9. How Are Literature Questions Answered?

It's time to pause again, to look back before we go ahead.

You have learned how necessary it is to follow a step-by-step procedure to turn out a good composition.

You know that the final quality depends upon what you do about:

The topic

Its scope

Your approach

An outline

Paragraph development

Language interest

Revision

Now, if you get one more point clear in your mind, you will be well on your way toward meeting all of your writing needs.

It is this. Not everything you write is called a composi­tion, but everything you write that is a paragraph or more in length must be handled like a composition. For instance, there are the papers you have to hand in that are based upon the things you read or watch—the answers to literature questions, the book reports, the dramatic reviews. Can the same techniques of writing covered in the previous chapters be used here, too? Not only can they, but they must! And our next objective is to show you how.

I. The Literature Question

Perhaps you have often wondered why teachers insist upon training you to write about the books you read. Unless you become a professional critic, you say, you won't ever be ex­pected to do this in adult life. Yes, but if you do any reading at all after you leave school, if you go to see motion pictures or plays, or even if you watch only television programs, you will talk about them with your friends. As an educated per­son, you will be expected to be able to say somewhat more about a production or a book than "Great," "Swell," or "What a waste of time!" The experience you gain in answering litera­ture questions will enable you to criticize and evaluate intelli­gently, to offer reasons for your likes and dislikes.

So much for the why's of literature questions; let's get back to the how's of answering them. We can do this best by first examining the official rating suggestions issued to teachers on a recent state examination in high school English:

Literature

Judge literature answers primarily on content, but expect adequate technique of composition.

In general, require that a pupil in his answer (1) meet the requirements of the question, (2) show familiarity with the piece of literature he is discussing, (3) demonstrate his power to judge and to generalize with clearness and forceful-ness of expression, (4) use specific references in support of statements made, and (5) show adequate technique of com­position.

Item 1 is very significant. It tells you that you must ad­dress yourself to the problem presented in the literature ques­tion and that a re-telling of the story is not the way to do it. Indeed, later on in the instructions, the teacher is told to allow a maximum of half credit for any answer that is "merely a plot synopsis or a summary."

This is quite reasonable. Suppose some friends and you had just come out of a theater after seeing a play or motion pic­ture. What would you be least likely to discuss? The plot, of course. Wouldn't it be absurd for one of you to tell the others what had happened in something all of you had just seen?

Similarly, in class you have presumably read whatever it is you have been asked to write about, and so has the teach­er. Surely nobody wants you to tell the story merely to prove you have done the reading. This fact could be established much more easily, if needed, by a short answer test. No, what the teacher wants to know is whether you can express an opinion, can analyze, can compare—and that's what a litera­ture question tries to find out.

Item 3 suggests why some schools refer to it as a Power Question. Your answer must demonstrate your power to think and express yourself with originality and your power to prove that what you have said can be supported by direct references to the book. This is the way in which you are trained to tell why you like or dislike what you see, hear, or read.

Note also that "adequate technique in composition" is mentioned twice in the instructions. You are expected to han­dle your answer like a composition, in every sense of the word, with or without the label. The only difference is that there is not much freedom of choice for the writer because his prime responsibility is to meet the requirements of the literature question. However, this actually makes the pre­liminary work of composition move more rapidly since much of the planning is dictated by the question. Thus, the topic, scope, and approach are quite definitely suggested in ad­vance. But the rest of the steps should be followed just as if the answer were a regular composition. Let's see how it works with an actual question that appeared on an examina­tion not long ago:

The Question

When we tire of the humdrum world in which we live, we like to escape into a more fascinating world created by the imagination of a great author. For each of two worthwhile books (one novel and one play) describe the kind of world to which you have been transported and show how the lite there diners from that with which you are familiar. Give titles and authors.

Handling the Answer

The problem suggested by the question is actually your topic. In this case, you are expected to show how you were able to find escape in several things you read. The scope is clearly limited to a novel and a play. The approach is given to you by the words "differs from that with which you are familiar." Obviously, you will have to discuss these books from a highly personal point of view.

It is imperative that you prepare an outline for an answer to a literature question. For one thing, it will help you avoid making costly mistakes. Remember, if you are asked to write about a novel, and you pick a biography or a short story, you will receive very little credit for your answer. Here is what the outline would look like for this question:

No.	Type	Title-Author	References
1.	Novel	Arrowsmith—Lewis	jungle, natives
			Dr. Gottlieb
			death of wife
2.	Play	Macbeth—Shakespeare	Duncan
			Malcolm
			duel

As you see, the outline reminds you of the number of books you must talk about and helps arrange them by type, title, and author. The last column does the real job of the outline; it suggests the contents of the paragraphs. You notice that three references to the text are recommended for each paragraph "in support of statements made." This is about average for full-length books. For shorter pieces—lyric poems, essays, short stories—it might not be possible to use more than one or two references because of the limited material.

The development of each middle paragraph of any answer to any literature question should now be clear:

§ The first sentence should refer to the problem of the question and give the title and author of the selection. This makes a very tight topic sentence, doesn't it?

§ The related sentences should use the specific references suggested by the outline to develop the main line of reasoning of the writer as he demonstrates his ability to discuss the prob­lem of the question.

§ The last sentence of each middle paragraph should clinch the main point. This implies an emphatic restatement of the attitude of the writer toward the problem.

