Writing about literature

Intended to help secondary school" English teachers integrate literature study and composition instruction, this booklet explores the relationship between literature and composition and suggests ways of designing instruction so that students may write effectively about the literature they read. The first portion of the booklet discusses such components of research and theory as the assessment of student response to literature, the basics of literary interpretation, and "rinciples of sequencing and activity design. The practice portion of the booklet presents instructional activity sequences for supporting an interpretation, explicating implied relationships, and analyzing authors' generalizations. (HTH) *********************************************1 :*************.4********** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *******************************************************************1..** Writing about Literature U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION / CENTER (ERIC) This Cocument . has been reproduced as received from the person or organization


Getting started
Having made your way through the critical reading of your assigned text (whether be it a novel, a short story, a poem or a play), the process of literary analysis continues with communicating to others the meaning you, as a reader, have constructed from it.Of all the stages in literary analysis, writing is perhaps the most challenging.It can also be the most rewarding if you know how to approach the task.
Writing about literature is not just an ordeal you undergo for the purpose of assessment.It is essential to the study of literature.Until you are able to use the evidence you have collected from the text to express opinions for yourself, you have not really read the text.The most effective way for your ideas to become a properly functioning part of your critical mind is to discuss them in writing.
A puzzling thing about writing an assignment is that it can be difficult to get a clear idea of what is wanted from you.That is why your first task as a writer is to inspect your assignment closely and thoroughly to make sure that you fully understand what you are required to do.If you find anything unclear or confusing, pose your questions on the forum so that your course instructor (or classmates) can help you answer them.
Though assignments (CATs) vary from one to another, they all impose certain rules and restrictions, which are not meant to limit your creativity but to channel it and thus help your productivity.Prominent among the restrictions is the word count limit: • CAT1: 100 words for each contribution to the debate (minimum 2 contributions on different days).
• CAT2: 400 words for the two-question written exercise based on the novel (a maximum of 200 words for each question, passage apart).
• CAT3: 350 words for the critical essay on one of the three short stories.
• CAT4: 350 words for the argumentative commentary on one of the poems.
• CAT5: 400 words for the two-question written exercise based on the play (a maximum of 200 words for each question, quotation apart).
Keep those limits in mind as you delve into potential topics, making sure that you choose a topic you can treat effectively within the word limit.Some of the CATs will impose further restrictions, sometimes indicating the texts and/ © FUOC • PID_00249655 6 Writing about literature or topics to be explored.As a result, the specific instructions given by each writing assignment will shape your writing process, determining, for example, whether you should tackle a step such as choosing a text (CAT3 and CAT4) or a passage (CAT2 and CAT5), answering questions (CAT2, CAT3 and CAT5) or identifying a topic/thesis sentence (CAT4).
Writing requires serious effort and plenty of time.Because it is challenging, it is tempting to put it off until the last minute.Do not make the mistake of procrastinating until the night before your CAT is due to be submitted.Make sure you start writing it in advance so as to allow yourself time to reconsider, revise and proofread before submission.To make proofreading easier, always use the spell check in your text processor.There is noexcuse for submitting written work that contains spelling errors.
Writing about literature

Linguistic register, tone and audience
Your writing assignment can be done in a less formal or a more formal style.
In fact, you will be asked to try your hand at both.The language used in your contributions to the Debate (CAT1) will be generally more formal than the language you use in colloquial English but less formal than the kind of written English you will use to answer the questions (CAT2 and CAT5) or to write the critical essay (CAT3) or the argumentative commentary (CAT4).
As well as considering your language register, you should also bear in mind the tone and the audience.It is obvious that your intended reader will be your course instructor.Yet always try to imagine an ideal reader: for example somebody whom you respect but who often sees things differently from you.
Use a serious and straightforward tone so as to capture and grasp this person's attention and respect.Remember that clarity and eloquence are essential when writing about literature, and adopting a distinctive and engaging tone is one of the aims of academic writing.
Writing about literature

