16 Text Analysis Week 2

wiki tātari tuhinga 2

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

— Steve Jobs

te ao Māori principles

There are key principals that we, as an English Department, consider important as part of a holistic study at school.

  • Mana – The prestige and authority of the writer. Writers can build mana through impactful stories that uplift readers.
  • Whanaungatanga – The connections and relationships between characters, writers, and readers. Literature brings people together.
  • Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship and protection of stories, language, and knowledge. Writers have a duty to share stories responsibly.
  • Wairuatanga – The spirituality and deeper meanings conveyed through literature. Stories can be profound and moving.
  • Mauri – The essential life force or vitality of the writer coming through in their work. Writing with purpose and energy.
  • Aroha – The empathy, compassion, and love writers show through their words. Literature builds understanding between people.
  • Tikanga – The customs, protocols and values upheld through storytelling. Writers adhere to cultural principles.

Key Terms

Structural relating to the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of a complex whole.
Study a detailed investigation and analysis of a subject or situation.
Macro large-scale; overall.
Analysis detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.
Characterisation the creation or construction of a character.
Symbolism the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Organisation the action of organising something.
Form a particular way in which a thing exists or appears.
Language the style of a piece of writing or speech.
Connotation an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
Conventions a way in which something is usually done.
Audience the people giving attention to something.
Purpose the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
Tone the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
Plot the main events of a play, novel, film, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.
Subplot a subordinate plot in a play, novel, or similar work.
Narrative a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.
Construction the creation of an abstract entity.
Perspective a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something; a point of view.

Learning Objectives

  • To apply analytical models to the text in regard to contexts, characters, conflicts and settings.
  • To identify how characters and conflicts are created, sustained, and developed.
  • To construct macro analysis based upon the development of the narrative.

Exercises

Spelling

happy joyful big enormous show
demonstrate quiet silent try attempt
wise intelligent sad unhappy easy
simple angry furious talk speak

 

Summary Builder

Below is a piece of writing that you should attempt to summarise into around 100 words.

The Science Behind Viral Trends

In the digital age, certain pieces of media, from memes to apps to dance moves, can suddenly skyrocket from obscurity into worldwide popularity. But what psychological drives and social factors turn random content into overnight viral sensations?

Science indicates our basic human urge to share drives virality. Novel, surprising, or emotionally charged content taps into reward circuits in our brains, triggering a dopamine hit. This makes us enjoy and engage with viral posts. Our innate social nature motivates us to pass on new ideas and jokes to others.

Influencers with large followings give trends initial visibility. Their followers mimic their tastes, spreading content further. This social proof entices others to participate, feeding the early-stage snowball effect.

Herd mentality kicks in as viral trends become ubiquitous. People join expanding bandwagons to feel part of the in-crowd. The fear of missing out (FOMO) also amplifies sharing, so people stay culturally relevant.

Emotional contagion makes viral content more likely to be reshared if it evokes certain feelings like humor, anger, or nostalgia. This mirrors how viruses biologically exploit human emotions to spread.

While some viral trends seem inane, social science reveals how they effectively exploit our psychology. Paying mind to the deeper roots of virality teaches us much about human behavior.

 

 

Text Analysis Week 2

wiki tātari tuhinga 2

Structural Decisions

When we studied novels and drama, it was important to consider the structural and plot-based decisions that were made by the writer. A great example is the scene from Macbeth where Kind Duncan has just been murdered by the character Macbeth. (2:2)

Take a simple choice like the time of the day. What is the impact of this? A scene set during the day may have a ‘normal’, happy, routine, truthful, or ordinary approach. A scene set in the night might therefore seem unusual, secretive, magical, and quiet. For Shakespeare, setting this particular scene at night had ramifications:

  • Evil spirits are associated with night
  • Darkness hides the identity of the culprits
  • We are most vulnerable in the night
  • ‘Normal’ people sleep at night

So, one simple choice has enormous impact on the scene an dour understanding. And there are endless choices to be discussed when thinking about sequences in any text: inside or outside; personal or private; social (relating to people and relationships) or political (relating to the governing of people).

