Close Reading a Passage
Close reading begins with a short passage and a question. The aim is to explain how the language shapes the reader's understanding, not to retell the scene.
Choose a passage
Choose a passage of no more than a page. Good choices include a moment of decision, a description of the arena, a memory of District 12 or a shift in Haymitch's voice. Students should use their own copies and record the chapter and page so the passage can be found again.
A four-pass reading
- First pass: read for what happens. Summarise in one sentence.
- Second pass: read for voice. What is the narrator's attitude? Where does it shift?
- Third pass: read for language. Mark diction, imagery, syntax and repetition.
- Fourth pass: read for effect. What does the passage make the reader think, feel or expect?
Annotation table
| Layer | What to mark | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Diction | Words that are harsh, tender, clinical or surprising. | Why this word rather than a synonym? |
| Imagery | Light, dark, machinery, nature, bodies, food. | What associations does the image carry? |
| Syntax | Short sentences, fragments, lists, repetition. | How does the sentence shape the pace? |
| Tone | Humour, anger, numbness, tenderness, defiance. | Where does the tone change? |
| Perspective | What the narrator notices and what they ignore. | Whose view are we trapped inside? |
Writing about the passage
Use a claim, evidence, explanation and link. Keep the evidence short. For example, if the narration uses clinical language for an injury, explain how that clinical tone creates distance or horror, and link it to the novel's critique of spectacle. Do not simply say the language is “descriptive” or “emotional”.
Passage presentation
Students can present a passage in a small group: read it aloud, name one choice, explain its effect and invite one question. The presentation should take two minutes. This builds the same skills as a paragraph but in a low-stakes oral format.
Stay close to the words. A strong close reading can point to a single verb and explain its work. It does not need to summarise the whole novel.