The sooner you can recognize a work of literature as classic literature, the better prepared you’ll be to read it successfully. You’ll know that your best word-attack strategies may be needed to make sense of many words in the text, and you’ll be able to anticipate the kinds of characters, settings, and events that may fill the novel’s pages.
As you read each of the excerpts below--one from a classic novel and one from a recent short story written more for teen readers, notice how your approach to reading changes to match the style and content of the text. Also notice which elements and features help you decide if the excerpt is an example of classic fiction or young adult literature.
My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons. He sent me to Emmanuel College in Cambridge at fourteen years old, where I resided three years, and applied myself close to my studies; but the charge of maintaining me, although I had a very scanty allowance, being too great for a narrow fortune, I was bound apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent surgeon in London, with whom I continued four years; and my father now and then sending me small sums of money, I laid them out in learning navigation, and other parts of the mathematics useful to those who intend to travel, as I always believed it would be, some time or other, my fortune to do. When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my father, where, by the assistance of him, and my uncle John and some other relations, I got forty pounds, and a promise of thirty pounds a year, to maintain me at Leyden. There I studied physic two years and seven months, knowing it would be useful in long voyages.
Nobody knew how the secret got out. But once it did, it seemed to grow legs and maybe wings. It was about Alana Waterman and Jake Muldoon, and believe me, it was bad. It was the kind of thing you wouldn't want anyone to know, not even your best friend who swore to love you no matter what. I first heard it in the locker room after swim team.
Melissa was whispering to Kate, and Kate kept screaming, "OMG!" and clapping her hand against her mouth like people do when they're either shocked or grossed out. Then Liz ambled by and wanted to know what was so exciting. Thrilling was what she actually said, pretending she didn't really care, though you totally knew she did.
"Nothing," said Melissa.
"She promised not to tell," said Kate.
"Well, it's obvious she just told you," Liz replied, shaking back her ponytail. She was already dressed, picture perfect as usual, in her skinny jeans and the sweatshirt with Captain on the back. No one would think that several minutes earlier she'd just done thirty grueling laps in the pool. "Listen," she said, "We're teammates. And that to me means trust. What's said in this locker room stays right here."
How would you describe the differences between these two beginnings, and why do those differences matter? Use the questions below to explore how a text’s level of difficulty affects the way readers read.
Which form of punctuation is used more often in Excerpt 1 than modern readers are used to seeing?
- period
- comma
- question mark
- semicolon
Literature written a century or more ago tends to make regular use of semicolons in place of periods, which makes for some very long sentences.
Literature written a century or more ago tends to make regular use of semicolons in place of periods, which makes for some very long sentences.
Literature written a century or more ago tends to make regular use of semicolons in place of periods, which makes for some very long sentences.
Literature written a century or more ago tends to make regular use of semicolons in place of periods, which makes for some very long sentences.
How does an author’s use of very long sentences affect most readers’ process for understanding a story?
- They relate more easily to the characters.
- They look up more words in the dictionary.
- They stop more often to check their understanding.
- They make more predictions about the plot.
Long, complex sentences sometimes take a while to sink in. After all, they contain more information--of several kinds--than shorter, simpler sentences.
Long, complex sentences sometimes take a while to sink in. After all, they contain more information--of several kinds--than shorter, simpler sentences.
Long, complex sentences sometimes take a while to sink in. After all, they contain more information--of several kinds--than shorter, simpler sentences.
Long, complex sentences sometimes take a while to sink in. After all, they contain more information--of several kinds--than shorter, simpler sentences.
Which phrase from Excerpt 1 helps create the novel’s more formal, “classic” style?
- When I left Mr. Bates
- made several voyages
- by the assistance of him
- the beginning of summer
A novel written more recently would use the phrase “with his help” instead.
A novel written more recently would use the phrase “with his help” instead.
A novel written more recently would use the phrase “with his help” instead.
A novel written more recently would use the phrase “with his help” instead.
What effect do more formal, indirect phrases like “by the assistance of him” have on readers? What extra work do they create for today’s readers?
- They require some translation.
- They require the use of context clues.
- They require the use of a dictionary.
- They require more background knowledge.
Typically, modern readers “translate” unusually worded phrases into more familiar expressions as they read.
Typically, modern readers “translate” unusually worded phrases into more familiar expressions as they read.
Typically, modern readers “translate” unusually worded phrases into more familiar expressions as they read.
Typically, modern readers “translate” unusually worded phrases into more familiar expressions as they read.
In the story beginning represented by Excerpt 2, the author purposefully leaves out a key piece of information. How does this technique affect readers?
- It makes readers distrust the narrator.
- It creates suspense right away.
- It helps readers imagine the setting.
- It reveals important character traits.
The narrator talks all around the secret but does not say what it is. The effect is to make readers really want to know the details of the secret--not just how it got out.
The narrator talks all around the secret but does not say what it is. The effect is to make readers really want to know the details of the secret--not just how it got out.
The narrator talks all around the secret but does not say what it is. The effect is to make readers really want to know the details of the secret--not just how it got out.
The narrator talks all around the secret but does not say what it is. The effect is to make readers really want to know the details of the secret--not just how it got out.
As story beginnings, Excerpts 1 and 2 may require two fairly different approaches to reading fiction. Which word best describes the approach needed for Gulliver’s Travels, the novel quoted in Excerpt 1?
- speed
- judgment
- patience
- multi-tasking
As you can see from reading the first paragraph of Gulliver’s Travels, it’s going to take a while for the story’s plot to develop. Readers may not even know what the conflict of the story is for many more pages. Modern novels tend to get to the point much more quickly.
As you can see from reading the first paragraph of Gulliver’s Travels, it’s going to take a while for the story’s plot to develop. Readers may not even know what the conflict of the story is for many more pages. Modern novels tend to get to the point much more quickly.
As you can see from reading the first paragraph of Gulliver’s Travels, it’s going to take a while for the story’s plot to develop. Readers may not even know what the conflict of the story is for many more pages. Modern novels tend to get to the point much more quickly.
As you can see from reading the first paragraph of Gulliver’s Travels, it’s going to take a while for the story’s plot to develop. Readers may not even know what the conflict of the story is for many more pages. Modern novels tend to get to the point much more quickly.
Summary
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