For each of the chapters, think about the following choices.

  1. inside vs outside
  2. day vs night
  3. home vs away
  4. public vs private
  5. thoughts vs conversation
  6. political vs social
  7. men vs woman vs men and women
  8. positive vs negative
  9. comic vs tragic vs serious
  10. long vs short
  11. plot-driven vs not plot-driven

If you can start make decisions and writing about a particular scene or event being purely plot-driven and relationship building, that is much better than a particular word or phrase impacting the overall narrative.

Don’t forget to check the internal narrative structure of each chapter. Where does the chapter begin and where does it end – both physically, and emotionally.

Choices made in a non-fiction

A major question at this point is: Sure, but that’s for a narrative, not a non-fiction. Whether the action takes place at day or night is really about what happened, not the choice of the writer?

Not true: While there is some truth in what’s said here, the key is always to be aware that everything that is written about is a choice. There is never just one meeting, or one event that changes everything (except, perhaps, the only time that Ed Hillary reached the peak of Mt Everest and became the first person to do so). Instead these events are products of build ups and patterns of behaviour. So the choices made by the writer remains a key part to analyse.

Exercises

Go through your chapters and begin to chart the events that happen to find out about the choices made by the writer.

 

A Bit More on Sentence Expansion

Being able to construct more meaningful sentences in the academic style will assist with your writing skills in general.

Here are some techniques to assist with your general writing of expanded sentences.

  • Vary sentence openings. Avoid starting every sentence the same way with the subject. Try beginning sentences with prepositional phrases, dependent clauses, verbs, or other parts of speech.
  • Use coordinating conjunctions like “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor,” “for,” “yet,” and “so” to join independent clauses and create compound sentences. This adds more information to sentences efficiently.
  • Use subordinating conjunctions like “because,” “since,” “when,” “if,” “while,” “although,” and “whereas” to create complex sentences with dependent and independent clauses. This shows connections between ideas.
  • Use present and past participles (-ing and -ed endings) to create verb phrases that function as adjectives or compound verbs. For example, “The student, frustrated with the lecture, began tapping his pencil.”
  • Use appositives and parenthetical phrases to add supplemental information to sentences efficiently. Set these off with commas.
  • Use absolutes like “Having finished the exam, Jill left the classroom” and “Tired and hungry, the team stopped for a break” to concisely add details.
  • Use verbals including gerunds, infinitives, and participles to add information about actions to nouns and verbs. For example, “The easiest step, checking references, comes at the end.”
  • Vary sentence length and structure to create flow. Short, medium, and long sentences prevent monotony.
  • Use punctuation like semicolons, colons, dashes, and parentheses to segment sentences and connect ideas.

Exercises

Have a go at practising the skills of these above 9 points.

Vary sentence openings:

  1. Start with a prepositional phrase: ___, the captain addressed the crew.
  2. Start with a gerund: ___, the experiment resulted in an unexpected outcome.
  3. Start with an infinitive: ___, the volunteers will build the community garden this weekend.
  4. Start with a dependent clause: ___, the author crafted vivid imagery throughout the novel.
  5. Start with a participle:
    ___, the group approached the intimidating rollercoaster.
  6. Start with an adjective: ___, the poem conveyed a melancholy tone.
  7. Start with an adverb:
    ___, the student eagerly raised their hand.
  8. Start with a noun: ___, the lightbulb flickered before going out.

Use coordinating conjunctions:

  1. The critique was harsh __ the advice was useful.
  2. The rain poured __ the soccer game continued.
  3. The results were intriguing __ more research is needed.
  4. The volcano erupted __ no damage occurred.
  5. The book was entertaining __ poorly written.
  6. She missed class __ still passed the test.
  7. The meal looked delicious __ tasted bland.
  8. He studied daily __ struggled on the exam.