Further paragraph development is the same as for a reg­ular composition. As usual, the outline prepares the material for the middle paragraphs. The introductory and concluding paragraphs must be added later. In a literature question, the problem presented practically dictates what direction the be­ginning and ending paragraphs will take.

Note: Some schools, even when two or more books are to be discussed, permit the students to leave out the in­troductory and concluding paragraphs. If this is so in yours, simply handle each book in a separate paragraph and follow the suggestions made above about middle paragraph development.

You can see how language interest is maintained by study­ing the answer below that was written for the question we have been analyzing.

Answer to Literature Question

We would all like to be able to step onto a magic carpet and be whisked away to some far on place of ad­venture and romance when the cares of the day become overwhelming or life seems dull and uninteresting. How fortunate we are at such times since we need merely reach casually toward the nearest book shelf for the means of escape from our monotonous surroundings.

I can still remember how, at a time when there seemed to be little purpose in my existence, I came across the vivid pages of "Arrowsmith," by Sinclair Lewis. Sudden­ly, I had left the confining canyons of a big city and had been transported to a dense, teeming jungle. Instead of battling my way through a crowded bus, I was helping to test a medical theory and was working heroically to save the lives of simple, suffering natives. I even forgot about homework as I joined Dr. Gottlieb in his never-ending search for truth and accuracy. I grieved with the good doctor over the death of his wife and applauded his de­cision to dedicate his life to research and service to man­kind, even as I, a useless adolescent, might some day do. Yes, the pages of this American classic became more than a magic carpet. They opened my eyes to shining dreams.

Similarly, when I am looking for escape, even a tragic play like "Macbeth," by William Shakespeare, can pro­vide me with the private life of a Walter Mitty. My rather severely cut jacket and straight-lined pants are re­placed by plumed hats, chain mail, flashing swords, and steel armor. I am, a nobleman, not a teenager, and I seek to free my land of a bloody tyrant and his ruthless queen. Rushing about the castle announcing the murder of Duncan, convincing Malcolm to return to Scotland at the head of an army, or dueling the villain to the death are all adventures that happen to me, not alone to Mac-Duff. Petty squabbles with my friends or silly radio pro­grams fade from my sight and mind as my pulse quickens with each new experience. The immortal bard has not only written a play, but has added a chapter to my own life, which has through the magic of his pen become so greatly enriched.

It is indeed a pity that some people find no pleasure in reading books. They miss so much because a book is not really a means of escape, it is just another way of living.

Comments

1. You can see how the beginning and ending paragraphs do little more than restate the problem of the question and suggest how the writer will handle it. Moreover, if these para­graphs were not required, I'm sure you understand how easy it would be to eliminate them.
2. Note how each middle paragraph has the tight topic sentence which cleverly inserts the title and author into the projection of the main point of the answer.
3. Observe, also, that the specific references are given in just enough detail to prove the point made but not at such length as to lose sight of the argument because of overstress of the plot.
4. Do you see how the clinching sentence at the end of each middle paragraph ties things together?
5. Incidentally, you should work with a rough draft in your answer to a literature question since, as we have repeatedly maintained, it is a composition. When you revise, look for the usual things but be especially careful of two things in addition:
6. Don't forget the quotation marks around all titles if you are writing in longhand.
7. Avoid sentence fragments when you mention the title and author, like this:

Wrong "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare. This play caught my interest ...

Right "Hamlet," by William Shakespeare, caught my interest . . .

6.         Did you note that a definite effort was made to use
effective language and to vary the sentence structure?

Now let's look at some examples of single paragraph an­swers to literature questions:

Question

People make adjustments with varying degrees of suc­cess to certain factors in their environment. These factors may be their physical surroundings, other people, or the customs and traditions of the society in which they live. From the novels and full-length plays you have read, choose a total of any two books. In each case show by definite references to what extent a person in the book was successful in adjusting to one or more of the above factors. Give titles and authors.

Answer A

The great tragedy of Eustacia Vye, the brooding beauty in Thomas Hardy's 'The Return of the Native,” was that she was unable to make a successful adjustment either to her physical environment or the people about her. She would have loved being a lady of high fashion in Paris or London; instead she found Egdon Heath clos­ing in on her more and more relentlessly. Scorning the village folk and their petty problems, she sought escape in the arms of Wildeye, only to find him a faithless wretch. in Clym Yeobright, she thought she had at last met the man who would free her and take her back with him to the glamorous metropolitan life he had known. Her great disappointment in him, his illness and his inability to tear himself away from the heath, inevitably drove her to the watery grave she found with the equally unstable Wildeve. Eustacia could not adjust, nay would not, and was therefore doomed to a life of unhappiness from the start. She taught me a valuable lesson. í will continue to reach for the stars, but, if need be, I will settle for and do my best with less.

Answer B

I felt very sad when I read in Eugene O'Neill’s "Be­yond the Horizon" how unsuccessful Robert Mayo was in adjusting to his environment. í could appreciate his desire to travel and leave his father's farm where he had spent the greater part of his life. But events conspired against him and he somehow could not fight back. His unfortunate marriage to Ruth, Andrew's heart-broken de­parture, his father's death, and the difficulty of scraping out a living from unyielding land challenged his ability to adjust. Robert, lacking the strength and knowledge of agriculture his father and brother had possessed, suc­cumbed to the forces about him with hardly a struggle. I would have tried to be less impulsive in the first place, especially with Ruth, but once I had made the mistake I would have tried to improve my lot. I would have made an effort to learn more about farming so that I could meet my problems rather than be conquered by them.

