Analyzing Nonfiction non·fic·tion ˌnänˈfikSH(ə)n/ noun: non-fiction; noun: nonfiction
Minds On Compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction texts
When you read nonfiction, you're reading about something that really happened — it's not a story somebody made up. Prose is divided into the two big categories of fiction and nonfiction, and nonfiction includes all kinds of things — biographies, histories, memoirs, how-to books, self-help, books on business, even books on writing. Narrative nonfiction relates stories that really happened but in a way that draws you in just like fiction does; it tells a true story, but with lots of drama and all the interesting quirks of the characters.
Narrative Nonfiction You stick to the truth--the storytelling is fact-based--but you adapt some of the features of fiction: creating a narrative persona, setting scenes, presenting interesting characters, creating the look and feel of a setting, telling a story Narrative nonfiction goes under many names, including creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and fact-based storytelling.
The Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program originally hosted by Paul Harvey. Beginning as a part of his newscasts during the Second World War and then premiering as its own series on the ABC Radio Networks on May 10, 1976, The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line "And now you know the rest of the story."
"D.B. Cooper" by Max Haines (page 120) In the true crime story "D.B. Cooper", by Max Haines, it appears the hijacker may have succeeded in getting away with the crime. The story of D.B. Cooper is one that still intrigues people the world over. Did he get away? Was he killed in the escape? Nobody really knows for sure. How is this story a narrative nonfiction?
Language of the Discipline nonfiction author / creator text / genre formal informal audience purpose perspective bias tone content credible accurate reliable valid emotive balance persuasion logos ethos pathos images exaggeration credentials summarize clarify visualize connect infer question predict synthesize ACRONYMS TTAPPS: text, tone, audience, purpose, perspective, style AIR: annotated independent reading FALS: first and last sentence GIST: Generating Interactions between Schemata and Text
Analyzing Nonfiction T.T.A.P.P.S TEXT: Type of writing - genre TONE: Author's attitude towards the subject AUDIENCE: Who the author is writing for PURPOSE: Why has the text been written? PERSPECTIVE: Author's viewpoint or opinion STYLE: How the writer writes
Text Dependent Analysis: Nonfiction
TEXT 1: a kind of literary or artistic work 2: a style of expressing yourself in writing [syn: writing style, literary genre] 3: a class of artistic endeavor having a characteristic form or technique The Importance of Genre Readers and writers engage in different processes to different degrees when reading different kinds of text. The same student can be much better at comprehending or composing one type of text than another. Different genres have different features. Some effective approaches to reading and writing are tailored to specific genres.
TONE The ATTITUDE of the author. The spoken word can convey the speaker’s attitude, and, thus, help to impart meaning, through tone of voice. With the written work, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal. How would you read the passage aloud if you were the author? What tone would you take?
Audience Profiling Who they are = demographics (age, sex, education, economic status, political/social/religious beliefs); What level of information they have about the subject (novice, general reader, specialist or expert); The context in which they will be reading a piece of writing (in a newspaper, textbook, popular magazine, specialized journal, on the Internet, and so forth). Age Gender Geographical area Religion Race - Ethnicity Marital status Sexuality Education level Occupation Income - wage level Current and desired lifestyle Hobbies
To advocate (promote or support) To report on an event To arouse emotions and sympathies To raise questions To appeal to fantasy and imagination To criticize the actions of others To inform of issues To state one's beliefs To encourage and support To propose a solution To seek common ground To instigate thought and action To satisfy curiosity To present new ideas To instruct, teach, or educate To express or reflect on life and experiences To explore a question To present information To analyze and interpret To call for action
PERSPECTIVE All texts carry perspectives and biases, but the creators of those texts do not always make those perspectives and biases explicit and not all perspectives are bias. Uncovering perspectives and the biases they contain requires a bit of detective work. This is sometimes referred to as the "subtext." It requires looking at clues, that is, using inference, a key comprehension skill, to find implicit information in order to understand the values, assumptions, possible motives and underlying messages that texts may be presenting, suggesting or imposing on the reader. In some cases, the authors (or creators or directors) of a text may be intending to influence or even manipulate the reader or viewer of the text.
STYLE the way a writer writes Level of formality - formal versus informal Use of figurative language - simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole Techniques - AFOREST, Rhetorical Triangle Diction or word choice - denotative, connotative Sentence patterns - simple, compound, complex, compound-complex Methods of organization - patterns and layout
Getting the G.I.S.T. Generating Interactions between Schemata and Text The word "gist" is defined as "the main or essential part of a matter," according to Webster's Dictionary. It forces you to squeeze meaning into a tight, precise summary The goal of G.I.S.T. is to convey the "gist" of what you have read by summarizing the text in 20 words. Answer the 5 Ws and H Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? For a long text, write a G.I.S.T. statement for each section. You can then revise statements for a gist for the entire chapter.
How can you change someone's mind? (hint: facts aren't always enough) - Hugo Mercier Let’s Begin… Why do arguments change people’s minds in some cases and backfire in others? Hugo Mercier explains how arguments are more convincing when they rest on a good knowledge of the audience, taking into account what the audience believes, who they trust, and what they value.
ETHOS = HAND (Greek for character – credibility argument) Speakers appeal to ethos to demonstrate that they are credible and trustworthy people who should be listened to when they discuss a given topic. It relies on authority and reputation.
PATHOS = HEART (Greek for suffering or experience– emotional argument) Speakers appeal to emotions, values, desires, and hopes, on one hand, or fears and prejudices, on the other. Although an argument that appeals exclusively to the emotions is by definition weak - using pathos generally involves propaganda.
