English Essentials: Understanding How Characters Change

In yesterday's class, we discussed some of the ways Chris Kyle has changed over the course of the book (and movie).  Because round characters can be seen from all sides, we get a sense of the emotions they experience as they go through major life changes.  For example, when Kyle's wife says that his "hands feel different" after his first tour of Iraq, the audience is getting a clue that Kyle is not the same man that went off to war.  His physical change represents his actual change as a soldier (and sniper).  This change is further emphasized when Kyle becomes a father only a few minutes later in the movie.

Writing Activity:
For today, find a specific example of how Kyle changes in the book American Sniper and explain how he has changed from the man he was before that incident took place. Make sure to use a quote, cite your page number, and discuss the way Kyle changes in the quote.  Give your reader an explicit explanation ("word for word") and an  implicit explanation (implied meaning in the quote).

When you have explained Kyle's change, compare it to the movie. How is this change represented in the movie? Is it different (or the same) in any important ways?

Post your response in the comments section below. Be sure to check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar.  You will receive a summative score for L1 (rubric here) and RL3 (rubric here).

Then, respond to your classmates with a specific and meaningful comment.

Why CRIT Is So Important....

"CRIT" stands for the "Close Reading Interpretative Tool," an approach to close reading developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.  To learn more about CRIT and implementing this technique in your school, visit the link here: https://laits.utexas.edu/crit/home or watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/104204687

A student recently asked me: "Dr. Brigman, when will we be done with CRIT?"

(His question was echoed by the groans of a dozen other students.)

My response: "You'll never be done with CRIT!"

I wanted to tell the students that understanding how to closely read a text is one of the most important things they could ever learn as students.  If they go on to college, close reading will likely be one of the first assignments they receive in a literature class.

Moreover, close reading shows their ability to unpack a piece of literature, dig for deeper meanings and think critically independent of the teacher.

CRIT is so important because close reading is really just an English teacher's way of saying, think for yourself!" In life, as in English, thinking for yourself will be essential to everything you do.

Since September, students have worked on mastering the six steps of the Close Reading Interpretative Tool, or "CRIT."  Close reading requires readers to take a passage from a book, article, newspaper, blog, or magazine and "unpack" the text's meaning.