Part I: How to Write about Literature

Many people expect writing course to be all about just that: writing. They also frequently expect literature courses to focus solely on reading books. But did you know that reading and writing are skills which reinforce one another? This is why many college instructors use literature in the writing classroom. (Conversely, it is also why many literature professors still assign at least one formal, written essay in their literature courses!)

A large body of educational research suggests that we do not develop reading and writing abilities in isolation from each other. Rather, the emerging ability to decode and interpret text helps strengthen the ability to come up with words, once children sit down to write.

Mature learners are not much different. It’s far easier to write when someone gives you material to talk and think about. Furthermore, it’s far easier to write well when you see examples of effective and engrossing writing in front of you.

This section of the textbook will introduce you to the tools you need, when responding in writing to something you’ve read. (Later sections will offer reading selections and discussion questions, to “prime the pumps” and get writing!)