Book 7

Because I carted your discussion today, I didn’t take notes, so cannot give you a very accurate reflection of the ideas you discussed today. I can say, however, that I didn’t have enough time in class to fully go over my discussion map, so I want to reiterate and deepen some points. Most importantly, the discipline you showed today far surpassed that of the past few discussions. Perhaps the knowledge that I was keeping track of how you shared the table kept you mindful of your behavior, but what ever the reason, I hope you emulate it often.
Regarding what you discuss, remember to look deeply into the next. You already do a good job figuring out plot and character; now use discussions to focus on specific words and phrase and tease out the connotations that support or challenge your more general insights. You may have realized that this kind of focused analysis is what I want you to do in your essays, and the class discussions give you ample opportunity to practice.