Do you see how the first sentence in each paragraph men­tions the problem of the question, the title and author of the selection, and the approach of the writer? Did you count at least three references to support the statements? Do you agree that the "clincher" at the end is necessary to round out the discussion? Did you observe the personal touch intro­duced into each answer?

Your success in answering a literature question rests main­ly on your interpretation of the question, your analysis of the requirements, and your selection of references to support your arguments. It is really like writing any paragraph. You have to focus sharply on a main idea and then develop it through details. A few additional hints should be helpful:

1) Learn what various words mean as they are used in literature questions, like modern (written since 1900), recent (in the last 25 years), and current (within the past 5 years). Get a good book on literary forms and clarify for yourself the differences between fiction and non-fiction writing, novels and biographies and plays, essays and short stories, lyrics and narrative poems, verse dramas and epics.

2. If no set number of words is suggested in the question, keep in mind that the average full paragraph has 100-150 words. This total would apply to discussions of the longer works—novels, plays, biographies. For poems, essays, and other shorter pieces, 75-100 words would be enough. You can also guide yourself by the number of credits assigned to the question. About 10 words a point should be satisfactory: 30 points-300 words, 20 points-200 words, etc.

3) Try to get yourself into the answer, as did the writers of the last two examples. It is interesting to note this state­ment in the official marking instructions mentioned before:

"Although length should not be considered a substitute for strength, an abundance of details and illustrations and direct application to personal experience serve to amplify and enrich the answer."

To improve your interpretation of questions, practice by reading as many as you can and jotting down briefly what the requirements are, after this fashion:

Sample Question #1

In writing a short story, an author, like a motion pic­ture producer, creates a setting and an atmosphere that help to produce the effect he wishes. In other words, the place where something happens, the background, is im­portant to the story. From short stories you have read, choose four and show by definite references how the author in each case created the desired setting and at­mosphere and made it important to the story. Give titles and authors.

Requirements

I must use 4 short stories (not novels, plays, or anything else).

The plot is completely unimportant except as it is aided by the background.

My main discussion must be about the place where the action took place and how the author made it a factor in the development of the plot (the way Hardy uses Egdon Heath in "The Return of the Native").

Since there are four works, the individual paragraphs will have to be kept under 100 words; otherwise I'll never get finished. My sentences have to be concentrated and I have to hit the highlights only.

Sample Question #2

The basis of man's spiritual strength lies in freedom. His choice of an action frequently changes the whole course of his life. Illustrate the importance of choice in human life through references to characters met in litera­ture. If you base your discussion on full-length books fas biographies, novels), use two books; if upon shorter selections fas essays, poems), use two selections as a sub­stitute for each full-length book. Give titles and authors.

Requirements

I can use only two selections if both are novels, long plays, or biographies; I can use three if one is full-length and the other two are short; I must use four if all are short, like essays or poems.

I must show how one of the characters in each selection made an important choice of action and how it changed his life. I will get a personal note in by suggesting what I would have done had I been the character.

My references to the plot must be confined to occasions that describe a choice of action and the effects it had.

Now try it yourself with these questions when you have some spare time:

l. Biography may serve the reader through

a.         giving him a better understanding of human nature
b.         acquainting him with the spirit, purpose, and methods of successful people
c.         informing him of many pursuits and interests
d.         making historical events live

Choose two biographies, and show how each is useful in one or more of the ways suggested. Mention authors and titles.

1. The leading public today is turning more and more to non-fiction literature to keep in touch with the con­ temporary world. Choose horn your reading (excluding novels, short stories, plays, and poetry) two books of non-fiction and explain by specific references how each has brought you into closer contact with the world about you, with outstanding people of modern life, or with re­cent developments in the arts, in politics, or in science. Give titles and authors.
2. Great literature stimulates our own thinking. Select two essays and twopoems and show how each has awakened in you a new thought or developed a half-formed idea, in each case, give the title, author, and enough of the ideas to illustrate how it has influenced
   your thinking.
3. The conduct of fictitious characters, like that of real people, results from such emotions as greed, ambition, fear, love, self-sacrifice, jealousy, hatred, revenge, patriot­ ism, civic pride, and a desire to reform. Choose any four of the following—a play, novel, short story, biography, narrative poem—and show how in each the actions or course of action of some character resulted from one of
   these emotions. Give titles and authors.
4. People in novels, full-length biographies, and books of true experience often struggle against the forces of na­ture, such as bitter cold, intense heat, snow-fast mountains, the sea, storms, or the terrors of the wilderness. Choose two books from the types mentioned and show by definite references how a person in each book was or was not successful in the struggle. Give titles and authors.
5. A person's actions are often influenced by a strong trait of character. Choose oneimportant person from a novel and onefrom a play, and show by definite refer­ences how this statement is true. Give titles and authors.
6. Some characters in novels and plays show in their actions fairness and consideration for others; other characters show unmistakably that they place their own welfare and desires above those of others. Support this statement by contrasting specific actions of twocharacters, each from a different novel or play.
7. Certain poems have a lasting appeal because of their important ideas, vivid pictures, or effective expression. Choose fourpoems and show by definite references that this statement is true.

We will bring this section to a close by giving you a few more model answers to literature questions. Study both the questions and the answers carefully in relation to the sugges­tions made before and determine how the various recom­mended techniques have been employed.

