Discussing a literary work

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