Using Textual Evidence in Writing Assignments
Although the purpose of your writing assignments is to develop and present your ideas about the text in your own words (see section 3.3 "Avoiding Plagiarism"), a selective (and judicious) use of textual evidence can illuminate and support your claim and make it more convincing.However, you should be careful when paraphrasing, summarizing or using direct quotations.You do not want your written production to be simply a compilation of other people's ideas.Those ideas should only be introduced in order to shape and anticipate your argument, which is both the essence and the point of the writing assignment.The more efficient the use of textual evidence, the more successful your claim will be.Your clarity and reliability as a writer will depend on how sensibly and elegantly you combine other people's words and your own.

Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing
This section aims to guide your use of quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.Whether you use one or another depends on your preference, on convenience, and on how close you feel as a writer to the textual evidence.

You might use them to:
• provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing; • refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing; • give examples of several points of view on a subject; • call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with; • highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original; • distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own; • expand the breadth or depth of your writing.

Quotations
Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source.They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.

Advice on Using Quotations
• Ask yourself the following questions before introducing somebody else's words into your literature assignment: "How well does the quotation illustrate or support my analysis?Is this quotation the best evidence of the point I am making?Why am I quoting the text instead of paraphrasing or summarising it?"(Rosa and Eschholz, 2003, p. 169).
• Always use quotations marks to identify text copied/quoted from other texts, except in the case of lengthy quotations, which should be separated from the body of the text.
• Use "signal phrases" to introduce quotations and integrate them into the flow of your writing.You may find it useful to consult the following list of verbs provided by Rosa and Eschholz (p.168): • Every quotation needs to have your own words appear in the same sentence.Here are some easy to use templates for doing this type of introduction: • Now that you have successfully used the quotation in your sentence, it is time to explain what that quotations means -either in a general sense or in the context of your argument.Here are some templates for explaining quotations: • Use an ellipsis if you omit any words from the original source you are quoting.Ellipses can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the quotation, depending on where the missing words were originally.
An ellipsis is formed by either three or four full stops with a space between each.
• If any words are added to a quotation in order to explain who or what the quotation refers to, you must use brackets to distinguish your addition from the original source.
• When you refer to a complete volume (novel, play, monograph) use italics, e.g.The Buddha of Suburbia.When you refer to a complete short text (poem, article, short story) use quotation marks without italics, e.g."Stanzas written in Dejection, near Naples".
• Include a WorksCited or References page at the end of your assignment if you quote from other sources.

Quoting from Novels or Short Stories (CAT2 and CAT3)
• If the quote is three typed lines or less, you can integrate it into the paragraph by placing it in quotation marks.If it is necessary to include a parenthetical page number, put the author's surname and page number in parentheses followed by a full stop: "In walks these three girls in nothing but bathing suits", begins John Updike's short story "A & P" (Surname page#).
• If you want to quote words or a phrase, not a complete sentence, from a text, simply put the word or phrase in quotation marks.
In order to execute his revenge on the King and his court, Poe's disabled character Hop Frog "encased [them] in tight-fitting stockinet shirts and drawers.They were then saturated with tar".Later, Hop Frog sets them ablaze (Surname page#).
Notice, also, that in this example it was necessary to add the pronoun "them" in brackets in order for the sentence to make sense.
• If you are quoting material that is more than three typed lines long, you begin the quote on a new line, indented one inch from the margin.Each line of the quote is also indented one inch.Do not use quotation marks with an indented quote.You can either use a colon to introduce the quote or no punctuation.Double space throughout the quote.Unlike quotes that occur within the text, with an indented quote, the parenthetical

See also
Check https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqHusfPzLys (institutional video with the main indications as to how to write your Works Cited or References).
Writing about literature reference occurs after the full stop at the end of the quote; it is not followed by a full stop.