Use subordinating conjunctions:

  1. __ he studied all night, Julian failed the test.
  2. The experiment was halted __ the results were inconclusive.
  3. __ the rain let up, the picnic was cancelled.
  4. The recipe is simple __ you follow directions carefully.
  5. __ he knew it was late, Matt started his homework.
  6. The laptop crashed __ the unsaved document was lost.
  7. Phoebe went to bed early __ she had a big day tomorrow.
  8. __ hearing the thunder, the dog hid under the bed.

Use present and past participles:

  1. ____, the cat pounced on the toy mouse.
  2. The teacher sighed, ____, as she graded the tests.
  3. ____, the firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.
  4. The volume turned down, Sarah continued studying _____.
  5. ____ , the critics panned the new movie as boring.
  6. The child, ____ by the ride, cried in excitement.
  7. ____ for weeks, the hikers finally reached the summit.
  8. Exhausted ____, the team congratulated each other.

Use appositives and parenthetical phrases:

  1. The president, _____, will address the nation tonight.
  2. The Yellow River, _____, provides water to millions of Chinese citizens.
  3. The assignment, ____, is due at midnight.
  4. His latest book, _____, is already a bestseller.
  5. The speaker, ______, paused to clear her throat.
  6. The desert, ______, covered a vast geographic area.
  7. Her hometown, ______, was just a short drive away.
  8. The shopkeeper _________ eyed the suspicious customer.

Use absolutes:

  1. _____, the villagers evacuated before the floodwaters arrived.
  2. ____, the allotted time expired before the test was finished.
  3. _____, the critics refused to review the author’s latest work.
  4. _____, the team lost their motivation for the tournament.
  5. _____, the jury reached a unanimous verdict in the case.
  6. ______, the firefighters were unable to rescue the trapped cat.
  7. _____, the Senate delayed voting on the bill.
  8. _____, the patient’s health improved dramatically after surgery.

Use verbals:

  1. The crew spent the afternoon ______________ for the voyage ahead.
  2. The teacher asked for volunteers _________________ the chalkboards.
  3. _________, the firefighters entered the burning building.
  4. The recipe requires ___________ the onions until golden brown.
  5. The manuscript needs _______________ before publication.
  6. _________, the friends reminisced about old times.
  7. The attorney advised ___________ the offer.
  8. After _________, the Court reached a verdict.

Vary Sentence Length:

  1. Make this a short, simple sentence: The expansive five-star hotel was designed by a world-renowned architect and catered to wealthy, discerning travelers.
  2. Expand this to a medium-length sentence with more detail:
    The political candidate answered the question briefly during the debate.
  3. Turn this into a longer, complex sentence: The book was enjoyable. I read it quickly.
  4. Shorten this lengthy sentence: After considering the opposition, weighing the costs and benefits thoroughly, and taking the public feedback into account over several weeks of contemplative thought, the board ultimately rejected the controversial proposal.
  5. Shorten this wordy sentence: At exactly twelve o’clock midnight on Saturday, which happens to be the day before Sunday, the first day of the week in many cultures, the arbiters of time have dictated that daylight savings time is scheduled to commence this year.
  6. Combine these choppy sentences into one smooth sentence: The suspect denied involvement. He said he was home that night. He went to bed early. He has an alibi.
  7. Turn this into two shorter, punchier sentences: The highly anticipated sequel exceeded expectations in terms of its stunning visual effects and gripping plot that kept the audience captivated throughout its nearly 3-hour runtime.
  8. Expand this brief sentence adding vivid sensory details: The firefighters responded rapidly.

