Links to all Process Tasks

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4

Task 5

Task 6

Reading Process Portfolio: Novel

Quotable Quotes Log

Divide the novel into approximately five equal sections. As you work through each section, note phrases or sentences that seem to resonate with your own experience or with your developing understanding of the novel's meanings. Keep a log of these resonant images and ideas, jotting down for each

1. the page number
2. brief notes about
   • the words' context (who, what, when, why, where)
   • why you felt them to be significant enough to note down.

At this stage your ideas need not be "profound," but some thought should be evident. Your reason could involve identification with the values implied or questions posed, familiarity with the image or symbol from other literature, or empathy for the character's dilemma, for example. You may note that this image or symbol has occurred previously in your reading in the novel (identify where); suggest the meaning of this iterative symbol. You may, on the other hand, simply be struck with wonder by the writer's style. Indicate what technique has caught your reading ear. Collect approximately ten (10) of these quotations for each section (total 50 for the novel).

Suggestion: Use 3x5 index cards to mark the places in the novel where you find the "Quotable Quotes." Write the page number, the context, and your ideas directly on the cards. Hand the organized cards in wrapped in an elastic band. There is no need to retype them into a list. You may wish to use a different colour of index card for each section of the novel. You may later find these cards useful for sorting your ideas and organizing the final essay.

Novel Worksheet
This link takes you to the worksheet

Based on the fiction reading skills you have developed during your high school career, begin to sketch out an interpretation of the novel you have read.

Begin with the title. How does it shape your reading? What ideas does the title highlight as important?

Think about the relationships among the story's plot, characters, and settings. What themes are suggested through the characters' experiences? What assumptions and cultural mythologies are suggested by the narration?

Examine the Thematic Concerns List, a list of topics traditionally associated with literary fiction. Which of these topics could be applied to your novel? How does your novel grapple with these topics? What specific theme statements can be made from these general topics for your novel?

16 Feb 2003