new girlfriend Isabel when she unexpectedly discovers
that her parents are in the theater.

In the following passage from Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Crossing (1994), the
narrator describes a dramatic experience. Read the passage carefully. Then in a
well-organized essay, show how McCarthy’s techniques convey the impact of the
experience on the main character.

In the following passage from The Spectator (March 4, 1712), the English satirist
Joseph Addison creates a character who keeps a diary. Read the passage carefully.
Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how the language of the passage
characterizes the diarist and his society and how the characterization serves
Addison’s satiric purpose. You may wish to consider such elements as selection
of detail, repetition, and tone.

The passage below is taken from the novel Tom Jones (1749) by the English novelist
and playwright Henry Fielding. In this scene, which occurs early in the novel, Squire
Allworthy discovers an infant in his bed. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a
well-organized essay, analyze the techniques that Fielding employs in this scene
to characterize Mr. Allworthy and Mrs. Deborah Wilkins.

In the following excerpt from a recent British novel, the narrator, a young man in his
early twenties, is attending a play with his new girlfriend Isabel when she
unexpectedly discovers that her parents are in the theater. Read the passage
carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author produces a
comic effect.
 The
universal is narrowed to the world of
literature and the art or craft of creating an
effect ( meaning) with words
FOR EXAMPLE:
 “Authors often create characters whose
motives are ill defined”
 “In
Literature the reader is expected to
recognize patterns that contribute to the
meaning of a text or passage.”
 The
universal idea – Themes in literature
often center around…..
 The
 The
context- in this passage by ……
thesis- The author’s use of rhetorical
devices illustrate…. ( it is not necessary to
list the techniques you will discuss)
THE WHAT= THE CLAIM - Begin with the ones you notice
first! Progress through the passage from there!
What techniques are used in this passage for effect?
**** you are not limited to those mentioned in the prompt!


THE HOW= DATA/ EVIDENCE – WOW!
How is this technique used in this particular passage? Are
there shifts in the technique? Quotes and explanations to
prove you claim.

THE WHY/ OR HOW= THE COMMENTARY-WOW!
Why/or how is this technique effective at getting across
the author’s point?
 Diction
 Syntax
 Figurative
language- metaphor etc
 Structure
 Characterization
 Point
of view
 Tone
 Satirical
devices- hyperbole etc.
 Imagery
 Selection
of detail
 Narrative
pace
 Repetition
 Dialogue
 Internal monologue
 Why
does this author use polysyllabic wordsto create what effect?
 Why
does the author vary the narrative pace
in paragraph 2?
 How
does the cumulative sentence in this
particular part of paragraph 3 affect the
reader?
 How does the metaphor in paragraph 1lead
the reader to an understanding of the
character’s fears?