How to Critically Read Literature

Sometimes students avoid literature classes because they have difficulty with the readings. A common complaint is that there just isn't enough information in the text to get the meaning instructors expect them to get. Often, however, the problem is that the students don't know what to look for when they read, how to critically read literature. Much of the point of the story can often be gleaned from literary elements other than the basic plot.

Plot is important. Upon a first time reading critically, students should definitely make sure they understand the story that is unfolding. Very few stories have no purpose in the narrative, although it does sometimes happen in literature, such as in character sketches. Once the plot is understood, then the other literature elements come into play.

Yes, a story really needs to be read at least twice in order to get the full benefit from it. The second time through, students should take notes as they look for the critically important elements.

For example, the way the characters are developed can say a lot about the meaning of the literature. Some characters are people not much is known about at the beginning, sometimes very boring, and they may stay that way pretty much to the end. If this character were a main character, then part of the point would be that the events happening around him/her had no impact. An example might be the character of Cinderella. Even though she lost her mother when she was very young and was treated terribly by her stepmother and stepsisters (and an apparently oblivious father), she stayed a sweet and caring person. Her outward change at the ball allowed her to be noticed by the Prince, but her inner personality never changed. The moral, of course, is that "someday my Prince will come," that a good and loving person will end up getting everything she wishes for and deserves.

It is more common for the main character to be a dynamic character, one that undergoes a critically dramatic change in order to prove a point. An example of this might be Tom Cruise's character Charlie from Rain Man. At the start of the movie, Charlie is selfish and obnoxious, determined to get something from his father's estate because he feels he is entitled. By the end of his journey with Raymond, he doesn't care about the money, he shows more patience with Raymond's frustrating behavior than he does toward anyone at the start of the film, and has the beginnings of a real relationship with his brother and his girlfriend.

Setting can also be important in getting across to the reader in literature. Had Cinderella's situation not been so dire, life with the Prince might not have been so attractive. Likewise, Raymond and his brother needed time to be alone together through much of the movie so the viewer could watch Charlie's transformation from total jerk to softened brother as the two spent time together. Had they been in a psychiatrist's office the whole time, for example, then the point would seem to be that therapy can be helpful rather than the whole issue of Charlie discovering what being close to someone could really mean.

Symbols help readers see the meanings in literature, as well. A host of students complain about their inability to find symbols, but finding them isn't that difficult for those who read critically. The primary symbol in the Cinderella story is pretty obvious-the glass slipper. Students should start with the obvious when thinking what a symbol might mean. In this case, it is glass, so it is fragile. It is beautiful. It is something she is not likely to be able to do without long, and it is something pretty unique. The Prince must use it to find her. So what does it represent? True love seems to fit the bill pretty well.

Is there a similar symbol in Rain Man? Again, one really stands out-the car. It belonged to the father. Charlie sneaked it out once and was punished by being left in jail for two days. Raymond was allowed to drive it "slow on the driveway." The car is what separates Charlie from his dad, and yet it is what brings Charlie and Raymond together. It is the thing from their father that both boys cherish, and although Charlie is given free title to it, he is eventually willing to share it with Raymond, even letting Ray drive "slow on the driveway."

So all these ideas fit together to illustrate a point, a theme, the author is trying to convey. Good literature uses these as well as other methods to create a system for the reader to find that theme. Although the writer may construct a complex way to get there, the ultimate goal is for all readers to reach that point. Critically reading literature will allow students to find the most important ideas without re-reading dozens of times.