Reader Response Questions

 

Questions to consider when responding to a piece of literature in your writer's notebook or in discussion groups:

 

1.   What do you envision?

 

2.   What do you hear?

 

3.   How does it make you feel?  Why?  How does the author achieve that effect?

 

4.   What does it remind you of?

 

5.   What does it make you want to do?

 

6.   Is it pleasing? Why?  What is your evaluation and Why?

 

7.   Is there any irony?

 

8.   What literary devices does the author use?

 

9.   What setting do you think of?

 

10. How do you suppose the author got his idea(s)?

 

11. What does the title mean?

 

12.  Is there humor in the piece?

 

13.  How can you relate to it?

 

14.  What kind of ending is there?

 

15.  Is the piece realistic?

 

16.  What is the genre?  Why did the author choose that genre?

 

17.  What is the theme?  How does the author develop the theme?

 

18.  What conflicts are there?

 

19.  How does the plot develop?

 

20.  What is the turning point?

 

21.  What is the resolution?

 

22.  How does the author achieve his/her characterizations?  Are the

       characters like any one you know?

 

23.  Will this change or influence you in the future.  Does the piece teach you anything?

 

24.  Are there any inferences you picked up?  Did you pick up any double

       meanings?  Is the piece really about something else?

 

25.  What is your prediction for the next part or end of the piece.  Discuss the

       reasons for your suspicions.

 

26. Pick a line, paragraph, or passage from the piece and write about its

 significance to the whole.  Explain your opinion in detail.

 

27.  Who is the narrator?  How does that point of view affect the story?

 

28.  What changes (of narrator, setting, character, etc.) are there and what

       effect does that have?

 

29.  What effect does dialogue have?

 

30.  What questions does it pose for you?

 

31.  Why did you choose to read this piece?

 

32.  Would you recommend it?  To whom?  Why?

 

33.  How are you affected by other people's opinions of the piece?

 

34.  Before you read the piece, what were your expectations given the title

       and the author?  Did it meet your expectations?  Why or Why not?

 

35.  Do you admire the writer's craft?  Could you imitate his/her style of  writing?

 

36.    Do you have any critiques?  What would you do differently?  Could you make

       it better?

 

37.    Put yourself in a character’s shoes.  Write a journal entry for one day.  Write

       about the events that happened during that day in the piece.

 

38.  Does the description on the back of the book do the piece justice?  Why or why not?

THIS IS ONLY A BEGINNING. 

WHAT QUESTIONS

COULD YOU ADD?