Understanding the Stages of Literary Appreciation

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Understanding the Stages of Literary Appreciation

• Donelson and Nielsen Literature for Todays
  Young Adults
• English 326
• Prof. Shirley Santiago de Jiménez

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What is literary appreciation?

• the ability to gain pleasure and
  understanding for literature
• to understand the value and importance of
  literature
• to esteem, honor, respect, and/or admire the
  beauty and complexity of literature

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What is literature?

• Literature (Big L)
• Classics that have been read over and over again
  or have been acclaimed throughout the years
  (literary awards)
• Works that are considered exemplary because they
  provide knowledge and understanding of the world
  and man

• literature (little l)
• Broadly, anything that is written(such as novels,
  poems, plays, and articles)
• Written works with popular appeal

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What are the stages of literary appreciation?

• They are an approximation of the different levels
  of how individuals develop the personal
  attitudes and reading, watching , and listening
  skills that are a necessary part of literary
  appreciation.

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Each developmental stage or level is
characterized by

• An optimal age (or grade level)
• Sample literary materials
• Sample actions or activities

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Two important points to remember

• People do not go through these stages of
  development instead they add on so that at each
  level they have all they have had before plus a
  new way to gain pleasure and understanding.
• The development of literary appreciation begins
  long before children learn to readand continues
  throughout adulthood until death.

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Level 1 Understanding that Pleasure and Profit
Come from Literature ( Ages 0-5)

• Literature can refer to oral manifestations
  (songs and nursery rhymes) as well as graphic or
  visual depictions (picture books, television
  programs, and appealing signs)
• The literary experience is a social one
• Adults sharing going to bookstores and
  libraries talking about t.v. programs and movies
  
• Children have opportunities for talking
  storiesand grand conversations

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Level 2 Learning to Read (Decode) (Ages 6-8)

• Children are developing literacy (a process
  that is never-ending for anyone who is
  intellectually active.)
• One must not lose sight of those children who are
  struggling with literacy and subsequently lose
  sight of the search for pleasure and enjoyment
• Children are undemanding and in a stage of
  unconscious enjoyment becoming addicted to
  one particular book or character (allowing for
  the development of speed and skill)

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Level 3 Losing Oneself in a Story (Ages 9-11)

• Time outside of school for reading, less
  television time, and uninterrupted conversation
  is essential. (Distractions do not help to
  develop appreciation for reading!)
• Children read while engaged in other activities.
• Reading can become a means of escaping.
• This developmental stage may not occur until much
  later than the 3rd or 4th grades, or it may not
  happen at all.

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Level 4 Finding Oneself in a Story (Ages 12-14)

• At this stage, the more experience children have
  with literature (books or movies), the more
  discriminating they become.
• To receive pleasure, children have to respect the
  story it has to be real!
• They want to know not what happened , but why
  stereotypes are no longer satisfying characters
  are controlled by believable human motives.
• They are reading to find out about themselves,
  not simply to escape into someone elses
  experiences.

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Level 4 Finding Oneself in a Story (Ages 12-14)
cont.

• They are looking for lives as much like their own
  as possible.
• In addition, they are curious about other sides
  of life ( e.g. the bizarre, the unbelievable, the
  grotesque)
• Their purpose is largely that of finding
  themselves and their places in society.
• Reading is a means of discovering identity.

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Level 5 Venturing Beyond Self (Ages 15-18)

• The person goes beyond his/her egocentrism and
  looks at the larger circle of society (going
  beyond me).
• Issues such as conformity, social pressures,
  justice, and other human frailties and strengths
• Teenagers are responsible for assessing the world
  around them and where they fit in.
• This stage is more about emotional, intellectual
  and physical development instead of advanced
  reading skills.
• Reading at this level allows for focusing on the
  persons psychological needs in relation to
  society. (Science fiction and fantasy help to
  create new ideas about the existing society.)

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Levels 6 and 7 Reading Widely and Aesthetic
Appreciation (Ages 18 - Death)

• At the college level, the young adult reads
  best-sellers and is involved in acclaimed
  literary works such as novels, plays, and films,
  sharing these experiences with peers.
• Throughout adulthood, the avid reader who has
  developed the skills and attitudes necessary to
  enjoy literary experiences at all the previous
  levels, is ready to embark on a lifetime of
  aesthetic appreciation (understanding the beauty
  and artistic value).

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What is the importance of understanding the
different stages of literary appreciation?

• In order to appreciate literature, people at any
  stage must experience pleasure and profit from
  their reading, viewing, and listening.
• As teachers and parents, we must meet young
  people where they are and help them feel
  comfortable before trying to move them on.
• Nevertheless, we have to continue to provide for
  the level below the one we are focusing so as not
  to frustrate them!
• The goal a society of adults who are
  intellectually stimulated to read for personal
  fulfillment and pleasure.