Question

A novel or play cannot be regarded as successful un­less at its conclusion the main character meets a fate that seems to be the natural result of what he has done or shown himself to be. Referring to the main character of onenovel and the main character of oneplay, show by definite reference to each book that the above state­ment is true. Mention titles and authors.

Answer

(Fully developed type, including introductory and conclud­ing paragraphs)

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap." The Bible tells us that the final outcome of a person's life can be predicted on the basis of his early behavior. Certainly, we have count­less examples in real life of people whose service to man­kind (or careers of crime) can be traced as far back as their childhood. Great literature, too, is rich with stories of men and women whose fate in the final chapters is consistent with their deeds in the earlier ones, in fact, a book may lose its claim to immortality if the ending is not a natural result.

 

One of the reasons "Ethan Frome," by Edith Whar-ton, has become a classic American novel is the success with which the author makes clear, in the final chapter, that the picture of despair is consistent with the pattern of lite that emerges from the study of Ethan's approach toward his problems. When he somehow becomes en­meshed in a marriage to Zeena, whom he doesn't love, and sacrifices a promising career, one can see that there is a serious character weakness in the man. This lack of will power is further evidenced when he can find no way out of his desperate interest in Mattie Silver other than to let her go. Ethan's crowning act of futility, which turns a suicide pact into crippled misery, points toward un-happiness and frustration as the outcomes. Surety, his repeated failures to work himself out of his troubles make the ultimate hopeless anguish inevitable, and it is clear that the author has brought her story to a logical con­clusion.

Similarly, when I read "Macbeth," I was not surprised at all when Macduff came striding back from battle bear­ing the head of his arch enemy. Throughout this great tragedy, Shakespeare repeatedly presents evidence that uncontrolled ambition coupled with violence must reap a harvest of destruction. The murder of Duncan by the Thane of Glamis is merely a prelude to a series of hor­rible crimes. Once Macbeth has succumbed to the blood­thirsty demands of his wife, and has allowed his moral fiber to be destroyed, he has marked himself as one who will perish by the sword since he has lived by it. The murders of Banquo and the family of Macduff, victims of a mad lust for power, are signposts on the road ahead for the crazed monarch. He held life cheaply, and in the end found his own snuffed out as if it had been a flickering candle. I was quite overcome by the tremen­dous dramatic force with which Shakespeare showed that what happens to people is the product of their deeds.

How often has this concept been duplicated in real life! Hitler and Mussolini rose to power on the broken backs of defenseless people and saw the day when their callous disregard of humanity was relentlessly destroyed. They surely met a fate that was the natural result of what they had done.

Comments

1. "Macbeth" was deliberately used for the second time to show you how the same book can be selected for a va­riety of questions, provided you interpret properly.

2. A concluding paragraph, when used, is most effective if the points made previously are applied or compared per­sonally to the life of the writer or some well-known public figure.

Question

The enjoyment or appreciation of literature often de­pends on the mood of the reader. From the poems and essays you have read, choose four selections (using at least one poem and one essay), in each case show by definite references how the selection chosen would ap­peal to a person in one of the following moods: gay, questioning, sad, discouraged, serious, sentimental. Give titles and authors.

Answer

(Individual paragraph type, without separate introductory and concluding paragraphs)

§ Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" appeals to me when I am in a serious mood. I sympathize with the poet's feeling of regret that man is so occupied with affairs of living that he leaves him­self no time to enjoy the beautiful and fascinating world of nature. I, too, have longed to stop and watch. One day I sat above an ant hill—like Gulliver over the Lilliputians —marveling as the little creatures tugged and strained over a bread crumb until they got it down the hole. I could have sat fox hours gazing at this other world, but soon a sense of guilt reminded me that, like the man in the poem, I had "many promises to keep," and much to do and had better move on. Frost's poem evokes a sense of some inner loss when man places value on only ma­terial things.

§ I suppose the reason Robert Frost's "Mending Wall" appealed to me when I first heard it was because of my own thoughtful mood about my "walls." "Some­thing there is that doesn't love a wall . . ." My walls are not of stones and boulders, but it still seems as if some force of nature is against them. I am not trying to mend my walls—quite the contrary, I would like to tear them down. I must have known while I was building them what I was walling in and what I was walling out, but the reasons have long since disappeared and the walls remain. "Mending Wall," which I have read many times now, tells me beautifully that I am right when I want my walls down.

§ Edgar Lee Masters' "Abel Melveny" aroused a very deep emotion within me as I read about a man who ac­quired things of great value but never made use of them. The poem opened a window to a closed chamber re­flecting a strange pattern in my own life of which I was unaware. I have been in the habit of acquiring many books but I seldom read them. They are meant for the future, a sort of insurance that I will some day be edu­cated, I thought of this as I read about Abel Melveny's grinders, shellers, mills, rakes, ploughs, and threshers— bought but never used. I have come to realize that there is a touch of this strange man in all of us. Who doesn't have at least one dusty carton full of dreams stored in a dark corner of a closet? The poem helped answer some questions about me to me.

§ Anyone in a gay mood would probably be delighted with Christopher Morley's "On Answering Letters." In his charming essay, in which he discusses his own delin­quency in his correspondence, Morley wittily draws a picture of most of us when we try to rationalize why we haven't answered a few letters recently arrived, it's fun to read humorous material that shows us how similar most people are about some things. It's not only amus­ing; it's downright reassuring. I really ought to answer that letter after all!