Quoting from Poetry (CAT4)
• You may quote one to three lines of poetry by placing the line(s) in quotation marks within the text of your paper.Separate lines of poetry using a slash mark (/).Leave a space on either side of the slash.In parentheses, place the line numbers of verse you've quoted.
Emily Dickinson begins her poem "The Brain-is wider than the Sky-" with her characteristic use of punctuation and capitalization: "The Brain-is wider than the Sky-/ For-put them side by side-/ The one the other will contain" (1-3).
• When citing more than three lines of poetry, begin the verse on a new line, indented one inch.Double-space the indented quote.As with novels and short stories, do not use quotation marks and place the parenthetical reference with line numbers after the full stop or other mark of punctuation.Reproduce the lines as they appear in the poem, breaking for a new line as the poem does even if there is more space left on your

Originalsentence Paraphrase
• It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
• Everyone agrees that a propertied bachelor needs (or wants) to find a woman to marry.
• All things can tempt me from this craft of verse: One time it was a woman's face, or worse-The seeming needs of my fool-driven land; Now nothing but comes readier to the hand Than this accustomed toil....
• Anything can distract me from writing poetry: One time I was distracted by a woman's face, but I was even more distracted by (or I found an even less worthy distraction in) the attempt to fulfil what I imagined to be the needs of a country governed by idiots.At this point in my life I find any task easier than the work I'm used to doing (writing poetry).
Writing about literature

Summarizing
Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s).Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.
Summarizing entails prioritizing, or highlighting, some ideas or elements of the plot over others.As a result, the summary will reflect your own point of view and, therefore, your own interpretation or argument.For this reason, when you summarize a literary text you may be starting to figure out what your interpretation of the text will be and how it will differ from those of other readers.Here for example, for example, are three viable one-sentence summaries of Hamlet: A young man seeking to avenge his uncle's murder of his father kills his uncle, while also bringing about his own and many others' deaths.
A young Danish prince avenges the murder of his father, the king, by his uncle, who had usurped the throne, but the prince himself is killed, as are others, and a well-led foreign army has no trouble successfully invading the decayed and troubled state.
When, from the ghost of his murdered father, a young prince learns that his uncle, who has married the prince's mother, is the father's murderer, the prince plots revenge, feigning madness, acting erratically -even insulting the woman he loves -and, though gaining his revenge, causes the suicide of his beloved and the deaths of others and, finally, of himself.

CAT1: Debate Contributions
Make a minimum of two contributions on different dates to the online debate based on the readings assigned for Unit 1 (Check 2.1 and 2.2 for linguistic register, tone and word limits).

Rules for Online Debate
• This is a shared learning environment, so try not to lurk in the cyberspace background.That is, it is not enough to login and read the discussion thread of others.For the maximum benefit to all, everyone must contribute, including yourself.
• Make sure you contribute new ideas, doing more than simply reflecting or commenting on those offered by your classmates.
• Bear in mind that the main objective of the debate is not to reach unanimous agreement but to develop a collective argument.• Emoticons and texting: Social networking and text messaging has spawned a body of linguistic shortcuts that are not part of the academic dialogue.Please refrain from :-) faces and c u l8r's.
• Respect diversity: It is an ethnically rich and diverse, multi-cultural world in which we live.Use no language that is -or that could be construed to be -offensive toward others.Racist, sexist, and heterosexist comments and jokes are unacceptable, as are derogatory and/or sarcastic comments and jokes directed at religious beliefs, disabilities, and age.
• No YELLING!Step carefully.Beware the electronic footprint you leave behind.Using bold upper-case letters is bad form, like stomping around and yelling at somebody (NOT TO MENTION BEING HARD ON THE EYE).
• No flaming!Criticism must be constructive, good-natured and wellarticulated.Please, no tantrums.Rants directed at any other contributor are simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated.The same goes for profanity.The academic environment expects higher-order language.
• Lastly, remember: you cannot un-ring the bell.Language is your only tool in an online environment.Be mindful.How others perceive you will be largely, as always, up to you.Once you've hit the send button, you've rung the bell.
• That isn't strictly true.

