Close-Reading

I am no stranger to close reading and how they affect your interpretation of a text.  Back in high school, we were required to annotate and interact with all text that we came into contact with.  But the interesting thing that I learned about close-reading from this week, is that you have to do research on the author which can also give you a lot of information about what the text is going to be about.  For example, in the short story “the yellow wallpaper” once we found out background information on the author, we were able to better understand the text.  We were able to understand what was going on in the personal life of the author and what was going on in the world around that time.  Once we found out all this information we understood the text better and were able to connect better with the text.

            I believe that these exercises have definitely affected the way I read text: It has taught me to investigate more when reading.  I feel, I am better equipped at how to read text and respond properly.  I have been taught to look at syntax, diction and even capital letters.  All these techniques will help me understand readings better. 

Close readings are very beneficial for the reader.  You are thrown into the world of the author which helps you relate to the author better.  You are required to look at various characteristics in the text that you may not have did before.   All these tools make you more knowledgeable on the text and the author.  You’re able to better infer on what’s the underlining meaning of the text.  Being a close-reader is an important skill to have and should be used whenever coming into contact with a new text.