Comments

1. Each of the paragraphs above was written by a different student, yet there is one thing all have in common: the personal touch. Do you see how life and warmth is added to any kind of writing when the author relates the ideas to his own experiences?
2. It should be clear by now that the essence of a good answer to a power question is the extent to which the writer has selected from the material read only those references that help him discuss the problem intelligently.

3. The final point to stress is that a good interpretation can be ruined if the writer makes no effort to insert language interest and sentence variety.

II. THE BOOK REPORT

Usually, in addition to the required literary works assigned for general study in your English class, you are periodically expected to read independently other books selected from a supplementary list or recommended directly by your teacher. Behind this program is a twofold purpose. One is to get you to develop a lifetime reading habit. The other is to continue to train you to appreciate and evaluate the books you read and to discuss them intelligently with other people. The training, of course, comes from the reports you must deliver on your outside reading assignments.

The form of these book reports varies from school to school and teacher to teacher. Both the written and oral kind are popular, but no standard report form is universally fol­lowed. Indeed, the progressive teacher of English looks for and encourages originality in a report as much as in a regu­lar composition. The best thing we can do, therefore, is to tell you what to look for in the major literary types, indicate what is covered in most book reviews (student and profes­sional, written and oral), and assume that you will adapt the suggestions to the particular requirements set by your own school or teacher.

A. What to Look For

1. Fiction: When an author tells a story that he has in­vented—whether in the form of a novel, play, long poem, or short story—he is writing fiction. The narrative material may be based upon fact, but presumably the events did not hap­pen exactly as described to people who are clearly identifi­able. Otherwise, we would have a biography of some sort. At any rate, the qualities that distinguish good stories from bad are practically the same for all the forms, with a few variations here and there. We will list first the questions that point toward the main characteristics of all fiction. Follow­ing these, you will find attention directed toward some addi­tional qualities that refer to items peculiar to the particular form in which the fiction was presented.

a. Background

Where and when does most of the action take place?

To what extent are the buildings, dress, habits, and lan­guage markedly different from what you are familiar with?

How much does the background influence the actions or personality of any of the main characters?

Does the author seem to be thoroughly familiar with his setting? If it required research, do you think he did enough? Do the scenes ring true?

How well does the background create moods?

6. Plot

If both are present, how well are the main story line and the subplots interwoven?

What is the likelihood that the events could take place in real life?

What is the turning point of the action?

Do the incidents follow one another naturally, or do they seem to have been mechanically inserted by the author?

How well does the author create suspense, if any?

How many loose ends are left at the end of the story?

How logical or reasonable or probable or unusual is the ending?

What devices used by the author seem to indicate that he depended too much on chance to carry his story forward?

c. Characters

Who are the main characters? Are they like real people? Of whom do they remind you? Friends? Family? Prominent people? Movie or television stars?

Which are the most interesting? Why? Which remind you of yourself? How?

Do some of the characters seem to develop and change as the story progresses, or do they all remain about the same from beginning to end?

What are the strengths and weakness of the central charac­ters? What incidents can you cite to support your conclu­sions?

To what extent does the personality of any character de­termine his or her success or failure?

What character did you like most and which did you dis­like? With which ones did it make a difference to you whether they were happy or sad? Why?

Which ones helped you understand people you know a little better than before?

What minor characters are interesting? How would you describe one or two in a single sentence?

If you were the author, would you develop one or more of the characters differently? How?

How well does the author seem to know people and what "makes them tick"?

d. Theme

What do you suppose was the main reason for the author's telling this story? To amuse? Entertain? Preach? Convert? Criticize? Present a social problem?

What is he trying to prove, or what life experience is he trying to explain?

What is the main point of the story expressed in a single sentence?
If there is a problem in the story, how well does the author solve it? Or suggest a solution?

How has the book influenced your own thinking? What new ideas have you come away with?

To what extent has this story stimulated you to read others on the same theme?

If you were designing a book jacket, what illustration or symbol would you draw to point up the main idea?

e. Style

How well does the author present his scenes? Does he make you feel as if you were an eyewitness?

How do the sentences run—long, involved, sharp, varied?

What difficulties did you have with the vocabulary?

How well are the emotions portrayed? What devices are used to do this? Were you moved to tears or laughter any­where? Why?

Did you get angry at any of the characters? When?

How do the characters talk—the same as people like them would in real life, or do they seem to be talking out of the mouth of the author?

Does the author seem to invent phrases or have you heard many before? Give examples.

What is the tone of the language? Warm and friendly? Wise and fatherly? Cold and formal? Dry as dust? Rough and tough? Genteel?

If some of the language is strong, is it offensive or neces­sary to maintain the atmosphere and the nature of the charac­ters? Give proof. Do you suspect that some bits were put in by the author mainly to be sensational and help the book sell? Cite examples that are really unnecessary.

Would you want to read more by this author because of the way he writes? Why?

What do you think of the choice of the title? How does it suit the story?

f. General

In what way have you changed your mind about certain beliefs you had before?

How different do you now feel about a type or group of people?

How significant is the theme in relation to world or life problems?

What is there interesting about the author's life that is re­flected perhaps in the story?

How would you compare this story to another somewhat like it that you read previously?

What do you think the central characters would be like twenty or so years after the end of the story?

What chance does this story have of becoming a classic, if it hasn't already become one? Why?

Additional Questions on a Novel

How would this story turn out as a play? A movie?

