As you have no doubt discovered, class discussions can lead to interesting insights about a literary work, perhaps by calling attention to details in the work that you failed to notice on a first reading. Discussions don’t always need to occur face to face. Many literature instructors encourage online discussion groups; in fact, many post discussion topics. Here, for example, is a set of networked postings about a character in Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
Blog discussion exploring a subject
Questions to ask about literature
Related topics:
Talking and listening
Forming an interpretation
Asking questions that lead to an interpretation