LOGOS = HEAD (Greek for word - logical argument) Speakers appeal to logos, or reason, by offering clear, rational ideas. Appealing to logos means thinking logically - having a clear main idea and using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to support it.
ANALYZING NONFICTION STEP ONE: SKIM, SCAN, PREVIEW Highlight the title Make a prediction about the content Highlight the type of text (genre) Circle the author's name - Do you recognize it? Circle the date (if provided) Read the text for basic comprehension GIST: Write a 1 - 2 sentence summary in your own words (WHAT does the text say?)
STEP TWO: THE C.R.A.A.P. TEST Currency Relevance Authority Accuracy Purpose Score out of 50 NOTE: If your source does not pass the C.R.A.A.P. Test move on to the next source.
STEP THREE: COMPLETE A.I.R (Annotated Independent Reading) Annotating a Text: Things to Look For "quotations" typography (italics, bold, underline, type size, type design) single-sentence paragraphs AFOREST techniques: alliteration, facts, opinion, repetition / rhetorical questions, emotive language / emotional words, statistics, triples (Three, rule of) figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole diction (any words require defining?) imagery important details statistics sub-headings graphics, illustrations, photographs (captions)
Highlight and label ONE example of each the following from the article "Hand Me That Wrench: Farmers and Apple Fight Over the Toolbox" Quotation Example Statistics (persuasion using logos) Threes (Rule of ) Alliteration Personification Visual imagery Emotive language (persuasion using pathos) Diction: Define any unfamiliar words Argument to support Right to Repair Argument to oppose Right to Repair
STEP FOUR: COMPLETE TTAP a. TEXT: State the genre. In 2 -3 sentences, describe the characteristics commonly associated with this type of text: size, appearance, design, layout, readability, style, structure b. TONE: In 3 - 5 sentences, describe the tone of the text. Begin with positive, negative, or neutral. Be sure to include the author's perspective - from impartial to biased. c. AUDIENCE: Create an audience profile and explain your thinking (min. 4 descriptors). d. PURPOSE: Paragraph Answer Topic Sentence: State the author's purpose (Why the author wrote the text). Body: Prove the author's purpose with specific examples from the text (How the purpose is achieved). Concluding Sentence: Your overall impression of the article (What was your reaction to the text?).
“Fake news” is a term that has come to mean different things to different people. At its core, we are defining “fake news” as those news stories that are false: the story itself is fabricated, with no verifiable facts, sources or quotes. Sometimes these stories may be propaganda that is intentionally designed to mislead the reader, or may be designed as “clickbait” written for economic incentives (the writer profits on the number of people who click on the story). In recent years, fake news stories have proliferated via social media, in part because they are so easily and quickly shared online.
Non-profit launches website to help identify fake news A Toronto-based non-profit is trying to fight misinformation and fake news ahead of the fall federal election, using online quizzes and messages from Canadian media personalities. The Canadian Journalism Foundation is launching a campaign called "Doubt It?'' today, with the aim of making Canadians more skeptical of the news they read online: https://doubtit.ca The group's president says the program was prompted by the discovery of some unsettling statistics about misinformation in Canada. Natalie Turvey says a recent survey found almost all Canadians have come across fake news at some point, yet only a third regularly verify if the stories they're consuming are legitimate. The CJF is launching a website that will have tips on how to check for fake news, such as googling the topic to see if other credible sources are writing about it.
The Deepfake AI-manipulated video has become so sophisticated that words can literally be put into people's mouths, making it a weapon. The War over Truth - It's the NY Times versus Donald Trump over the truth, with both believing the future of democracy is at stake. The Lie Detectors - An investigation into those who are fighting fake news...and the consequences they face. 45:09 https://www.cbc.ca/news/fifth/the-deepfake-the-war-over-truth-the-lie-detectors-1.4910865
Is satire still possible in an era of fake news?
Vices and Follies Vice (n): any kind of anti-social behavior from moral depravity and corruption (ex. prostitution) to a habitual and trivial defect or shortcoming (ex. nose-picking). Because it covers everything from outright wickedness to petty foibles, almost all humans suffer from some kind of vice; thus, the satirist is never at a loss for material. Folly (n): a lack of common sense, prudence, and foresight. (ex. The folly of man is that he doesn’t understand that history repeats). “Folly” and “fool” come from the same French medieval root, fol. The good satirist knows that everyone, even the satirist himself, in time will do something really stupid.
The Seven Deadly Sins 1. Pride/arrogance/hubris 2. Avarice (greed) 3. Wrath (anger, violence, sullenness/sulking) 4. Sloth (laziness, indolence, slovenliness, sloppiness) 5. Lust 6. Envy 7. Gluttony (excessive love of material comforts, food, drink, etc.)
Other Vices and Follies
Stupidity Gullibility Poor decision making Short-sightedness Narrow mindedness Intolerance/prejudice Pettiness Careless use of language Lack of self control Indecisiveness Shallow flirtatiousness Vanity/conceit/egoism Self-centeredness Apathy Callousness Selfishness Corruption Wastefulness Hypocrisy Careless spending Dishonesty Irresponsibility Excess of any kind Willful ignorance Timidity Prudery Crime Boorishness Rudeness Gross conduct Silliness Immaturity Stubbornness
Satire always has a target Often Used Devices: diction, hyperbole, capitalization, alliteration, repetition, verbal irony, diction, incongruent details, understatement, malapropism, oxymoron, irony Analyzing Satire: Target: ie. government Devices: ie. parody, repetition Type (tone): Horatian or Juvenalian Placement: on the continuum Articulation: give your rational – explain your placement