How much of the book could have been eliminated if the writer had been more economical? Where should it have been expanded?

Would this book be more interesting to some people than to others? Why?

Do you recommend reading this book in one sitting, or can it be handled in sections? Why?

Additional Questions on Short Stories

What single mood is created?

Toward what single effect does the story point? Mystery? Horror? Humor? Sadness? Romance?

If there is a surprise ending, does it sound reasonable? Do you feel let down at the end? Why?

Additional Questions on a Play

How imaginative is the scenery? To what extent would a few more sets have improved the progress of the story?

Does each act or scene end in a challenging way and set you up for what is to follow?

What well-known actors and actresses would you recom­mend for the various parts? Why?

Would this story have been better told in novel form? Why?

How natural does the dialogue seem? Has the dramatist made the characters say things which they normally wouldn't if they were real people? Give examples.

How consistent are the characters? Do they suddenly do things that you had been led to believe they wouldn't or couldn't?

Was there too much talk and not enough action? Where?

Additional Questions on a Long Poem

What rhythmic pattern is used? How much does it con­tribute to the movement of the story?

If the lines rhyme, how well does the scheme fit in with the mood and tone?

What lines or figures of speech are most likely to be re­membered?

How easy was it to follow the story?

What difference would it have made if the story had been told in prose?

2. Not-fiction: There is such a great variety of books in this field that it would be impossible to cover all types— from little how-to booklets to massive encyclopedias. How­ever, we can tell you what to look for in the types commonly recommended by teachers for outside reading.

a. Biographies

Where and when did the subject of the biography spend most of his life?

What events of historical significance were occurring at the time? Which of them did the subject help to shape?

What are some of the human elements in the subject's character? Refer to home life, friends, anecdotes.

How does the author feel about his subject? Is he fair? Has he an ax to grind?

How authentic is the evidence presented? Was enough research done to support character analysis? What kind of references are used? Hearsay? Personal papers? First hand acquaintance? Other writers? Friends and associates?

What unusual character qualities did the subject have? What unusual talents?

What were the most significant moments in the subject's life? What were the turning points?

To what extent was the subject the kind of person with whom you could have been friends?

How important was luck in the subject's career? Courage? Perseverance? Stubbornness? Influence of friends?

What obstacles did the subject overcome?

What were the subject's major contributions to the welfare of mankind? In what ways was the world better off because the subject lived?

Why, if at all, was the subject worthy of having been written about?

What actor or actress could best portray the subject on stage or screen? Why?

b.    Autobiographies

Practically all the questions on biographies would be used, except that those designed to test point of view and authen­ticity would naturally be directed at the subject, since he would be responsible for his own material, having written it himself. Some questions would have to be eliminated; they wouldn't apply to a self-analysis.

c.    Essay Collection

What are the chief subjects discussed? Are they one-sided or do they show varied interests?

How scholarly does the writer seem to be? What evidences are there of professional training, extensive experience, wide travel, broad acquaintance?

How careful is the writer of what he says? How sensitive is he to other people's feelings? Does he support what he says, especially if it is opinion?

How fresh and unusual are the writer's viewpoints?

What kind of person does the writer seem to be? What would be his choice in clothing, house furnishings, books, leisure activities? Is he the kind who shakes hands and pounds the back, who just smiles warmly and invitingly, or who nods distantly when introduced?

How worthwhile are the ideas? How convincing are they?

What would you say about the sentence structure, vocabu­lary, and phrasing?—involved? difficult to understand? infor­mal? conversational? witty and varied? cold and impersonal? Cite examples.

What else by this writer are you planning to read?

d. General

The questions that follow would apply to books that are difficult to classify but are popularly read—those on political, social, psychological, or educational subjects; books on travel or real adventure; surveys of historical periods.

Why was this book written? What does it contribute to our culture? Was there a need for information in this area?

What is the major field of interest? How broadly is it covered?

How well does the author make his point? How satisfied are you with his conclusions?

What kind of authority does the author seem to be? What are his qualifications to write on the subject? How many of his facts are the product of personal experience?

What is the author's general point of view? Liberal? Con­servative? To what extent does his point of view color his presentation? What, if any, evidences are there of propa­ganda? Does he show signs of bias?

To what extent does the author "doctor" his material, leaving important things out and inserting difficult-to-prove items?

How logically is the material planned and developed? How easy is it to read and understand?

What are the most noteworthy ideas or experiences?

What are the chief qualities of the style (sentences, words, phrases, tone, imagination, etc.)? What are the chief weak­nesses?

What do you know now that you didn't know before?

What has been made clearer as the result of reading the book?

How much would you support the author's conclusions in a debate? How much would you attack them? Why?

To what extent have you been stimulated to do some of the things the author did or to go where he went?

What other books on the same subject have you read that you consider superior or inferior? Why?

To what kind of person would you recommend this book? Who should avoid it? Would you try another by the same author? Why?

B. How to Prepare the Book Report

Even though there is no standard form, you can use cer­tain guides which will help you handle practically any type of book report requested of you, written or oral:

§ Plan your paragraphs in accordance with the number of words expected, just as you would do with any composition.

§ Select for discussion only those features of a book that were sufficiently outstanding (good or bad) to be worthy of comment. Suppose, for instance, you found nothing special about the setting or theme but were greatly amused by the author's style and the people he wrote about. All right, talk about these in a good, solid paragraph for each—and mention the other items, if at all, as briefly as you can.