Commentary
Select passages from a novel/play to answer TWO questions commenting on these passages.Being selective and capable of synthesizing your thoughts is extremely important (Check 2.1 and 2.2 for linguistic register, tone and word limits).

Instructions
• Before reading the texts, look at some of the recommended websites on your classroom webpage to find background information on the author and about the texts themselves.
• Scrutinize the questions.Make sure you understand what you are required to do.If still in doubt, pose your question on the forum so that everyone can profit from your instructor's/classmates' replies.
• Read the texts, selecting possible passages for the exercises.
• Think about highlighting or underlining passages which would help you answer the questions.
• Although you have been assigned specific questions for discussion, the interest and effectiveness of your answers will largely depend on whether or not you can make the questions your own, turning them into questions to which you discover your own answer.
• Do not hesitate to use the recommended guides and notes.
• Use the dictionary only occasionally, if you cannot understand the meaning of a whole paragraph or page.
• Consult a translation of the text, particularly for Shakespeare's play, if necessary.
• Copy the passages selected in the exercises and identify them by page (in the case of the novel) or by act, scene and lines (in the case of the play).
• Do not focus on more than ONE passage.It will NOT result in higher marks.
• It is not obligatory to quote from secondary sources (i.e.bibliography), but if you do so, remember to identify these using footnotes/references.
• Assessment will be based on how convincing your arguments are.Your instructor may, therefore, disagree with your opinion but still give you high marks.
• Although no opinion will be regarded as incorrect, in certain cases a specific interpretation of the texts may indeed be incorrect, resulting in the mark for this exercise being 'fail'.

CAT3: Critical Essay
Choose ONE of the three short stories and write a critical essay based on the assigned topics.Being selective and capable of synthesizing your thoughts is extremely important (Check sections 1 and 2 for linguistic register, tone and word limits).
Writing about literature

Elements of the Critical Essay
The critical essay is a genre of essay that requires you to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner.This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.
The structure of the critical essay is held together by the following: • A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment.If you do not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.
• Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together.Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay's argument, and the structure will collapse.
• Body paragraphs that include evidential support.Each paragraph should be limited to the exposition of one general idea.This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay.What is more, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one's audience.It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph.
Sometimes you are required to write critical essays with little or no preparation; typically such essays do not allow for a great deal of statistical or factual evidence.
• A bit of creativity Though creativity and artfulness are not always associated with essay writing, it is an art form nonetheless.Try not to get stuck on the formulaic nature of expository writing at the expense of writing something interesting.Remember, though you may not be crafting the next great novel, you are attempting to leave a lasting impression on the people evaluating your essay.
• Aconclusionthatdoesnotsimplyrestatethethesis,butreaddresses it in light of the evidence provided.It is at this point of the essay that students will inevitably begin to struggle.This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader.Therefore, it must be effective and logical.Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize and come to a conclusion concerning the information presented in the body of the essay.

Thefive-paragraphessay
A common method for writing a critical essay is the five-paragraph approach.This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays.If it sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of: • an introductory paragraph; • two/three evidentiary body paragraphs (depending on your word limit); • a conclusion.

Sample essay
Read the sample essay before your write your own essay.The comments in bold are intended to show you how the essay is structured.

Name: Clara Pérez
Topic: Comment on the narrator's powers of observation in Graham Greene's short story "The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen".

