Reading my blog post 1 again was not an enjoyable experience. I did some things right. I looked at words used in the short story and examined the meaning behind them. I examined the imagery and themes, all part of the advice on the close reading tip sheet. From these examinations, I formed a thesis about the deeper meaning behind “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.”

I was not very successful in giving a short paraphrasing of the passages I was studying. The majority of my close reading is more like a book report. I also failed to provide solid textual evidence. In fact, my thesis is based partially on speculation.

My blog post 1 needs some work. If I were to rewrite it, I would make my summary of the story much more concise. I would also reread the short story and site more evidence for my claim. I would need to write much more about how I came to my conclusion and how the story proves my argument.

To me, close reading is all about truly understanding a work. It is about looking at works not only on a surface level. It’s purpose is to understand what the author truly means by the word choices, syntax, and overall message of their work. I think it’s important that we do it so that we can develop our skills and think on a deeper level and not just take things at face value.