Suggestions for Questioning the Text papers

I had several students ask me after class Wednesday to talk to them about examples for your Questioning the Text papers. I did give one example in class before reading Heart of a Chief, and I will give you a few more here, but I want to caution you not to get too tied to examples, or to try to fit each book to one of the examples. Be open to the spontaneous questions that come to as you read a particular text and take care to be specific to the text you are reading, and not try to get it to fit a generic model of a question. That being said, the following may be helpful in thinking about your papers. First, I will suggest that you take the time to read the assignment guidelines again and ask yourself if the question you want to pose can be answered by analyzing the text and if it engages in a discussion of the work as a piece of diverse literature. I also have for you below a list of some generic types of question that were helpful to students last term. I hope that all of you will also post samples of questions that seem to work in discussions as we go throughout the term, to add to this list.

• In what ways does XXX function as a generalization or stereotype in XXX?
• Who seems to be the implied audience for the text? (i.e. What textual clues signal who the author assumes you'll identify with or what knowledge the reader does or does not bring to the text)
• How does the [genre/style/plot/or any other literary feature] position readers to think about XXX?
• What does XXX say about the relationship between XXX and members of the dominant culture?
• How is humor/tragedy/etc. used to...?
• How does XXX and XXX work to unravel the dichotomy of…
• What did [plot twist, particular character/etc.] add to the text?
• How does the text challenge ideas about [choose any dichotomy: modernity/tradition, gender, etc.]
• Using XXX’s framework, how would you characterize XXX?
• What does the title of the book…

Please continue to post your questions, ideas and thoughts on your papers as they come to you. I began by cautioning you not to get to caught up with these examples, I also want to caution you that using one of these models doesn't guarantee a particular grade. I need to assess how you develop the question and the relationships between the sections of the paper. I hope this has been helpful.

Claire