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11. In what ways ethically can we evaluate and judge the process of literature?
(in part adapted from Wayne Booth, The Company We Keep)
What are the author's responsibilities?
- To the reader?
- To the work itself?
- To himself as a person? As a writer?
- To those lives used as "material"?
- To society in general, to the future?
How well does the author accomplish what she set out to do?
Was the work true to life? Were the actions, characters, and scenes believable?
Was the style successful? On what terms?
What changes would improve the work?
What are the reader's responsibilities?
- To the author?
- To the work itself?
- To yourself?
- To other readers?
Was the work worth your time and attention? Did it capture and hold your interest? Why
or why not?
What defects(if any) in yourself caused this to happen?
How did the text compare with similar works?
Do you agree or disagree with what others have said about the work?
Would you encourage others to read the work?
What have you learned from reading the work?
Could it make your life different or better in any way?
Should you do anything about the issues that the work raises?
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