Use Punctuation:

  1. Add commas and coordination to combine these sentences: The storm grew in intensity. Thunder shook the house. Lightning lit up the sky.
  2. Use an em-dash or parentheses to add information: The long poem ___ was especially challenging to memorize.
  3. Use a semicolon to connect related ideas: The recipe was simple to follow ___ the cake turned out disastrously.
  4. Add a colon to introduce an explanation: There was one reason ___ the experiment succeeded.
  5. Use a colon to offset and emphasize information: There was only one possible explanation for the mishap: ____.
  6. Use dashes to add interrupted information: The archaeologists made an incredible find while surveying the area – an ancient tomb, undisturbed for centuries.
  7. Add commas with coordinating conjunctions: The team was nervous ____ excited before the big game.
  8. Use semicolons to link related clauses: The author’s latest book was poorly reviewed; ____, it sold many copies regardless.

You can even try to write your own and share them with your class colleagues.

Cartoonist Tom Gauld has us laughing with the librarians

Application of a te ao Māori lens

We live in a unique culture. Aotearoa New Zealand is a special environment with an indigenous culture and therefore a way of looking at the world.

Reacquaint yourself with the principles of te ao Māori at the top of the page

  • Mana – The prestige and authority of the writer. Writers can build mana through impactful stories that uplift readers.
  • Whanaungatanga – The connections and relationships between characters, writers, and readers. Literature brings people together.
  • Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship and protection of stories, language, and knowledge. Writers have a duty to share stories responsibly.
  • Wairuatanga – The spirituality and deeper meanings conveyed through literature. Stories can be profound and moving.
  • Mauri – The essential life force or vitality of the writer coming through in their work. Writing with purpose and energy.
  • Aroha – The empathy, compassion, and love writers show through their words. Literature builds understanding between people.
  • Tikanga – The customs, protocols and values upheld through storytelling. Writers adhere to cultural principles.

Consider how these concepts relate to the text’s themes. Let’s look at The Diary of Anne Frank.

For The Diary of Anne Frank:

  1. the struggle for self-determination and agency in the face of oppression may link with rangatiratanga.
  2. The care Anne shows within the secret annex community may connect to whanaungatanga.
  3. Her hope and optimism despite adversity may link to mana.

When writing an analysis, use Māori values as an additional lens. Here is a sample thesis statement incorporating a te ao Māori perspective on The Diary of Anne Frank:

“Through documenting her experiences in hiding, Anne Frank exemplifies the enduring Māori concept of mana through maintaining courage and hope despite her oppressed circumstances. Her diary is an expression of rangatiratanga – the right to tell one’s own story.”

Some more ideas

Expand on these concepts in your essay with examples from Anne’s writing.

  • Analyse how she maintains mana in facing dehumanisation.
  • Discuss moments where Anne exerts rangatiratanga through her self-expression.
  • Explain how the bonds between those in hiding uphold principles of whanaungatanga.
  • Show how she demonstrates aroha to her loved ones.

Incorporating te ao Māori perspectives enhances analysis by connecting the text to enduring Indigenous values. This demonstrates the text’s ongoing relevance while uplifting marginalised voices. Diverse cultural lenses from our unique perspective as those from Aotearoa New Zealand empower our academic writing.

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What does it look like from your mountain?

From Your Mountain

Remember how you learned your pepeha? And then learned it again (and again)?

Now it is time to use it. You have a perspective, it comes from your ‘mountain’ or maunga. We begin with identifying our maunga within our pepeha because it acheives three things:

  1. It addresses the geographical significance on the landscape – mountains are pretty obvious things and define where you are from – we all know where Mt Ruapehu is, for example.
  2. It acknowledges the mythological importance of the te ao Māori. Mountains came out of the sea first and land is vital to life.
  3. It shows our perspective on the world. Coming from Ruapehu is much different to coming from Mt Eden. One has an abundance of snow with no sea water for many miles and therefore requires a certain set of skill, and the other is on an isthmus and requires fishing skills to survive.

You have a mountain, too. You have your own perspective on the world.

Your job is to find it and use it within your analysis.

Ko te reo te tuakiri | Language is my identity.  
Ko te reo tōku ahurei | Language is my uniqueness.
Ko te reo te ora. | Language is life.            

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YEAR 11 ENGLISH PROGRAMME Copyright © by Christopher Reed. All Rights Reserved.

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