Prepare: Prior to writing your initial post, read Chapters 1 through 3 of Journey into Literature.

Reflect: Chapter 1 of our course textbook provides a number of reasons why people choose to explore literature and the importance storytelling has played in the human experience. Skwiot and Clugston (2019) write that “literature enriches our lives by challenging us to have new perspectives on life’s experiences and the world in which we live” (Chapter 1, para. 2). The textbook gives a number of general motivations for reading, but it is helpful to put those motivations into context. Consider what your motivations are for reading.

• What does literature offer an individual?
• How has the importance of reading changed from earlier eras (pre-digital/audio/visual media) to our present day? Do you think we read differently now than we did in prior generations?
• Do you think Skwiot’s and Clugston’s quote is valid? How can literature challenge our perspectives and why is that valuable, if at all?
• What causes people’s perceptions regarding the value of literature to change?
• Incorporate paraphrases and quotations from readings found in Chapters 1 through 3 of our course textbook to help illustrate the points you make. For help on writing paraphrases and quotations, review
  the Ashford University Writing Center’s tutorial Integrating Research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and the Quoting, Paraphrasing, & Summarizing (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. web page.

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length, not including references.

Prepare: Prior to writing your initial post, read Chapters 1 through 3 of Journey into Literature.

Reflect: As you explored in the The Value of Literature discussion, literature can provide us with a multitude of perspectives, ideas, and experiences. Additionally, there is a long tradition of critical reading and writing about literature (i.e., analyzing literature to seek a deeper understanding about various interests and concerns). Chapter 2 in our course textbook focuses on these ideas. Consider why people develop responses to literature and how reading and writing a literary response is a worthwhile endeavor.

Write: In your post, answer the following questions:

• Review the different ways of responding to literature. Which of these do you think you have done most in the past?
• What kind of response will you focus on in this course, and how will that type of response develops skills used for academic and professional purposes?
• Incorporate citations from your readings found in Chapters 1 through 3 to help illustrate the points you make.

Your initial post should be at least 200 words in length. The minimum word count does not include references.