§ Use the "What to Look For" questions to help you gather specific material for the paragraphs and then prepare the usual outline!

§ Include in your beginning paragraph enough about the type of book it is, the title, author, setting, and theme so that the reader or listener will get a quick idea of its general nature.

§ Working from your outline, which has prepared what you want to say about the items you have selected for dis­cussion, develop each middle paragraph around the central idea—your feeling for or against a particular feature. Use as details references to the book to support your opinions. In this respect, handle the paragraph exactly as you would in an answer to a literature question.

§ Let your ending paragraph summarize your general reaction to the book. Tell why you did or did not like it by referring again to the points you developed in the middle paragraphs.

We will try something different in the way of examples for this section. It would be unwise to give you a few com­plete book reports because no two should be alike and, as we've said several times now, no standard form can be suggested. Instead, therefore, you will find sample opening, middle, and closing paragraphs from both professional and student reviews so that you can see how various items are handled and can adapt the techniques to your own reports. The professional samples will be starred thus: *.

Sample Beginning Paragraphs for Book Reports

(Most frequently mentioned: title, author, type, setting, theme)

*1.

A Guest and His Going by P. H. Newby (Reviewed by James Stern)

If the British take their pleasures seriously, they are not slow to treat serious subjects lightly. Who would have thought that the Suez crisis, which actually precipi-tated Britain into a war in 1956, would provide material for a comic English novel in 1959: Yet in P.H. Newby’s hands it has in “A Guest and His Going.”

2.

Benjamin Franklin by Carl Van Doren

What I find to be most interesting in biographies is the intimate glimpses I get into the real character of great men and women, in Carl Van Doren's "Benjamin Franklin," í was amazed to discover that this was not a dull man who spent most of his time talking politics or experimenting. I was fascinated by his various affairs of the heart and learned to appreciate this great patriot precisely because he had some weaknesses, too.

*3.

The City That Would Not Die by Richard Collier (Reviewed by Drew Middleton)

This is a book about one city, London, and one night, May 10th-11th, 1941, when Adolf Hitler's Luftwaffe launched the heaviest attack it had ever made on Lon­don, or, indeed, upon any other city. From the events of this night Richard Collier has fashioned an authentic, horribly vivid story of a city enduring twelve hours of torment and surviving—battered, burning but unbroken.

As the war wore on, there were heavier raids. The night described in "The City That Would Not Die" saw 708 tons of high explosive and eighty-six tons of in­cendiary bombs dropped on London. By midwinter of 1943-44 the British were dropping a higher tonnage night after night in Germany.

(You will recall that it is quite acceptable to use a two-paragraph introduction in some instances.)

Sample Middle Paragraphs for Book Reports

1.

The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill

Basically, this play is a lengthy character study. Yank is typical of people who live in their own private little worlds and are shocked to discover one day that they don't fit into any other society. This huge stoker hadn't realized, before he met Mildred, that his rough appear­ance and rowdy manners were repulsive when viewed by persons who were sensitive and well-bred. When he left the security of the hold of the ship and came out into the pitiless glare of life in a big city, he was re­buffed on all sides. He didn't know now to fight back and therein lay the essential tragedy of his personality.

2.

A Bell for Adano by John Hersey

The people of the town of Adano behaved as most people would who had been pushed around for years, 'hey were suspicious of strangers, didn't trust them. This is what made it so hard for the Major to do his job. He had to proceed slowly and gain the complete con-fìdence first of the inhabitants. When they found him to be capable, warm, and exceptionally understanding, they cooperated completely. This is so typical of people everywhere. They respond to kindness and hope. Hersey shows great skill in getting to the core of character, whether of an individual or a group.

*3.

The Triumph of Surgery by Jurgen Thorwald (Re­viewed by Francis J. Braceland)

The story is told through the medium of one Dr. Hartmann, whom we meet in London in 1881 as he attends the Third International Medical Congress. Though the narrator, named after the author's maternal grandfather, is fictitious, the events he chronicles are real, having been carefully researched and reported with scrupulous attention to detail. The excitement, the emotional tension, and the fascination the reader ex­periences as he visualizes the scenes of these epoch-mak­ing events are testimony to the skill of an author who has the facility of placing the reader in the operating room as the drama unfolds and who also has the ability of writing medical history as though it were a series of four-alarm fires.

4.

The Yearling by Marjorie Rinnan Rawlings For the first time I became conscious of how much style can contribute to the enjoyment of a book. By frequently using short, simple sentences, Mar;orie Raw-lings is able to match the plain, bare lives of her characters and blend her descriptions into a harmonious pattern. In a brief paragraph, with eight quick strokes of her pen, the author achieves remarkable drama as she presents the touching scene in which Jody discovers that Penny has told Ma to dispose of the boy's pet:

"He went to his room and closed the door. He sat on the side of the bed, twisting his hands. He heard low voices. He heard a shot. He ran from the room to the open kitchen door. His mother stood on the stoop with the shotgun smoking in her hand. Flag lay flounder­ing beside the fence."

I think I understand better now how to use stark, direct language to create excitement and suspense.

5.

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Reading about Henry Fleming made me change my whole attitude toward the true meaning of courage. I had always thought that the very courageous person never experienced fear. He just went ahead and did heroic things without giving a thought to the conse­quences. But as I see it now, real bravery emerges only after fear has been conquered. One has to be either very stupid or very mad to expose himself to danger and not worry about his own welfare. By running away and then returning to fight gloriously, Henry developed the ma­turity which enables a person to face a challenge with de­termination even while his heart is pounding with doubt. "The Red Badge of Courage" teaches a lesson every young man or woman should learn.

