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NGL_1301: Literary Response Prompt

What is a Literary Response?

Conveniently, a Literary Response is exactly what it sounds like – it is a response to literature. You read a text as a question and then think about how you would respond to or answer it. Think about the following questions: How does the text make you feel? Do you agree or disagree with something the author said? Are you satisfied with the ending or should there be more? Do you have anything to say to the author? In essence, you are writing down your reactions to the text.

The Assignment:

Using the “Introduction: What Are Stories?,” the supplemental documents, and the lecture notes I posted on our Content as a guide, write a literary response to Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (264-300). You may choose to use specific literary elements (characters, setting, figurative language, etc.) as evidence to show your response is valid; however, keep in mind that this paper is meant to be your thoughts and feelings about the text – this is not an analysis. That will come later in the semester.

Summary VS Response:

Summary. Cover the main points as concisely as possible. Answer the questions: What is the point the author is trying to make?

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a short story written in the late 1940s about a small town that sticks to tradition despite the advancing world.

Response. This is where you react to the essay. Do you agree with the author? Is there something the author said in the essay that resonates with you? Do you have a personal anecdote that relates to the essay’s topic? How does the essay make you feel?