Title:
The Invisible Narrator: The Narrator as Secret Protagonist in "The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen" By Graham Greene.Greene's short story "The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen" is narrated by an anonymous witness who reports a private conversation between a new writer -a young girl -and her sceptical fiancé.The story deals apparently with her limited powers of observation but when we learn that the narrator is also a writer, we realise that his powers of observation are actually Greene's main theme.The narrator, in short, is the story's secret protagonist.• Reference: speaking about (this), considering (this), regarding (this), with regards to (this), as for (this), concerning (this), on the subject of (this), the fact that.
• Similarity: similarly, in the same way, by the same token, in a like manner, equally, likewise.
• Clarification: that is (to say), I mean, (to) put (it) another way, in other words. 2)Adversative:signalconflict,contradiction • Conflict: but, by way of contrast, while, on the other hand, however, (and) yet, whereas, though (final position), in contrast, when in fact, conversely, still.
• Emphasis: even more, above all, indeed, more importantly, besides.
• Concession: but even so, nevertheless, even though, on the other hand, admittedly, however, nonetheless, despite (this), notwithstanding (this), albeit, (and) still, although, in spite of (this), regardless (of this), (and) yet, though, granted (this), be that as it may.
• Dismissal: either way, whichever happens, in either event, in any case, at any rate, in either case, whatever happens, all the same, in any event.
• Replacement: (or) at least, (or) rather, instead. 3)Causal:signalcause/effectandreason/result • Cause/Reason: for the (simple) reason that, being that, for, in view of (the fact), inasmuch as, because (of the fact), seeing that, as, owing to (the fact), due to (the fact that), in that, since, forasmuch as.
• Condition: on (the) condition (that), granted (that), if, provided that, in case, in the event that, as/so long as, unless, given that, granting (that), providing that, even if, only if.
• Effect/Result: as a result (of this), consequently, hence, for this reason, thus, because (of this), in consequence, so that, accordingly, as a consequence, so much (so) that, so, therefore.
Writing about literature • Purpose: for the purpose of, in the hope that, for fear that, so that, with this intention, to the end that, in order to, lest, with this in mind, in order that, so as to, so.
• Consequence: under those circumstances, then, in that case, if not, that being the case, if so, otherwise.

4)Sequential:chronologicalorlogicalsequence
• Numerical: in the (first, second, etc.) place, initially, to start with, first of all, secondly, thirdly (etc.), to begin with, at first, for a start, secondly.
• Conclusion: to conclude (with), as a final point, eventually, at last, last but not least, in the end, finally, lastly.
• Digression: to change the topic, incidentally, by the way.
• Resumption: to get back to the point, to resume, anyhow, anyway, at any rate, to return to the subject.
• Summation: as was previously stated, so, consequently, in summary, all in all, to make a long story short, thus, as I have said, to sum up, overall, as has been mentioned, then, to summarize, to be brief, briefly, given these points, in all, on the whole, therefore, as has been noted, hence, in conclusion, in a word, to put it briefly, in sum, altogether, in short.

CAT4: Writing/Recording a Commentary on a Poem
Write an argumentative commentary (350 words) on ONE of the poems in the document "Poetry".Record yourself (either on a voice recorder or on camera) reading the poem (in English) and the subsequent commentary (in English, Spanish or Catalan).
You are recommended to take the following points into account when selecting a poem to comment on: • Title: Is it appropriate to the subject, tone and genre?Does it generate interest and hint at the theme the poem is exploring?
• Subject: What is the basic situation?Who is talking, and under what circumstances?Try writing a paraphrase to identify any gaps or confusions.

See also
Useful templates for proper use of transitions in your essay: http://libguides.csufresno.edu/c.php?g=288903&p=1927133 Writing about literature • Appeal: Which does the poem appeal to: the intellect or the emotions of the reader?
• Structure: What kind of structure(s) has been used in the poem: comparisons, analogies, bald assertions, etc.? Are these aspects satisfyingly integrated?Does the structure support the content?
• Tone: What is the poet's attitude to the subject?Is it appropriate to its content and audience: assured, flexible, sensitive, etc.?
• Word choice: Is the language used appropriate and uncontrived, economical, varied, inspiring etc.? Do you understand each word properly, including its common uses and associations?Are words repeated?How do they create mood, emotional rapport or distance?
• Style: Metaphor and simile: are they used in a fresh and convincing manner?Rhythm and metre: are they well integrated in the structure of the poem?Rhyme: is it fresh, pleasurable, unassuming but supportive?
How is the overall effect achieved?

