What to Focus on When Writing a Book Report

All text responses will focus on one or more of the four key elements of texts these are: Themes (Big idea; what the author believes in and is trying to show or teach through their narrative. What is the text about? What general themes are revealed through the events and the experiences of the characters? Does the text focus on important social, cultural or political issues? What do we learn about these issues?) Characters (How they evolve, change, interact, and deal with conflict. Who are the major characters? Do they develop and change throughout the text? What do they value and believe in? Key word: protagonist.) Setting (The setting is the place, and the historical and social context of the text. What does the setting of the text include? Are there significant changes of location and/or setting? If so, can you see any direct effect/s on the plot, characters, relationships and themes? Key words: Cultural factors: these cover the customs and beliefs that a particular society has Historical context: this is the period in which the text is set the century, the year. The historical time frame has a great impact on gender, customs and beliefs, politics, etc. Location: specific place/s, deliberately chosen for the text, that have significance for the characters Social context: the circumstances and customs of the society depicted in the text Structure (Structure is the arrangement of events: the sequencing of events and material. Events can unfold chronologically or intermittently through flashbacks. Narratives can be written in first, second or third person. Does the way it is written affect the text? Are images and symbols used?) Context Context: How could the following factors influence the way you see the world and respond to others? a. Personal Context: How could an individuals family, age, life experiences, gender, ethnicity, etc. shape his or her perspectives, attitudes and values? b. Geographical Location: Why is where you live important? c. Historical Context: Why would living in a different historical period be significant? d. Cultural Context: What influence does culture have on an individuals perspective? e. Workplace Context: Does an individuals workplace context have an influence on his or her life? Consider how you would regard life if you worked in a Nike sweatshop factory in Taiwan?

Characters Characters (How they evolve, change, interact, and deal with conflict. Who are the major characters? Do they develop and change throughout the text? What do they value and believe in? Key word: protagonist.) To understand characters we need to analyse what they say and do as well as well as what others say about him or her. We need to know their values and attitudes, things like: Honesty Personal responsibility Equality Freedom of expression Compassion Tolerance Justice Loyalty Trust Family honour

Character Traits Characters (and real-life people) have unique attributes called traits. Use the following list of character traits as a guideline when writing book reports and essays about the different characters you've read about. Don't stop with this list, though; you can probably think of many more terms to describe your characters.

-hearted

-confident -working -loving

-minded

Loyal

Values What is a value? A value is a quality that a character believes in or holds dear. Values usually arise from the social context. Here are some of the common values you may encounter in your texts. Note that many of the qualities that we take for granted in a Western democratic country are not shared by all cultures. -honesty -personal responsibility -equality -freedom of expression -compassion -tolerance -justice -loyalty Themes What is a theme? A theme is a central idea or issue explored in a text. The themes are not always directly stated. Rather, they emerge from the way in which characters and events interact to produce an overall effect or outcome. Remember, themes range across the whole text. They are not shown by one single character or one set of circumstances. Below is a list of some big common ideas explored throughout many texts: how many apply to your selected text? Growing up Love and relationships Conflict Impact of the past Change War Identity and belonging Revenge Survival Sacrifice Family Loyalty and betrayal Abuse of power Prejudice and discrimination Redemption Loss Gender roles Friendship Injustice Ambition

Trust Family honour

Social Issues Social issues are issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Some of the major social issues include, but are not limited to:

Poverty Procrastination Health care Crime Housing Education Law War Asylum Abortion

Suicide and Assisted suicide Censorship Illegal Immigration Public nudity Genital mutilation Blasphemy laws Gun rights Capital punishment Corporal punishment Bullying

Drug laws Alcohol laws Tobacco and smoking laws Gambling laws Prostitution laws Ageism / Youth rights Age of consent Same-sex marriage Immigration

Structure How is the book written, first person or third person? Is the plot written in chronological order, or does it commence at the climax and then flashes back to the beginning? Does the plot have numerous climaxes, or only one? Why has the author structured it this way? Is it written in diary format, using prose, or graphics? Why is it written this way?