How Stories Work (Pytash)

“I believe it is our job not simply to drag students through a series of books but rather to show them how stories work” (Jago 60).

I relate to this quote from the text because I feel the same way. I don’t want my classroom to be a place where students don’t want to read and rely on me to give them the theme, symbols, plot, etc. from the story. It’s not just about the stories that I will teach but about teaching students how to read stories and how to analyze them as well. It was interesting to me that students are so quick to say that they ‘hate’ a story when really they just don’t understand it. I will keep that notion in the back of my mind because I value students’ opinions but also want them to be challenged in the classroom. If they hate a story because of how it is written or because of what the writer is trying to get at, that is one thing. But if they hate a story because they don’t understand it, that is where the teacher comes in and leads them to understanding.

I laughed aloud when I read, “I can remember as a student being in awe of my teachers’ ability to identify themes,” (Jago 61). I felt the exact same way! I remember studying Macbeth and discussing symbols. I remember the teacher telling us what blood and other things were symbolic for throughout the work. I thought she was so smart because her answers were so elaborate and accurate. I didn’t know that I had the ability to think up the same things. Jago states, “As a teacher I try to dispel all illusion of magic and make my own process of thinking about a story transparent,” (Jago 61). It is important for teachers to teach students how to read a story so that they can continue that thinking for their lifetime. If we just teach them how to read, say, Macbeth, then students will be surprised at how the teacher came to the theme and symbols of the play, remember them, if only until the test, and ultimately be cheated out of learning how to really understand a story! The elements of literature provide a way for teachers to teach students how to really read a story. This chapter was quite helpful.

I also like the chart on page 74. It has three columns regarding Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. They are “Steinbeck’s images and metaphors, What they make me feel and think, What they suggest about Steinbeck’s message” (Jago 74). I think this chart because it takes concrete images and metaphors and makes students respond to how it makes them feel. But—most importantly— the learning doesn’t stop there. The students are challenged to think about what Steinbeck was trying to achieve by his images and metaphors. Stories aren’t simply about how they make us feel (which is important) but more about what that author was saying and why.