Sample Essay
When commenting on a poem you must follow a similar format.Avoid descriptive commentaries that follow the structure of the poem stanza by stanza and obey the four/five paragraph rule.
Remember!STANZA = estrofa (each group of lines in a poem) LINE = verso (each single section of the poem, e.g."a sonnet has 14 lines") VERSE = verso (e.g."this text is written in verse, not in prose") Writing about literature Topic: Comment on the poem by Philip Larkin "High Windows": What's its main topic?
Title: Looking Beyond Happiness: Philip Larkin's "High Windows" (1) In "High Windows" Larkin considers the continuity among the different generations: each has more freedom than the previous one and less than the next.
(2) Larkin exposes the envy that his generation feels for the young ones and also how his own generation was envied by his elders.The poem's conclusion suggests, however, that the poet is reaching an age in which this envy is no longer relevant. (3) The theme of generational continuity is mirrored by the flowing language.(4) The most effective resource Larkin uses to express his view of time's passage are the enjambments linking the lines and the five stanzas of "High Windows".
The three parts of the poem do not even coincide with the end of lines or stanzas, increasing this impression of continuity.The lines about the young couple occupy the first two stanzas and half of the first line of the third stanza, where the second part -dealing with the previous generation -begins.The last section, the final mysterious reference to the high windows, begins in the middle of the last line of the fourth stanza.
The poem suggests that liberation is always positive: each generation breaks taboos regarding sex or religion that affected negatively its predecessors.(5) The use of colloquialisms in the first stanza ("kids", "fucking") also stresses the impression of constant evolution, for this is the language of the youngest generation.Yet Larkin's own envy of the sexual freedom of the "kids" is perceptible in these colloquial words.Apparently, he believes young people can't love -only "fuck" -which highlights the generational gap.The use of "bloody" (line 16) in association with the previous generation also hints at the negative effects of envy.
The poem ends with an image seen through the high windows: "the deep blue air, that shows / Nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless".We can think that these are, literally, the windows through which the poet is watching the young couple or, metaphorically, the windows through which he contemplates life and time.The endless air and blue sky possibly signify his own liberation from the passage of time and, perhaps, from envy itself.(6)

Notesontheessay
(1) The title of the essay has two parts and always refers to the text and/or author.In the first part, the thesis is presented: This is a poem that looks beyond happiness.
(2) This is the THESIS on which the reading of the poem is based.
line.If the line of poetry is too long to fit, you continue on the next line, but indent an additional three spaces.When beginning the following line, come back to your original one-inch indentation.If you begin your quote somewhere in the line other than the beginning, indent the first line the approximate number of spaces to replicate where in the line you are beginning.• If the poem uses unusual spacing, try to replicate that spacing as closely as possible in your indented quotation.Quoting from a Play (CAT5) If you quote from a play, you will most likely be quoting dialogue from two or more characters.After indenting one inch, you must include each character's name in all capital letters followed by a full stop.Start the speech on the same line.Begin each subsequent line of the character's speech indented an additional three spaces.When a new character begins speaking, return your indentation to the original one-inch indentation mark and follow the same process as before, indenting subsequent lines three spaces.In parentheses provide the act and scene numbers (and line numbers if the play is in verse).3.1.2.Paraphrasing Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words.A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source.Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.The following examples offer paraphrases of sentences from a work of fiction (Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice) and a poem (W.B. Yeats's "All Things Can Tempt Me").
Be brief.You want to be clear, and to articulate your point, without being preachy or pompous.Be direct.Stay on point.Do not lose yourself, or your readers, in overly wordy sentences or paragraphs. • Greene suggests that, ironically, both the narrator and the girl's fiancé have greater powers of observation than her, though she has been praised by her editor for them.Her powers are questioned since she, but not the narrator or her fiancé, fails to notice the colourful group of Japanese businessmen having dinner next to her table.No doubt, she is too engrossed by her dream of future success and by the discussion of her boyfriend's professional prospects to notice them.We should wonder, though, whether a writer must be alert to his or her surroundings even in private moments.Perhaps, the fiancée