Before you begin your reading, consider the following information. It is a distillation of what is most important for you to learn about reading literature.
B |
ark: |
Barking is pronouncing the words on the page, usually without understanding the surface meaning. This is the basic level of reading. If I am learning a new language, I start here. Also, we often bark a page in English. If I am distracted and tired and reading a boring piece of literature, I can "read" a whole page, but not understand any surface meaning of the words, I only bark it. |
C |
omprehend: |
At this level I understand and feel the surface meaning of the words. I read "rose" and think of a small flower--or "kiss" and think of lips touching. I flow with the words and experience the story, enjoying it or disliking the story or poem. Do you analyze the parts of a rose when giving one to a friend? Do you study the anatomy of human lips while kissing your date good night? I hope not! Read the story like you watch a good movie such as STAR WARS. |
A |
nalyze: |
Analysis is for the purpose of seeking to understand what you don't understand. For instance, does the "kiss" in a story mean love, lust, or hate? Take apart the story to find the meanings of the story below the surface. Do so gently. Analysis is vital, but to overdo it is to do to the story what the lab technician does to the frog--dissect it into little pieces that can never be put back together again. What is left is not a story but just a conglomeration of words: lifeless. |
E |
valuate: |
Evaluate whether the meaning of the story is truthful. Do you agree or disagree with the author's beliefs? For instance, in the STAR WARS saga Luke fights the vicious Empire at the risk of his own life. One could argue that such sacrifice is a truthful way to live. Or one could argue that there is always hope for evil persons such as Darth Vader. Lucas thinks so. Do you agree or disagree? |
R |
eflect: |
Reflecting on what meaning the story has for you personally. For example, you will probably never be faced with fighting an evil empire, but you must choose between good and evil each day of your life. If you believe that Vader was capable of turning from evil to good, do you believe there is hope for the student who picked a fight with you or passed around malicious gossip about you? |
A |
pply: |
Apply your evaluation/relflection. When you see Christy, who has been gossiping about you, go up to her and talk to her about it. Decide that you will be friendly to her even if she is unkind to you. If Lucas is right--that bad individuals can turn good--then maybe Christy may stop gossiping and become a friend! |
When you have completed all 6 steps of BACFAERA, you have read in the full sense of the word. By now you probably have realized that all of us do most of these steps unconsciously already. What we do in English class is practice the skill. Reading literature is like growing, but on the inside.