Sample Ending Paragraphs for Book Reports

1.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

It is a book I enjoyed reading very much and would recommend to anyone who likes plenty of action and suspense. The story has all the qualities one would want: powerful, forceful writing by the author; an underdog hero and a sea full of enemies; depth of emotion (I felt so sorry for the old man); and a length just light for a single evening's entertainment.

*2.

May This House Be Safe From Tigers by Alexander

King (Reviewed by Taylor Caldwell) Those Europeans, and Americans, too, who can find no vivacity in America, no interest except in the passing, the new, the trivial and the mean, no passion but for petty things, and no splendor, will see America through Mr. King's eyes. They will share his wonder, his awe, his laughter, his love and his devotion for his adopted country and will discover America again, vital, aspiring and young, colorful and passionate.

3.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

On the whole, I would say that I am not sorry I read this book. I didn't care too much for the stiff way the characters talked and acted, some of the lengthy descrip­tive passages which could have been shortened or elim­inated, and the lack of action in spots. But it was a re­lief to meet a heroine who wasn't the most beautiful woman who ever lived, a hero who wasn't perfect either physically or morally, and a stress on virtue which is rare these days. It may take you a while to get interested, as it probably did it you read Hardy's "Return of the Na­tive," but once you get into it you find yourself becom­ing increasingly more reluctant to put the book aside.

Do you see what makes a good report? You don't just tell the story. It is as wrong here as it is in an answer to a literature question. Of course, you don't have a built-in problem to discuss as you do when you are held to satisfying the requirements of a question. But this merely gives you greater freedom to select the points of interest that you wish to stress in order to prove that your estimate of the book is based upon solid grounds.

III. THE REVIEW

As a change from reporting on a book you have read, you are sometimes asked to see and analyze a play, motion pic­ture, or television program. The technique involved in the review, as this type of composition is called, is almost identical with that of the book report. Since someone had to write the original play or script upon which the dramatic pro­duction was based, the same guide questions used to evaluate a book can be applied to the efforts of. the author as pre­sented on a stage or set or in a studio. The only difference is that you are expected to comment on some additional items when you are reporting on an actual performance.

Additional Questions on a Live Platy

If a single set was used, what limitations did it impose on the flow of the action? If none, why was it adequate?

If more than one set was used, how effective were the various changes? Were they all necessary, or could some of the sets have been eliminated? What would you say about the imagination and skill of the set designer? How effective was the lighting? The background music, if any?

What was outstanding about the costumes? Were they appropriate to the time and place of the action?

How well was the acting directed? What about the pace? Did it drag? Was it too rapid and confused? Were the transitions smooth? To what extent could the delivery of some of the lines have been improved by better direction?

How well were the actors suited to their parts? How forcefully did they speak? How clear was their diction? How effectively, by voice and action, did they vary their per­formances? What actors did the best jobs? Why? What ones performed poorly? Why? If the latter, what actors would you have selected instead?

If this was a musical, how original and creative was the music? How many songs do you think you will remember?

Was the story just thrown in, or did it have genuine dramatic quality? What about the voices of the performers? Were they good actors with poor voices, or poor actors with good voices, or a happy combination of both? How well were the solos worked in? Did the events leading up to the songs seem artificial or were they so well developed that the interruption seemed quite logical and natural?

Additional Questions on a Motion Picture

(Use all the questions above on the live play and the ones that follow.)

How effective were the outdoor scenes? Were they shot in natural settings, or were they faked?

How well did the cameras assist the action by focusing on important details? What were some of the unusual camera techniques used to enhance the photography? What im­provements could have been made in the shooting of the picture? If color was used, how much did it contribute to the photographic quality?

What was unusual about the screen on which the film was shown?

How effective was the sound? What special musical effects were used?

If the motion picture was based upon an original book or play, how did the telling of the story compare to the reading or acting of it? What were the advantages and dis­advantages of one medium as opposed to the other?

Additional Questions on a Television Production

(Use all the questions above on sets, costumes, direction, acting, camera work, sound, and the ones that follow.)

To what extent, if at all, did the commercials intrude?

If the script was a cut version of a longer piece, how much did the production suffer because the story was condensed? Would an even shorter version have been better? Would another half hour or so have helped? Why?

If the script was original, how well did it take advantage of the techniques of television production?

If the production was of a non-fiction type—panel dis­cussion, news report, on-the-spot coverage of an event—how well did the cameras contribute to avoiding monotony? How wisely were the panelists, reporters, or interviewers selected? How well did they speak? How suitable were their person­alities to the program?

What over-all effect did the program have on the audience? Was it proper material for the minds of people of all ages? If not, what types were aimed at most?

A typical review of a play, motion picture, or television program would take the following form:

Beginning Paragraph: The usual title, author, setting, and theme, plus theater (play or motion picture), or time and station (tele­vision).

Middle Paragraphs: A paragraph or two based upon the highlights developed through the guide questions used for evaluating books. A few paragraphs based upon the guide questions immediately above. The number of paragraphs will, of course, depend on the required words and your selection of qualities you wish to evaluate.

Ending Paragraph: Again the general estimate with the summarized reasons for your conclu­sions and recommendations.

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